Cambodian crocodile. Photo: Yan Schweizer
AZA’s Conservation Endowment Fund Announces Grants to Conservation Projects Worldwide
Oct 12, 2010Silver Spring, Maryland – The Association
of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Conservation Endowment Fund (CEF) has granted
$160,000 to 8 wildlife conservation initiatives.
“From crocodiles to lemurs to ferrets, AZA-accredited zoos
and aquariums and their partners are at the forefront of wildlife conservation
here in North America and around the world,”
said AZA President and CEO, Jim Maddy. “The scientific contribution of zoos and
aquariums receiving Conservation Endowment Fund awards is vital to the wildlife
conservation movement.”
Established in 1984, the AZA CEF supports the cooperative
conservation-related scientific and educational initiatives of AZA members and
their partners. Every major type of conservation and animal care initiative is
represented — research, field conservation, education and outreach, animal
welfare, animal health and animal management. Many CEF projects are
collaborations among AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums and state, federal and
international wildlife agencies, academia and other conservation organizations.
Between 1991 and 2010, the CEF provided more than $5
million to over 300 projects worldwide. The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund
(DWCF) and The Walt Disney Company have provided supplemental funds to the CEF
for over a decade, which significantly increases the number of projects funded
by the CEF each year. For more information about Disney conservation
efforts, please visit www.disney.com/conservation.
People can support next year’s worthy conservation projects
by donating online or by texting “AZACEF” to 20222 to
donate $10 to CEF.
After a competitive review of 65 applications, 8 projects
were funded for 2010. Funding sources for each project are indicated.
Cambodian Crocodile
Conservation Programme: Re-introduction of Siamese Crocodiles to the Wild (CEF)
Adam Starr, Fauna & Flora International
Lonnie McCaskill, Disney's Animal Kingdom
Community Engagement and Capacity
Building: The Northern Cheyenne Reservation and Black-footed Ferret Recovery (DWCF)
Rachel Santymire, PhD, Lincoln Park Zoo
Rachel Bergren, Lincoln Park Zoo
Developing Adaptive Management for
Human-Elephant Conflict Across Asia (CEF/DWCF)
Peter Leimgruber, PhD, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National
Zoological Park
Developing Invasive Weed Control Methods
In a Malagasy Rainforest Reserve (DWCF)
Karen Freeman, PhD, Madagascar Fauna Group
Ingrid Porton, Saint Louis
Zoo
Ecological
Interactions Between Wild and Domestic Ungulates in Arid Ecosystems: A Case
Study of the Endangered Hirola Antelope (Beatragus
hunteri), in Eastern Kenya (CEF)
Ali Hussein, Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya
Implementing a Conservation Strategy for
the Black Warrior Waterdog (Necturus
alabamensis) (DWCF)
Monica Stoops, PhD, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Eric Keyster, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Christopher DeChant, Innovative Zoological Solutions
Marine Fish Egg Collection and Larval
Rearing - Technique Development for Sustainability (DWCF)
Judy St. Leger, PhD, SeaWorld San Diego
Allan Marshall, The Florida Aquarium
Gary Violetta, SeaWorld Orlando
Rocket Stoves and Reforestation:
Ensuring the Long-term Survival of Two Critically Endangered Lemur Species in
Madagascar (DWCF)
Edward Louis, Jr., DVM, PhD, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo
Founded
in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of
conservation, education, science, and recreation. Look for the AZA logo
whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting
a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great
experience for you, and a better future for all living things. The AZA is a
leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in
their native habitats.
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