There are few things of more concern to conservationists than the plight of the turtle population. From habitat destruction to the food markets, turtle populations are being wiped out at an insane rate.

Thanks to Doug Hotle from the Albuquerque Biological Park for the heads up on this project. From Year of the Turtle page at the Turtle Survival Alliance:

Why turtles, and why now? Turtles are disappearing from the planet faster than birds, mammals, and even amphibians. Today, over 40% of turtle species are identified as threatened with extinction; the primary threats are human-caused. However, it's not too late for our turtle heritage to be salvaged. The United States has more endemic turtle species than anywhere on Earth; a turtle biodiversity hotspot. Our careful stewardship can preserve the rare species and keep 'common species common.'

From PARC, the list of the top 25 species facing extinction as well as 40 additional species that are in levels of concern can be found here.
The line up of conservation organizations is huge for this effort. We will make an extra effort to bring you information related to this project as well as ways to get involved through the year. Below, there's a video from Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC). We will also make a hash tag for twitter of all related posts of #yott2011. Join us in getting this information out!