AZA, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, has announced that it has selected seven conservation and research initiatives led by AZA members to receive support from the Conservation Grants Fund (CGF), with a total value of $153,607.
The AZA Conservation Grants Fund, which was founded in 1984, is a competitive grants programme that aids AZA members’ and their partners’ collaborative conservation-related scientific and educational projects. AZA invests community conservation funds in its flagship conservation brand, SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction.
AZA is dedicated to encouraging cooperative conservation among its members and supporting SAFE species programmes to prevent the extinction of species. Collaborations with AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, governmental wildlife agencies, academic institutions, and other conservation organisations feature frequently in projects funded by the Conservation Grants Fund.
Dan Ashe, president and CEO of AZA, says: “Modern, accredited aquariums and zoos are leaders in saving animals from extinction. With support from AZA’s Conservation Grants Fund, our members are taking conservation action to help recover vulnerable species in the wild. From African vultures to black-footed ferrets to zebra sharks, this year’s grantees work alongside colleagues and communities around the world, to make a lasting impact on each species. Congratulations to all the grantees!”
The CGF has awarded more than $8.7 million to approximately 470 projects around the world since 1991. The fund is generously supported by private and corporate contributors, including long-standing support from the Disney Conservation Fund.
Seven projects were chosen for funding in 2023 following a rigorous evaluation process. This year’s awards will benefit a diverse range of taxonomic groups and will be implemented by teams at AZA member facilities of all sizes, as well as individual AZA members working at non-profit organisations, government agencies, and universities. All of the projects benefit species identified by the AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) initiative.
Visitors to the AZA website can access publications from prior award recipients’ projects, and donate towards next year’s conservation projects.
2023 grantees
AZA members are dedicated to ensuring that people and animals coexist in harmony, and these initiatives demonstrate that commitment.
The 2023 recipients of the Conservation Grants Fund are:
- Assessing the Effects of Thermal Factors on the Spatial Ecology of a Critically Endangered African Vulture, Caroline Grace Hannweg, VulPro, and Corinne Kendall, PhD, North Carolina Zoo.
- Encouraging Positive Community Conservation Actions in Tanzania’s Ruaha Landscape, Amy Dickman, PhD, Lion Landscapes.
- Maximizing Fecundity Through Energy Optimization – Is Nutrition Limiting Egg Laying Habits of Zebra Sharks?, Lance Adams, DVM, Aquarium of the Pacific, Jennifer Wyffels, PhD, Ripley’s Aquarium, and Kady Lyons, PhD, Georgia Aquarium.
- Screening for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in African Penguins Admitted for Rehabilitation in South Africa, Albert Snyman, Katta Ludynia, PhD, and Nicky Stander, Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB).
- Sourcing Sustainable Feed for Animals in Our Care, Hap Fatzinger, North Carolina Aquarium Fort Fisher, Erin Meyer, PhD, Seattle Aquarium, and Kim McIntyre, JD, Aquarium Conservation Partnership.
- Ultra-Structural Examination of Staghorn Coral Embryos to Understand Early Fertilization Events, Linda Penfold, PhD, South-East Zoo Alliance for Reproduction & Conservation.
- Understanding the Ecology of Tularemia in Endangered In-Situ Black-Footed Ferrets and the Prairie Dog Ecosystem, Travis Livieri and Madisen Hartlaub, Prairie Wildlife Research, and Shelli Dubay, PhD, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.
AZA recently recognised the Wildlife Explorers Basecamp exhibit at the San Diego Zoo with its Exhibit Award. In addition, Into the Deep at the Monterey Bay Aquarium received an Innovation Award at the 2023 AZA Conference.
