Category: Partnerships

The Power of Progress: Head-starting and the Future of Mojave Desert Tortoise Conservation

kford on April 30, 2024

Researchers from the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory in collaboration with the University of California, Davis, recently conducted a study in the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, California, to further investigate the effectiveness of head-starting as a conservation tool for the Mojave desert tortoise. This species is currently listed as “Threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act due to significant threats from habitat destruction and over-exploitation and was listed as “Endangered” by the State of California.

The Savannah River Ecology Lab releases offspring of confiscated turtles

kford on July 27, 2023

The University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service – Savannah River, and the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, successfully released offspring of confiscated eastern box turtles on June 29, 2023 at the Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina. This accomplishment was the culmination of a story four years in the making following the journeys of over 200 confiscated eastern box turtles, their offspring, and owner-surrendered turtles.