The Northeast Blanding's Turtle Working Group and the Northeast Wood Turtle Working Group partnered to host the first Blanding's & Wood Turtle Conservation Symposium on October 3-4, 2016 at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife in Westborough, Massachusetts. The symposium was supported by USFWS Competitive State Wildlife Grants and hosted by American Turtle Observatory, Antioch University New England, New Hampshire Fish and Game, and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Participants gather in Massachusetts on October 3, 2016 for the first Blanding's and Wood Turtle Conservation Symposium.

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Overview

The primary goal of this symposium was to advance the conservation of Blanding's and wood turtles by bringing together experts from across the species’ ranges who are involved in conservation, management, and research. The program was designed to enrich our knowledge and complement our capacities for reaching conservation goals through presentations, discussions, and workshops that share scientific research, management strategies, program development, and field experiences.

We left the two day symposium with a clear plan for future collaboration and necessary next steps for working together across the species' ranges to continue to advance their conservation.

 The Symposium was held at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Field Headquarters: 1 Rabbit Hill Rd. Westborough, MA 01581. 

Abstracts and Participants

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Symposium Hosts

Partners