Open Mic Social Wednesday the 23rd! You’re Invited: Desert-Inspired Open Mic Night Calling all Desert Tortoise Council Symposium attendees and tortoise folks! Join us for a relaxed Open Mic Social on Wednesday, February 25 | 6:00–9:00 PM....

Federal Judge Protects Desert Tortoises From California Off-Road Vehicles “The Desert Tortoise Council is encouraged to see that the courts recognize just how bad it has gotten for the desert tortoise,” said Ed LaRue of the Desert Tortoise Council. “The Bureau of Land Management has.. Photo: USFWS

TODAY! 51st Annual Symposium Special Hotel Rates are ENDING TODAY! Book Your Room NOW for the Symposium Rate! Our special symposium pricing ends today! After today, rates go up and we can't... #desert #tortoise #lasvegas #2026 #symposium #mojave #sonora #california #mexico #utah #arizona #nevada

51st Annual Symposium Special Hotel Rates are ENDING! Please Book Your Room Today! Our special conference pricing is about to come to an end! After that, rates go up and we can't guarantee you a room at the venue! Reserve that room now! Don't miss out! deserttortoise.org/annual-sympo...

Don't Sleep Through This Alarm! Early registration rates for the Desert Tortoise Council Symposium END TODAY! Hotel pricing ends soon. This is Your Last Chance to Register at Early Rates! Make Your Hotel Reservations Before the Low Rates Disappear Entirely! deserttortoise.org/annual-sympo...

You've made it through the Holidays, the New Year has begun. The gifts were given, the gatherings were enjoyed. Now you're back to work and realizing that early registration rates for the Desert Tortoise Council Symposium end in 10 DAYS!

NDOT completes 57 wildlife crossings across southern Nevada to reduce vehicle strikes www.fox5vegas.com/2025/12/31/n...

Well, 2025 is drawing to a close and we wanted to say “Thank You” to everyone who reads this. Thank you for paying attention to Desert Tortoises and their plight. Thank you for supporting us... #ThankYou #HappyNewYear #Mojave #Sonora #Desert #Tortoise #Utah #Arizona #Mexico #Nevada #California

Happy Holidays from the Desert Tortoise Council. We hope the season has been a bright one for you and yours! Photo: Sarah Berryman

NDOT Reaches Substantial Completion on U.S. 95 Roadway Rehabilitation Project Near Searchlight Crossings • Culverts • Connectivity Photo: NDOW www.dot.nv.gov/Home/Compone...

3-year study sheds new light on Mojave desert tortoises, other wildlife in Beaver Dam Wash www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/3-year-...

Look at that face! Are you buttoning up those last few gifts for the holiday season? Drop a few of these Amazon Wishlist items in your cart for the DTC!... Photo: C. Chan. Sonoran Desert Tortoise from recent DTC grant funded surveys in Sonora, Mexico. #Mexico #Sonora #Desert #Tortoise #Research

Now is the perfect time to select your entries for the 51st Annual Symposium Photo Contest! Each year we encourage our membership to submit their best... Photo: 1st Place Winner 2025, Captive Desert Tortoises category, Taylor Dee #desert #tortoise #photo #contest #reptile #science #conservation

Did you know that you can attend the 51st Annual Desert Tortoise Council Symposium… Virtually?... Photo: Andres Galindo #desert #tortoise #science #conservation #symposium #meeting #presentation #mojave #sonora #mexico #california #utah #nevada #arizona #lasvegas #virtual #reptile

Welp, I reckon it's time to register for the 51st Annual Symposium! Don't lollygag and find yourself paying late registration rates! This will be a hybrid event (both in-person and virtual attendance... Photo: Andres Galindo #desert #tortoise #conservation #science #reptile #conference #symposium

Be Part of Preserving Desert Tortoise Science and Conservation Consider sponsoring the 51st Annual Desert Tortoise Council Meeting & Symposium! Sponsorship is NOT just for companies and organizations, its for people just like you!... Photo: Ashley Spenceley

The Glenn R. Stewart Student Travel Fund Application Deadline is Approaching The Glenn R. Stewart Student Travel Fund was established to honor Dr. Glenn R. Stewart, co-founder of the Desert Tortoise Council, who passed away this September. This Fund is intended to support students working with...

Your support is KEY to the Desert Tortoise Council being able to support Desert Tortoise conservation and research like this recent population survey work in Sonora, Mexico. Thanks to your support the Desert Tortoise Council is able to advocate for these species, and for... Photo: MBLuzuriaga

LAST CALL! Applications for the 2026 David J. Morafka Memorial Research Award are due TODAY, November 30, by 11:59PM PT. The award was established, with the aid of several donors, to help support research that contributes to the understanding, management and conservation of.. Photo: Andres Galindo

Amazon Wishlist for 51st Symposium Raffle and Auction! At the Desert Tortoise Council, our mission is to assure the perpetual survival of viable populations of Desert Tortoises throughout their historical ranges. Annually we… Photo: by Maribel Lopez, recent grant funded surveys in Sonora, Mexico.

Professional Development Opportunity: Avian Workshop Offered by Desert Shield Environmental Course Description This immersive, three-day applied training is designed for biological monitors, field biologists, and environmental consultants who wish to strengthen their avian identification and...

Isla Tiburón Photo: Adrian Slade

REMINDER! Applications for the 2026 David J. Morafka Memorial Research Award are due November 30. The award was established, with the aid of several donors, to help support research that contributes to the understanding, management and conservation of tortoises of the genus Gopherus...

We had such a great time in Ridgecrest, CA for the Field Workshop portion of our Introduction to the Mojave Desert Tortoise Course! Part of the Workshop includes walking transects in the field and recording the presence of tortoises or evidence of them. Test your skills on this photo! 📸D Hedrick

An integrated model improves inferences about survival in the Mojave desert tortoise www.int-res.com/abstracts/es...

Sitting through the online portion of a desert tortoise workshop put on by @deserttortoise.bsky.social and can I just say it is an incredibly informative and comprehensive program. I can’t recommend it enough if you are a working biologist or aspire to be one! So well put together!

#UTAH kjzz.com/news/local/n...

$25…. Get a look at the latest from the field of Desert Tortoise Biology by AUDITING the 2025 Introduction to the Mojave Desert Tortoise Live, Online Lecture Sessions… for ONLY $25! This online lecture course includes specific… Photo: Max Havelka #Desert #tortoise #biology #conservation

#REMINDER! DTC Introductory Course Alumni? Beginning this year, past attendees of the FULL Introduction to the Mojave Desert Tortoise Course, that maintain an ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP with the Desert Tortoise Council, #desert #tortoise #science #conservation #research #biology Photos: David Hedrick

Its time to register for the 51st Annual Symposium! This will be a hybrid event (both in-person and virtual attendance options) that will be held at the Palace Station Casino, in Las Vegas from February 25-27, 2026. A field trip is... #desert #tortoise #conservation #science 🧪 Photo: Max Havelka

Are you one of the HUNDREDS of DTC Introductory Course Alumni? Beginning this year, past attendees of the FULL Introduction to the Mojave Desert Tortoise Course, that maintain an active membership with the... #desert #tortoise #science #conservation #research #biology #ecology Photos: David Hedrick

Last week marked the passing of Dr. Glenn R. Stewart (1936-2025), one of the Desert Tortoise Council’s three founders, and a very special friend to many of us. Dr. Stewart was active on the Desert Tortoise Council’s Board of Directors from its inception until 2016 when he retired from the Board...

Program Announcement: The University of Southern California program in Integrative and Evolutionary Biology is open to applicants to the PhD program to start in Fall 2026. We especially seek outstanding candidates to, Photo: Kevin Nay #USC #PHD #turtle #tortoise #desert #conservation #research

Illegal turtle exports expose black market demand. #repost U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Between August 2023 and November 2024, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement led investigation... Photo 1: A seized eastern box turtle in a holding tank. Credit: Rebecca Fabbri/USFWS

Out here all the live long week and it's still not Friday...... Photo: Natahan Shoutis #beenworkin #desert #tortoise #reptile #mojave #sonora #conservation #science

How many of you are still cutting ALL those six pack rings? 🙋🏽🙋🏻🙋🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏻‍♂️🙋‍♂️ Anti-litter superhero Peanut the Turtle turns 41! mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/ant... #turtle #litter #trash #clean #recycle

The 2025 Introductory Course is now FULL! But don't let that stop you from adding your name to the wait list or signing up to audit the Online Lecture Sessions! The Online Lecture Sessions take place on October 24 and 25 and include specific information about the biology, Photo: David Hedrick

Is ‘Blanket Rule’ Protecting Threatened Species Under ESA Doomed? The Center for Biological Diversity was one of the blanket rule defenders in the lawsuit. CBD senior attorney Lea Comerford... Photo: USFWS #tortoise #endangered #threatened #extinction #desert #conservation #science #reptile 🧪

From @npr.org : This Iconic Tortoise is Dying Out. It Could Affect the Whole Ecosystem Since being listed as a threatened species more than 35 years ago, tortoise numbers have continued to dwindle..... GIF: Michael Faist/NPS #mojave #desert #tortoise #extinction #california #npr #reptiles 🧪

WOW! If you’ve been putting off registering for the 2025 Introductory Course, now is the time. Spots are almost GONE! This course will fill up soon. Early registration rates still... Photo: David Hedrick #desert #tortoise #mojave #california #science #biologist #conservation #field #workshop 🧪

On a search? Check out the NEW job posts! deserttortoise.org/news/job-ann... Photo: Kelly Hunt #desert #tortoise #research #science #conservation

LISTEN to this great piece from NPR’s NPR All Things Considered: Hear from Mojave Desert Land Trust’s Patrick Emblidge, UC Riverside's Cameron Burrows, and Kristina Drake.... Photos: Joshua Tree National Park #mojave #desert #tortoise #endangered #science #conservation 🧪

Assemble those Abstracts and Polish up Those Posters! This is the Call for Papers for the 51st Annual Desert Tortoise Council Symposium! Mark your 2026 Calendars. February 25th-27th the Desert Tortoise Council... Photo: Max Havelka #desert #tortoise #conservation #science #mojave #sonoran 🧪

Just a Few Weeks Left to Submit Your Proposal! The Leeward Renewable Energy Research Grant deadline is next month! This grant consists of a monetary award to help support research that examines aspects of... #science 🧪 #grant #desert #tortoise #renewable #energy #ecology #biology #habitat

Save the Date! The Desert Tortoise Council is excited to announce the 51st Annual Meeting and Symposium, which will be a hybrid event (both in-person and virtual attendance options) that will be held at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, from February 25-27, 2026. 🧪 #science!