About the Turtle Conservation Fund

The Turtle Conservation Fund (TCF) was established in 2002 as a partnership initiative of Conservation International, IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG), and Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA). In 2007 it was joined by the Shellshock Campaign of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, and in 2009 expanded to become a broader-based partnership coalition of several leading turtle conservation organizations and individuals, including Global Wildlife Conservation (since reorganized as Re:wild), Chelonian Research Foundation (CRF), and Turtle Conservancy (TC). Re:wild and CRF currently serve as financial umbrella organizations for the TCF.

The TCF issued a detailed Summary Activity Report in 2019 summarizing its grant-making activity from 2002 through 2018, during which time over US$ 1 million in grant support was distributed to over 250 projects focused on endangered and threatened turtles and tortoises. This report can be downloaded HERE.

The TCF partnership coalition at this time (August 2025) includes the following organizations:

Re:wild • Turtle Conservancy • Chelonian Research Foundation •  IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group • Turtle Survival Alliance • The Panaphil Foundation • Turtle Sanctuary Conservation Center

Previous coalition partners have included the following organizations:

Conservation International • Wildlife Conservation Society • Chelonian Research Institute • European Association of Zoos and Aquaria / Shellshock Campaign • Andrew Sabin Family Foundation • Humane Society International – Australia • Surprise Spring Foundation

The TCF administers a turtle conservation and research grants program focused on endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles. Awards are granted to organizations or individuals for specific conservation or research projects dealing with highly endangered  tortoises or freshwater turtles, but not marine turtles, with either partial or full support as funding allows. Please visit the TCF Grants page for details regarding application instructions and a listing of funded projects.

Several TCF Alliance Partners have also contributed to global turtle conservation efforts, either directly through TCF with various levels of support, or through their own independent conservation programs for turtles developed or supported in some measure in partial collaboration or consulation with TCF’s prioritizing and funding mechanisms. The efforts of TCF have benefitted greatly from the collaborative and cooperative approach of these turtle-focused conservation organizations.

The TCF is managed by its Executive Board, which is composed of the following individuals:

TCF Board Executive Committee

Anders G.J. Rhodin, Co-Chair
     Founder and Director, Chelonian Research Foundation
     Executive Vice Chair and Chair Emeritus, IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group
     Chair Emeritus, Turtle Conservancy
Russell A. Mittermeier, Co-Chair
     Chief Conservation Officer, Re:wild
     Past President, Conservation International
Vivian P. Páez, Vice-Chair
     Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
Peter Paul van Dijk, Vice-Chair
     Director, Field Conservation Programs, Turtle Conservancy
     Deputy Chair, IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group

TCF Board Regular Members

Gary Ades
     Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Hong Kong
Brian C. Bock
    Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
Kurt A. Buhlmann
     University of Georgia; Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
Marc Dupuis-Désormeaux
     President and CEO, Turtle Survival Alliance
Carla C. Eisemberg
    Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
Camila Ferrara
     Wildlife Conservation Society, Manaus, Brazil
Matt Frankel
     Surprise Spring Foundation, Prescott, Arizona
Natalia Gallego-García
    Co-Chair, IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group
    Conservation Geneticist, Turtle Survival Alliance
Arthur Georges
     Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Australia
Paul M. Gibbons
     Board Member, HABIO A.C., Mexico
     Reptile Veterinarian, Clatskanie, Oregon
Eric V. Goode
    President and CEO, Turtle Conservancy
Cris Hagen
     Turtle Survival Center, Cross, South Carolina
Brian D. Horne
    Conservation Consultant, San Diego, California
Rick Hudson
    President Emeritus, Turtle Survival Alliance
    Deputy Chair, IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group
John B. Iverson
     Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana
Gerald Kuchling
     Chelonia Enterprises, Australia
Richard E. Lewis
     Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Madagascar
Luca M. Luiselli
     Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation, Rome, Italy
     Turtle Sanctuary Conservation Center, Paris, France
George A. Meyer
     Conservationist, Seattle, Washington
Kalyar Platt
     Turtle Survival Alliance, Yangon, Myanmar
Hugh R. Quinn
     Retired, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Former Chair, AZA Chelonian Advisory Group
Former Co-Chair, Turtle Conservation Fund
Martina Raffel
     Stiftung Artenschutz, Münster, Germany
Hai-Tao Shi
     Hainan Normal University, China
Craig B. Stanford
     Co-Chair, IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group
     University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Denise M. Thompson
    Drury University, Springfield, Missouri
Tracey D. Tuberville
     University of Georgia; Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
Bruce J. Weissgold
     Retired, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service CITES Management Authority
     and Office of Law Enforcement, Annandale, Virginia
Andrew D. Walde
     Director of Conservation and Science, Turtle Survival Alliance
     Deputy Chair, IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group
     Walde Research & Environmental Consulting, Atascadero, California

Former TCF Board Members († = deceased)

Chris B. Banks
     Melbourne Zoo, Australia
James E. Barzyk
     Program Manager, Turtle Survival Alliance
John L. Behler †
     Co-Chair, IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group
     Bronx Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York
Kevin R. Buley
     Director, EAZA Shellshock Campaign; Chester Zoo, United Kingdom
Antoine Cadi
     Conservationist, France
Bernard Devaux
     SOPTOM, Gonfaron, France
Douglas B. Hendrie
     Asian Turtle Conservation Network, Vietnam
Susan Lieberman
     Conservationist, Washington, DC
Hans-Dieter Philippen †
     Turtle Survival Alliance / TSA Europe, Germany
Colin Poole
     Director, Asia Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Singapore
Peter C.H. Pritchard †
     President, Chelonian Research Institute, Oviedo, Florida
Maurice Rodrigues
     Turtle Conservancy; Andrew Sabin Family Foundation
Walter C. Sedgwick
     Turtle Survival Alliance; Island Foundation; GG Wade Trust
Henk Zwartepoorte †
     Rotterdam Zoo, Netherlands; Turtle Survival Alliance / TSA Europe