Check Your Email.... Attendees of last month's 51st Annual DTC Symposium should have just received an email from us. You will have access to the symposium session recordings for the month of April! In that email you… Photo: Maria Belen Luzuriaga (DTC supported survey work last year in Mexico.)

If you were unable to attend this year's Annual Business Meeting at the DTC Symposium in February, here is the link to view the recording! vimeo.com/1178478250?s...

Tortoises Rescued From Dig Site At Joshua Tree National Park www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2026/03/tort...

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2026 West Mojave Landscape Resilience and Desert Tortoise Recovery Partnership (RASP) 2026 Request for Proposals (RFP)! In 2026, the West Mojave Landscape Resilience and RASP will provide funding to...

Responsible OHV recreationalists and conservationists all LOVE the desert and its wildlife. We are all stakeholders and stewards. With that, comes the responsibility to recognize when a certain way of land management harms the most sensitive areas of the desert we love, and to adjust accordingly,

Court Halts Construction of Utah Highway Through Red Cliffs National Conservation Area [Center for Biological Diversity] For Immediate Release: WASHINGTON— A U.S. District Court on Sunday granted a motion from conservation organizations to block ground-disturbing activities associated with...

From the LA Times, This California reptile closed down a Mojave Desert haven for off-road racing… Since the 1970s, tortoise populations have fallen by 96% in some plots monitored by biologist Kristin Berry of the U.S. Geological Survey. www.latimes.com/environment/...

The Desert Tortoise Council would like to thank long-time supporter Ecocentric, LLC for Co-Sponsoring this year's 51st Annual Symposium Pre-Conference Mixer on February 24th! ecocentricnv.com Register to attend in person, virtually, or for evening events! deserttortoise.org/annual-sympo...

The Desert Tortoise Council would like to thank long-time supporter SNEI Biological for Co-Sponsoring this year's 51st Annual Symposium Pre-Conference Mixer on February 24th! www.snei.com Register to attend in person, virtually, or for evening events! deserttortoise.org/annual-sympo...

A highway through Desert Tortoise habitat? What the Northern Corridor’s revival means for southern Utah.... Photo: (Jason Jones | Utah Division of Wildlife Resources) A Desert Tortoise in its native habitat in Washington County.

Options... There is nothing like attending in person, and we all want to see you at the 51st Annual Symposium! If it just isn't possible this year, we have options. Virtual attendance is available again at a new, lower rate. If you can only make it in-person for a day, we have... Photo: Focardi

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...