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
Camila Ferrara
    Wildlife Conservation Society, Manaus, Brazil
Matt Frankel
    Surprise Spring Foundation, Prescott, Arizona
Natalia Gallego-GarcÃa
  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 â€
   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
Carla C. Eisemberg
   Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
Douglas B. Hendrie
   Asian Turtle Conservation Network, Vietnam
Susan Lieberman
    Conservationist, Washington, DC
Hans-Dieter Philippen â€
   Turtle Survival Alliance / TSA Europe, Germany
Colin Poole
   Director, Asia Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Singapore
Peter C.H. Pritchard â€
   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 â€
   Rotterdam Zoo, Netherlands; Turtle Survival Alliance / TSA Europe