Turtle Conservancy Board Chair Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Anders Rhodin, Chair of the Turtle Conservancy Board, was recently honored with the Worldwide Sea Turtle Society Lifetime Achievement Award. This prestigious award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to sea turtle biology and conservation throughout their career.
Rhodin joins the ranks of esteemed sea turtle experts such as Archie Carr and Peter Pritchard, previous recipients of the award. In his acceptance speech, Rhodin reflects on the decades of partnerships, projects, and dedication that led to this recognition:
“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this award and will be attending the sea turtle symposium in Thailand to accept it. This moment reminds me of the people who have inspired me in my turtle research and conservation efforts.”
His journey began with Russ Mittermeier, his oldest and closest turtle friend and colleague, dating back to their undergraduate days at Dartmouth. Together, they traveled through the Amazon in 1971. Rhodin also credits Peter Pritchard and John Behler, with whom he launched the journal Chelonian Conservation and Biology while they were leading the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. They inspired and mentored him to become more than just an orthopedic surgeon.
Later, Rick Hudson stepped up as the Asian Turtle Crisis emerged as a major threat to freshwater turtles and tortoises. He helped create and lead the Turtle Survival Alliance. Then, Eric Goode brought his considerable personal resources to make a difference for turtles globally and establish the Turtle Conservancy. Rhodin acknowledges these inspirational leaders and many others who have contributed to the research, organizations, and funding that have helped achieve their goals.
Rhodin joined the Turtle Conservancy Board of Directors in 2006, replacing founding member John Behler, his close friend and conservation mentor, after his passing. In 2016, he was elected Chair of the Board. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Turtle Survival Alliance and the African Aquatic Conservation Fund. He is the Founder and Director of the Chelonian Research Foundation and Chair Emeritus and Executive Vice Chair of the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. He was also a founding Co-Chair of the Turtle Conservation Fund and a former member of the Chairman’s Council of Conservation International. Rhodin is also the Founding Editor and Author of Chelonian Conservation and Biology and Chelonian Research Monographs (co-published with the Turtle Conservancy). And did we mention he is also a retired orthopedic surgeon? The Turtle Conservancy is honored to have such a dedicated, influential, and multifaceted visionary on our board.
Congratulations to Anders Rhodin for this well-deserved recognition! 🐢🏆