Held monthly during tortoise season in Las Vegas and other times throughout the state these meetings are designed to interest potential adopters and to support the needs of tortoise custodians with science and experience based on the latest available desert tortoise care information.
Community meetings are free to attend and open to all. There’s always time for questions and tortoise food available for purchase and usually a special guest speaker to educate us and inspire advocacy.
See EVENTS PAGE for our meeting schedule and locations.
Video of our past community meetings:
October 2018 – We discuss seasonal behavior and brumation, with a wrap up of this year’s events.
September 2018 – Lesley DeFalco dicusses native desert plants and the desert restoration project she is working on with Tortoise Group volunteers.
August 2018 – Kristina Drake hosts our general meeting and discusses tortoise health.
June 2018 – Jordan Swart speaks about the juvenile tortoise relocation project with USGS.
May 2018 – At this general meeting, we go over seasonal behavior and tortoise care.
April 2018 – Molly Bechtel discusses ticks and tortoises.
2018 Volunteer Master Workshop – Learn what it takes to be a Tortoise Group volunteer!
October 2017 – We talk about seasonal behavior and brumation.
October 17, 2015 – Kathy Utiger hosts a brumation talk and Todd Esque of the USGS tells us more about “What Tortoises Do in Winter” at the final general Tortoise Group meeting of 2015
September 19, 2015 – Annual business meeting, the launch of an all new TortoiseGroup.org, and Fall care tips
August 15, 2015 – John Hiatt Ph.D. Long-time conservationist and civic leader speaks on Climate Change
July 18, 2015 – Phil Medica of the USGS shares the history of the tortoise and how the desert tortoise survives in the Mojave.
June 20, 2015 – Melia Nafus of the San Diego Zoo presents new research on the effects of translocating tortoises that have tested positive for Mycoplasma (Upper Respiratory Tract Disease).
May 16, 2015 – Early Summer Tortoise Tips and “Gila Monster: The Story of Monsters in our Midst” by Jason Jones Nevada Department of Wildlife
April 19, 2015 – Springtime Tortoise Tips and Special Guest Speaker Dr. Sharon Gorman of Creature Comforts Animal Hospital on Sterilization
September 24, 2014 – Fall Behavior and Brumation Tips & USGS Tortoise Discussions
August 16, 2014 – August Care Tips & Jim Moore from The Nature Conservancy, How Green Is Your Generation? “Solar Development in Nevada”
July 19, 2014 – Hot Summer Behavior and Care “Creating the Perfect Habitat: Basics to Designer Ideas”
June 21, 2014 – Early Summer Behavior & Jennifer Parsons, Nutritionist from The San Diego Zoo “New Studies on Tortoise Foods”
May 17, 2014 – Early Summer Behavior and Care & Marci Henson Clark Country Comprehensive Planning on the “Overview of the Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Program”
March 22, 2014 – Spring Care & Creature Comforts on “Raising a Healthy Tortoise” by Dr. Erin Wilkins
September 28, 2013 – Fall Behavior & Jim Moore from The Nature Conservancy, How Green Is Your Generation? “Solar Development in Nevada”
August 24, 2013 – Care tips & “A Survey of Tortoise-related Research Conservation Projects” presented by a team of Biologists from the Western Ecological Research Center, US Geological Survey, Henderson
July 27, 2013 – Hot Summer Behavior & “Slow and Steady Wins the Race: The Challenges of Keeping Your Tortoise Healthy” By Dr. Jamie Sulliban, Veterinarian, Aloha Animal Hospital
