The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) and the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG) are pleased to announce the dates of their joint Symposium, Wednesday - Saturday September 17 - 20, 2008 in Tucson, Arizona. This is the 6th annual conference hosted by the TSA, and has become the largest gathering of non-marine turtle biologists and captive breeding specialists in the world.

Tucson is in the Sonoran Desert, an absolutely stunning location with rich cactus forest, rolling hills and awe-inspiring mountains. It is home of the giant saguaro cactus, an iconic symbolic of the American West. This time of year rewards travelers with dry days in the 70s and 80s and nights in the 40s or 50s. The summer rainfall is just finishing, and the desert should be particularly beautiful. The Sonoran Desert harbors 60 mammal species, 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, 100+ reptile species, 30 native fish species, and more than 2000 native plant species. Hiking, bird watching, museums, and great dining are all within easy access of Tucson. The city is bordered north and south by Saguaro National Park.

Conference planning is still underway, but rest assured that we are working hard to keep costs down while improving the quality of your conference. Based on the recent survey results, this year’s conference will feature hands-on demonstrations and workshops, concurrent sessions including a full day captive husbandry symposium, and more time for socializing. Post workshop field trips are also being planned.

Once again, we are grateful for the generous support of our conference title sponsor, ZooMed. This promises to be a major international conference, with over 70 presentations , another exciting and memorable icebreaker (Wed evening, 17 Sept), Mexican dinner with Live Auction (Friday, 19 Sept) and the Banquet and Award Presentation (Saturday, 20 Sept). For the third year the TSA and TFTSG will present the Behler Turtle Conservation Award, and Chelonian Research Foundation will sponsor the annual award for best student papers and posters.