The 52nd Annual Meeting and Symposium will be a hybrid event (both in-person and virtual attendance options) that will be held at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, from February 24-26, 2027. A field trip is scheduled the day before the meeting on February 23. The Symposium will include a plenary address, invited and featured speakers, and contributed papers and posters. The program will be exciting, challenging, and full of new information! We are fortunate in 2027 to be located close to the four state boundaries and a backdrop of many ongoing research projects. The program will be posted on the website 30 days prior to the Symposium.
Call for Papers
Titles and abstracts for sessions or contributed papers and posters are hereby invited. The Council welcomes special sessions, pertinent papers, and posters summarizing short- and long-term research, future challenges, past accomplishments, and progress reports on significant topics for Gopherus agassizii, G. morafkai, G. evgoodei, and G. flavomarginatus. Papers and posters on the 4 species, desert habitats, restoration research, and other species living in desert ecosystems are welcome, as time permits.
Please return the form below with abstract by November 1, 2026. If necessary, final abstracts can be submitted as late as December 15, 2026; however, the form below must be submitted by November 1, 2026, to ensure participation.
Palace Station Hotel Las Vegas
More information to come.
Pre-Conference Mixer
This event is the perfect way to kick off the Symposium. The pre-conference mixer will be held at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino on the 2nd floor near the Grand Ballroom (find the escalator near Wing-Stop) on Tuesday evening, February 23, 2027, from 6-9pm. Please plan to attend as it is a great time to reconnect with friends, to network with new contacts.
More information to come.
Wednesday Evening Social
More information to come.
Annual Business Meeting
The Annual Business Meeting of the Desert Tortoise Council will be held in a hybrid format (i.e., in person and virtually) in conjunction with the 52nd Annual Desert Tortoise Council Symposium. The business meeting will be held at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, February 24, 2027, at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.
More information to come.
52nd Symposium Sponsors
Please consider sponsoring the annual Symposium of the Desert Tortoise Council. These one-time donations go directly to defraying the costs of the Annual Symposium.
More information to come.
Annual Field Trip – February 23, 2027
More information to come.
52nd Annual Photo Contest
Each year we encourage our membership to submit their best wildlife and nature photographs for a chance to win cash prizes, as well as to aid the Desert Tortoise Council in educating the public and advocating desert conservation through photography.
More information to come.
Symposium Raffle & Auction
The symposium will include various types of raffles and an auction as a fundraiser so the Council can continue to expand its conservation efforts for the tortoise. Please consider donating items for the auction or raffle! The raffle and auction are only open to those who attend register for the Symposium in-person. Raffle tickets can be purchased at the time of registration or in-person at the Symposium venue.
More information to come.
Health & Wellness Protocol
The Desert Tortoise Council would like to ensure that all persons attending the Symposium “in person” are safe and well by implementing the following protocol when you are in the Palace Station Convention space.
- If you feel ill, have recently tested positive for Covid, or have symptom(s) of Covid, influenza, RSV infection, or another infectious disease, please do not attend the symposium in person and please follow the CDC COVID isolation procedures until you are no longer infectious. If you are unable to attend the symposium because you test positive, you can switch between in-person and virtual participation. If you are unable to attend virtually, cancel your registration and request a refund of the registration fee.
- For the safety of all attendees, please wear a mask (preferable KN95) and when possible, practice social distancing. The exception to wearing a mask would be when presenting your talk, eating, or drinking. The Council will have masks and hand sanitizer available.