2008 Projects

Conservation Education

Perhaps the most enduring and effective conservation investment is education. With the power to transform information into insight and awareness into action, conservation education is a cornerstone of the Fund. People of all ages, backgrounds and resources, once engaged, can overcome tremendous odds, reverse trends and help secure a sustainable future for wildlife.

This Fund grant is enabling Phase II of a project supported previously.  Throughout Ghana's Awubeame Plateau, multiple species of monkeys and chimpanzees enjoy protection within sanctuaries. But these biodiverse reserves are not 100%-protected from local threats including uncontrolled timber harvesting, poaching and unsustainable agriculture. To combat these threats, the Adzicels Happy Home Foundation works to educate and train local community members about how they can survive and thrive while also protecting wildlife and habitats. 

The cloud forests south of Peru's Manu National Park constitute some of the most diverse and fragile ecosystems in the world. Home to unique species such as the Andean cock-of-the-rock and spectacled bear, these forests are threatened by the environmental impacts of unsustainable livelihood activities and poor conservation planning. With support from the Fund, the Amazon Conservation Association is working with the communities and schools surrounding the Wayqecha Cloud Forest Research Center to improve environmental literacy and develop skills for current and future generations to act as stewards of this invaluable resource. This project also aims to establish partnerships with local education officials and decision-makers to disseminate findings and encourage more effective conservation policy through participatory workshops, curriculum development, and knowledge exchanges with researchers.

The Andean cat in the Puna and high Andean region of South America is losing its home. Local people contribute to loss of habitat by expanding grazing lands in order to make a living. These communities have little information about the importance of this native cat and other wildlife, much less the basic skills and motivation to protect species.  In the Centro Poblado Menor de Alto Peru, a village located in the high Andean zone of Tacna, the Fund is helping the Andean Cat Alliance and the local community to build an EcoMuseo (Ecological Museum) to integrate environmental education with eco-tourism - an important alternative source of income. As a key component of the museum's overall conservation strategy to protect the Andean cat, the EcoMuseo is being designed to align with and celebrate the social, cultural and economic needs of the community.

Giant kelp forests are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. More than 800 species rely on kelp to provide them with food, shelter, and more. Over the last three decades, nearly 90% of this precious habitat has disappeared from the coast of Orange County, California. The Orange County Kelp Restoration Project is both an education and a restoration project. With support from the Fund, this project aims to restore 8,000 square meters of kelp forests, monitor and protect the planted kelp, and provide seed forests for kelp to return to the coastline. The education goals of the Orange County Kelp Restoration Project are to encourage and equip students and teachers to learn about and grow kelp in their classrooms, train volunteer scuba divers to plant kelp and monitor the reefs, and educate the citizens of Southern California about kelp forest ecology and its importance in maintaining biodiversity and a healthy ecosystem.

In the city of Tarapoto, Peru, the most vulnerable children are the focus of a unique environmental education effort.  One component of this effort is the School of Ecological Art, an innovative and open space where children can freely express themselves through wildlife-themed crafts, painting and other arts. Another component of this program connects experts in the fields of psychology to most vulnerable children, ones experiencing neglect or extreme poverty. And perhaps the most compelling of this program's components is its Youth Advocacy project, which are environmental goals, needs and practices developed by the children themselves with the help of other youth mentors. The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund's grant will help strengthen and expand this environmental education initiative, ensuring the children and families of Tarapoto and other nearby Peruvian cities and villages are connected with and inspired by the natural world.

Namibia is home to the largest remaining population of wild cheetahs in the world - approximately 3,000, most of which are found on privately held and communal land. Therefore, cheetah survival is critically dependent on the education of locals who share this space.  Farmers need to understand the importance of cheetah for a healthy ecosystem and predator-friendly farming practices. Namibian youth  - the leaders of tomorrow - should understand the financial and intrinsic value of sustainable practices, as well as an appreciation for the importance and value of predators for a healthy ecosystem. With support from the Fund, the Cheetah Conservation Fund is reaching out with expertise and experience to train approximately 7,800 Namibian students, educators, and commercial and subsistence farmers on key issues like wildlife conservation, livestock management and biodiversity.

Little is known about the highly vulnerable dugong populations of the western Indian Ocean, hindering much-needed conservation efforts for the species. Community Centred Conservation has collected key data on dugongs and their habitats in the Comoros through consultation with fishers and habitat mapping.  With support from the Fund, this group and local stakeholders are applying that data to develop and implement a National Conservation Management Plan. The Fund's grant is enabling consultations with the public, fishers associations, private sector entities, government and non-governmental organizations, helping ensure a fully participatory approach that yields sustainable conservation initiatives throughout the archipelago and long-term protection of this endangered species.

Around the world, fishery expertise and technology - such as the field of aquaculture - continues to advance. Wild fisheries, however, remain the primary source of food and income for many communities, such as those in the Ngoketunjia region of Cameroon. In this particular region, little is known about how natural and human-caused impacts affect the local fish. Knowledge, understanding and good management is the key to attaining optimal yields from these resources and achieving national food security goals. With support from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, this projects aims to maximize sustainable benefits to the local fishing communities. The main activities in this project will include assessments and monitoring of fishing practices, awareness and education programmes and community empowerment on different technologies to improve productivity and fisheries management capabilities. Expected results include improved understanding of the fishery, improved fisheries management capabilities by the local commununities, government and non-governmental institutions, sustainable utilization of fisheries resources, and maintenance of ecosystem health.

The goal of this project is to educate specialized tour operators in Brazil on how to best manage the environmental and social impacts of nature-based tourism. Adventure travel and ecotourism activities are offered throughout Brazil, with more than 2,000 companies and 25,000 professionals involved with the nature-based travel industry. Through support from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, this project focuses on educating and disseminating the concepts and practices of environmental education, based on the three Good Practices Manuals developed by Conservation International and the United Nations Environment Programme. These manuals focus on operations occurring in mountainous areas, tropical forest and marine environments with an emphasis on the tour operators and professionals that work with adventure travel and ecotourism in Brazil.

The biodiverse ecosystems of the Colombian Andes, especially montane forests, wetlands, and paramos (grasslands), are under tremendous pressure due to impacts from surrounding urban areas and agricultural expansion. With support from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, this project is strengthening ongoing sustainable development, ecotourism and environmental education in four communities of small farmers through capacity-building workshops. Building on last year's Fund support, the environmental education component of the program will bring 2,000 schoolchildren from Bogota to the rural communities to visit these projects and local conservation areas, where they will learn about the biological and cultural diversity of the region, the environmental problems that threaten them, and their possible solutions. Communities will receive income from school groups using the ecotourism facilities and the environmental education materials they have developed.

For millions of years the desert tortoise has roamed North America. A large herbivore and the official reptile in the states of California and Nevada, no other turtle in North America shares the extreme conditions of its habitats. The threatened desert tortoise of the Mojave Desert faces many natural challenges such as drought and disease. Being long-lived and slow to reach reproductive age, it is especially susceptible to human disturbance such as habitat degradation and fragmentation due to urbanization and development, and impacts from off-road vehicles. Recent research is revealing that this iconic symbol of the desert could very well be extinct in the Mojave Desert within the next 50 years if current human impacts remain unchanged.  The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is supporting this study of the desert tortoise in the Mojave Desert to determine population density.

An imperiled species, the California sea otter population continues to struggle due to a myriad number of factors, including poor water quality and a growing human population along the coasts it calls home. With support from the Fund, Defenders of Wildlife is helping protect the struggling sea otter population on California's central coast by promoting better water quality in nearshore waters and involving the public in recovery. This goal is being tackled through targeted public education efforts along the central coast, including an annual "Sea Otter Awareness Week," and building broad-based and diverse partnerships. This work directly benefits sea otters and, more generally, the other diverse marine wildlife that depend on the coastal ecosystem for food and habitat. It also has real benefits for the people who utilize the central coast for recreation and commercial fishing.

Madagascar is among the planet's top biodiversity hotspots, with tropical forests full of animals found nowhere else. This biological treasure is threatened with large-scale destruction. Endangered species conservation is critical to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. A long term study, initiated in 1994, provides insight into whether the endangered black-and-white ruffed lemur can adapt and recover from extensive habitat destruction. The impacts of destructive weather patterns are of importance as forest habitats become fragmented and species rely increasingly on relict forest areas. A rigorous scientific study and training of local Malagasy scholars are necessary for effective strategies to ensure the survival of endangered species in Madagacar's Manombo forest. Earthwatch, in collaboration with the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, is helping develop and clarify a long-term conservation plan which will help protect the ruffed lemur and its habitat.

Earthwatch, with the support of the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, operates a valuable expedition learning experience to six zookeepers a year - individuals who are able to make valuable contributions to the research at hand while gaining professional development and professional esteem. Post-expedition, this uniquely positioned group will have an exponential effect on the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks, bringing their energy and newfound knowledge to fellow employees, the organizations where they work, and the millions of guests who visit their respective parks.

Agricultural activities can significantly alter and modify the ecological systems of natural areas. On-farm indigenous forests are no exception. It is estimated that 80 percent of on-farm indigenous forests in the Tran-Nzoia district that were rich in tropical biodiversity have been replaced by exotic trees species. This has negatively affected the fruit-eating wild bird species that rely on native trees as habitat.  Eco-garden is a community-based organization dedicated to specifically educating community groups to adopt on-farm conservation practices to benefit both wild bird species and humans. The project targets farmers, youth groups, and school farmers' clubs. With support from the Fund, the long-term goal of the project is to invest in a community that will act as managers of their natural resources and agents of environmental education and information transfer.

Nicaragua is globally recognized for its importance to marine turtle conservation. While there have been improvements to turtle conservation in recent years, the continued operation of illegal trade networks across the country creates a market for sea turtle eggs and sea turtle products such as hawksbill jewelry. The unfortunate result is illegal turtle harvesting. Fauna & Flora International's project, along with support from the Fund, is addressing the challenge by consolidating results from the first year of a national awareness campaign supported by Fund against sea turtle sub-product consumption. FFI works closely with local partners on a national campaign to raise conservation awareness and reduce trade of sea turtle products in cities across Nicaragua, complementing beach conservation efforts and contributing to the recovery of critically endangered leatherback and hawksbill sea turtle populations.

The Hainan gibbon is the most endangered ape in the world and is only found in the Bawangling National Nature Reserve on Hainan Island, China. Community-based environmental education activities undertaken by Fauna & Flora International have greatly improved local awareness of the current status, requirements and threats of the Hainan gibbon. Many other endangered species are present within the forests used by the gibbons, so promoting them as flagship species is a good approach to protect the whole ecosystem. With support from the Fund, this year's efforts are focusing on follow-up activities that are designed to extend the scope of the conservation work to including more species, their habitat and more stakeholders around Hainan gibbon's habitat. It also plans to conduct a review of the project and exchange experiences with other organizations.

The Maya Mountains of southern Belize are home to the Golden Stream watershed, a haven of biodiversity containing at least 224 bird species, 300 recorded tree species and a diversity of mammals. Fauna & Flora International works at a landscape level of conservation here, integrating stakeholders and strengthening local capacity to manage this rich corridor. With its local partner, the Yaâ'axché Conservation Trust, FFI works in rural communities to develop alternative forest-friendly, economically viable livelihood options that manage natural resources sustainably. Education is critical to progress. With support from the Fund, this project works to strengthen the capacity of environmental educators in southern Belize. FFI and Yaâ'axché aim to improve local understanding of and participation in practical conservation through a regional Environmental Educators Alliance, a scholarship program, and specific awareness events.

Living only in the Democratic Republic of Congo, bonobos (Pan paniscus) are the least known of the great apes, but they could be the first to become extinct.  As victims of the bushmeat trade, deforestation, war and poverty, their population may number no more than 10,000 today. Congolese association Les Amis des Bonobos du Congo has been working for bonobo conservation and environmental education at Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary for over a decade and is now preparing the reintroduction of some of the sanctuary's rehabiliated bonobos in the DRC's primary forest. The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is supporting this group's education activities with Congolese youths and law enforcement officials both at the sanctuary and in the bonobo habitat.

Friends of Conservation is the only non-governmental organization working consistently in the greater Masai Mara region of Kenya for more than 25 years. This group facilitates Conservation Clubs in 50 schools, engaging 5,000 Maasai children in environmental activities and providing resources to schools. Friends of Conservation is eager to involve clubs in 'Rhino Walk' and 'Rhino Watch' activities, to develop and establish an informed constituency for the conservation of highly endangered species, especially black rhinoceros. The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is supporting the production of a related curriculum and expanded use of the group's Mobile Education Unit to transport children on field trips in the Masai Mara National Reserve. Each trip is accompanied by a Rhino Ranger for 'Rhino Watch' and a Maasai scout to lead children on 'Rhino Walk' foot patrols.

Over the past 50 years, over six million acres of Florida wetlands (and its inhabitants) have disappeared. Floridians have become more and more disassociated with wildlife and wild places. Nature's Classroom's goal is to teach children how their actions now and in the future can impact the environment and our community. Nature's Classroom is an outdoor educational learning center located in Tampa, Florida, providing environmental education programs to all sixth-grade students in the Hillsborough County Public Schools on the Hillsborough River ecosystem. This grant from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is providing continued funding to expand the existing environmental curriculum and enable the center to strengthen its educational resources, animal care facilities and other tools needed to enhance student learning. 

With a grant from the Fund, the Houston Zoo Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders pangolin group is producing printed materials for an urgently needed education and training workshop in the Cardamom Mountains of Southwest Cambodia to help support efforts to save wild pangolin populations in the region. Pangolins are some of the most abundantly and illegally traded animals in Southeast Asia. Assembling the diverse stakeholders combating the illegal and unsustainable trade in pangolins will promote greater awareness of its scope, educate law enforcement agents, and strengthen future collaborative approaches for pangolin conservation throughout Cambodia and Southeast Asia. The printed materials will serve as information and reference tools to be used during and after the workshop, which will be hosted and facilitated by Conservation International-Cambodia in November 2008.

With support from the Fund, the Institute of Forestry in Pokhara is continuing to collect much-needed data on otters in Nepal.  This project is an extension of a similar project supported by the Fund in 2007 at Rupa Lake, Nepal.  During the first year of this project, it was realized that in a developing country such as Nepal, only flagship animals such as the rhino and tiger are given importance and known to the local people.  Otters, which are nocturnal and rarely seen, are very unfamiliar to the people of Nepal.   Research on otters is very limited and much of the otter's status is unknown.  Due to a lack of awareness, lack of research and lack of concern from authorities, otters populations are declining.  To conserve the future of otters, this nation-wide project aims to provide information and education at all community levels and for all generations.  The next Fund-supported otter survey will be done in three areas of Nepal - Koshi Tappu (Koshi River), Wildlife Reserve in East Chitwan National Park and Bardia (Karnali River) in West National Park.

Misconceptions about snakes have made them among the most persecuted of all animals. A common reaction to a snake is to kill it on sight whether or not it poses a danger. Most snakes, however, are harmless. Even dangerous ones would rather flee than fight. Once humans begin to learn about snakes, they can replace misconceptions with facts and fears with curiosity. They can begin to appreciate the important roles snakes play in the environment.  With support from the Fund, the Participatory Snake Conservation Awareness Project will create awareness about the importance of snakes among the various target groups by conducting various conservation education programs in conjunction with multiple stakeholders in Nepal.

Support from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund will enable volunteer citizens to educate and distribute lengths of biodegradable escape cord to 5,000 recreational crab fishermen at popular boat launches in seven counties around Puget Sound, Washington. Crab pots with escape cord are rendered disabled over time if they are lost or abandoned and become derelict in marine water. Derelict crab pots without escape cords can continue to capture and kill crabs and other marine species for months or years. On average, a derelict crab pot captures and kills 20 crabs per month. Many recreational crab fishermen are unaware of the problem of lost crab pots and unaware that they are required to use escape cord on their pots. Currently there are more than 4,000 documented derelict crab pots in Puget Sound.

The impact of litter and debris is felt on every body of water around the world, from the quality of our drinking water to the health of our communities and wildlife. For more than twenty years, The Ocean Conservancy has coordinated the International Coastal Cleanup, a year-round education initiative to increase public awareness about marine debris issues that culminates with an annual event to collect coastal litter.  With support from the Fund, this global cleanup event continues to epitomize local action with global impact. It provides the public with opportunities to witness the damage that litter has on the environment, be it their local beach, river, or seemingly pristine lakes, and to mitigate that damage by removing the litter in a synchronized effort that has grown to include over 40 states and 70 countries with a force of more than 400,000 volunteers.

Painted Dog Conservation, with support from the Fund, operates an environmental education Bush Camp free of charge for all local sixth-grade schoolchildren. During four exciting and deeply enriching days, more than 600 students a year rotate through a series of experiential learning activities led by specially trained local guides. The children learn about the plight of painted dogs at the camp's Rehabilitation Facility and visit Hwange National Park during a game drive, observing the role each species plays in its natural community. Upon seeing local wildlife (many for the first time in their lives) and gaining an understanding of the ecology of the wild African savannah, Bush Camp graduates leave the program with an emotional attachment to caring for the beauty and complexity of their local natural environment.

Conservation aCross Cultures is an educational program which utilizes current technology and similar curricula to connect students from different cultural backgrounds with the goal of empowering individuals to support global conservation initiatives. Since its inception in 2005, this program has brought together students from the United States and Africa by partnering with several Pan African Sanctuary Alliance sanctuaries. Past sessions have addressed various environmental issues affecting Africa, including the bushmeat crisis and primate conservation as well as different challenges facing conservationists today. With Fund support, the Conservation aCross Cultures project is continuing its course and also partnering with the Limbe Wildlife Centre in Cameroon, Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Kenya and the Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust.

The Maasailand Lion Conservation Project is a long-term project combining programs in lion-livestock conflict alleviation, conservation education, land use planning and habitat conservation. The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund grant is supporting the conservation education program focusing on the improved access to courses and conservation materials for Maasai villagers and school children. Through this program, the People & Predators Fund will facilitate the education of 12 conservation leaders and community scouts in natural resource management and wildlife conservation at accredited schools in Tanzania. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 of tomorrow's future leaders - the children - will receive copies of interactive conservation workbooks, culminating in a study tour for sixth graders to Tarangire National Park. For most participants, this will be the first time they have seen their country's important wildlife heritage.

Indonesia's cockatoos and parrots have been decimated by the wild bird trade. Maluku Province is a hub for this illegal activity. Project Bird Watch established a center for the rehabilitation of parrots confiscated by government officials from smugglers. In an innovative twist, the center employs former bird trappers. However, lack of conservation values remains a critical national problem. With a grant from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, the current project is designed to increase awareness and instill pride in endemic avifauna in local children, both in Maluku and in uban Jakarta using age-specific teaching tools presented in an engagin format. Among the adult population, the project also aims to heighten awareness of smuggling and promote anti-trapping initiatives. This program hopes to begin changing attitudes about parrot trapping and conservation in Indonesia in current and future generations.

With continued support from the Fund, Ocean Connectors is an environmental education program that crosses borders and cultural boundaries, linking students in the U.S and Mexico in order to create a shared sense of stewardship of natural resources. In 2008 this program is reaching 1,000 5th- and 6th-grade students in low income schools in San Diego, CA, Puerto San Carlos, Mexico, and La Paz, Mexico. In San Diego, more than 70 percent of participating students are Hispanic and Spanish-speaking. Ocean Connectors targets mostly underserved schools where students typically lack the opportunity to attend field trips or receive guest speakers. The program uses the endangered green sea turtle, which migrates between San Diego and Mexico, as a means to teach ocean conservation principals, increase awareness of the connection between terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems, and promote stewardship of natural resources. Through a pen-pal letter exchange and field trips which allow youth to experience the wonders of the natural world, Ocean Connectors actively involves children in environmental conservation and teaches them the importance of thinking globally and acting locally to protect the environment.

The Eco-Mochila Network program, supported by the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, creates an environmentally sound economic base for communities in Colombia, enabling citizens to protect the cotton-top tamarin and its habitat. Village women learn how to transform plastic bags - a ubiquitous form of waste in the area - into colorfully designed mochilas, or tote bags. The mochilas are sold profitably throughout Colombia and internationally. With this stable source of income, villagers are able to turn away from destructive economic activities, such as capturing cotton-top tamarins for the pet trade or contributing to deforestation by cutting down trees. Participants of the Eco-Mochila Networkd program commit to protecting the endangered primate and its forest habitat. Workshops provide the participants with skills to become both artisans and conservation leaders.

Launched in 2001, the Rainforest Alliance Education Program teaches science, math, language arts and social studies while addressing environmental stewardship to grades pre-Kindergarten through eight. The multidisciplinary curriculum presents information on wildlife, forests and local communities, providing a global perspective on the importance of protecting the world's animals and natural resources. The companion online Rainforest Alliance Learning Site offers free, complete lesson plans, stories, presentations and descriptions of animal and plant species and conservation projects. In 2008, with support from the Fund, efforts are focusing on enhancing the current educational resources based on feedback from teachers, promoting the Learning Site to additional audiences, conducting targeted outreach in additional communities with significant Hispanic American populations, improving teacher training programs through workshops, and launching a new effort to allow teachers to actually visit the rainforest and share experiences with other teachers.

Forests in China host a wealth of biodiversity. While logging was banned in natural forests in 17 provinces in 1998, logging continues unabated, both illegally and legally. At the same time, the amount of timber harvested falls short of the vast needs of China's manufacturing industry. China is also one of the largest importers of timber, and this is putting pressure on vulnerable forests worldwide. The Rainforest Alliance has been training forestry practitioners in responsible forestry and certifying that China's national and international timber supply is sustainable. With continuing support from the Fund, this project enters a second phase that will build and strengthen the work already done to date, but also delve deeper into new audiences.

Historically, both white and black rhinos where found in the north and northwest areas of Uganda. By the early 1980s, all rhino species had been extirpated from the country. In 1997, Rhino Fund Uganda, a non-profit organization working with the Ugandan Wildlife Authority, was established for the sole purpose of reintroducing rhinos back into protected areas within the country, such as the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. The Uganda Rhino Action Plan, with support from the Fund, aims to re-introduce and re-establish both indigenous species, promote conservation awareness and provide long-term economic opportunities to the local and national economy.

The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund supports the Rupununi Learners Foundation to conduct a comprehensive study of black caiman ecology based in an indigenous village in the Rupununi region of Guyana. Over the past two years, 18 local people have been employed and trained in data collection by an American field biologist and have participated in a collaborative, mutually educational process aimed at understanding the black caiman's role as a keystone species in that environment. After two seasons, the village was able to continue to develop the project and explore whether black caiman management as a sustainable resource may be attainable, whether for direct or indirect use, such as ecotourism.

The Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust is a non-profit organization that cares for orphaned, confiscated chimpanzees in Uganda and works towards ensuring the survival of the chimps in the wild. Chimpanzees once taken from the wild often lose their social bonds. Relatives often perish in the process of capture by snares, mantraps or related human-chimpanzee conflict. Sanctuaries offer robust support to caring for the victims of poaching and educational opportunities to the visitors, but do not offer a more lasting and permanent solution to the problem. With a grant from the Fund, the Trust and its partners are committed to effectively addressing the root issues that threaten chimpanzees survival in the wild.  Among their strongest tools are education programs conducted at the grassroots-level that equip young people, local leaders, women and influential members of the community with essential knowledge and actions to conserve chimpanzees and other wildlife. With knowledge, people make informed decisions, change their attitude and easily seek realistic alternatives that can improve their livelihoods and reduce pressure on scarce resources.

With financial support from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, this project aims to empower school students and local people about conservation activities and increase their level of awareness of globally threatened species, focusing on the Bengal florican, in and around Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal. Ten eco-clubs will be formed and registered, and will be networked with other eco-clubs within and outside the country. Among the activities conducted by these clubs are slideshows, nature walks, planning workshops, trainings, bird-watching, audio-video projects, art programs, tree tagging, green gift exchange, radio show programming and a magazine publication.

Ishasha - a UNESCO designated area - is home to the largest elephant population in Uganda. Recently, Ishasha experienced a 354-percent increase in elephants fleeing poaching in the Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo. Economic losses incurred by subsistence communities co-existing with the elephants are severe and instances of crop-raiding are increasing rapidly. To protect the elephants and the livelihoods of the farmers, a 20-kilometer trench has been dug along the park boundary and 11 fences erected in valley- and wetland-areas inappropriate for trenches. Two more valleys remain exposed along the existing trench, funneling elephants into crops.  With continued support from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, the Uganda Conservation Foundation plans to complete the final three valleys and develop a community guarding and education program.

The Envirovet Program, including the Summer Institute and Envirovet Baltic, has educated 400 individuals from 44 nations. In 2008, the University of Illinois will serve individuals from the U.S., Latin America, Asia, Africa and island nations. The Fund is supporting Envirovet programs at multiple facilities around the world. At White Oak and St. Catherine's facilities, participants will study conservation genetics, Species Survival Plans, immobilization, translocation, emerging/re-emerging diseases, necropsy, epidemiology, ecological economics/law/policy, and gaining stakeholder support. At Harbor Branch, participants will learn about aquatic ecology, invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, and postmortem findings in multiple species of water birds and marine mammals from die-off events. Finally, in Tanzania, students will learn about conservation in developing countries, including public/private ownership, trans-boundary species management, ecotourism, contaminant-related and emerging/re-emerging disease issues.

Hunting is a major threat to the survival of waterbirds of Nepal. To address this problem, Wetland Friends of Nepal is creating a network of youths to strengthen their capacity for waterbird conservation, foster dialogue and interaction among young people and their families.  With support from the Fund, this project aims to reduce waterbird hunting around 20 wetland sites of Nepal. It is expected that this youth-driven network will be able to design and implement waterbird conservation activities with their own efforts over the long term, requiring minimal external support.

Magdalena Bay in Baja California Sur, Mexico, is a wetland complex home to endangered and threatened species and a critical gray whale breeding and calving site. Thousands of whale watchers have become one of the main economic sources for local communities, but have also increased disturbances for the gray whales. With support from the Fund, this project aims to develop a community-based education program that reduces impacts on gray whales and improves ecotourism practices and opportunities by teaching low-impact whale-watching and ecotourism management techniques, helping outfitters to understand and apply current regulations and teaching natural history of wetlands and gray whales.  Increasing awareness on the relationship between economic benefits and good ecotourism practices and developing self-regulatory processes to reduce negative impacts on gray whales will benefit this wetland.

Mayumba National Marine Park contains the world's most important nesting beach for leatherback turtles. It also boasts humpback whales and rare humpback dolphins, while a small-scale fishery of vital importance to local communities lies on its periphery. This year, as part of a 3-year program with the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society aims to further develop an established marine conservation education project, offering exciting new activities to the region's children through its schools and communities program. Village visits will also address problems of uncontrolled fishing. The outreach team works closely with fishing communities to encourage discussion on sustainable natural resource use in advance of an upcoming fisheries management program. Finally, the creation of a local environmental non-profit organization will encourage local people to take a more involved role in outreach activities.

In 2005, the Wildlife Society of Orissa carried out a first-ever, comprehensive status survey for fresh water turtles in Mahanadi River of Orissa, India, with the help of a grant from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.  The survey had revealed important data about turtles like distribution, threats to the populations, nesting grounds, breeding rate, and poaching pressures. Poaching by fishermen and trade to outside markets continue to pose major threats. In 2006, the survey was followed up with a community-based conservation project, also supported by the Fund. This project saved several specimens. With continued Fund support, this small but mighty group is now expanding its work to cover the downstream portion of river Mahanadi and its distributaries.

The Buri region is an impoverished community in the São Paulo state of Brazil. It is a rural area consisting of about 20,000 people facing numerous hardships. The Buri region is also a pivotal area for the survival of black lion tamarins. The black lion tamarin is a critically endangered primate with approximately 1,000 individuals left in the wild. With help from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, the goal of this project is to provide education and training for ten students inside a rural community by means of building a tree nursery to be managed by them. The trees will be used to build mini-corridors for the tamarins. Through the nursery management, the students will receive support in order to empower them with the entrepreneurial skills to transform the region.

The high-volume tourist industry in the Caribbean has depleted wildlife and allowed access for smugglers of rare species. Tourists, such as cruiseship passengers, are often unwitting drivers of illegal and unsustainable trade in wildlife through demand for souvenirs, local foods, and access to remote habitats. Being a conscientious consumer is daunting, especially in a foreign country. With support from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, the World Wildlife Fund and its partners aim to develop clear and easy-to-use awareness materials for tourists and the travel industry, to change tourist behavior and influence the tourism and cruise line industry. Based upon research into wildlife trade for tourism in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, materials are being developed and launched in the main tourism centers, ports and airports. Recommending eco-friendly souvenirs will help local communities and reduce illegal harvests.

An incredible diveristy of wildlife calls Kenya home, yet protected areas comprise just six percent of Kenyan landmass. The challenges of managing such a highly mobile, dynamic wildlife population against a backdrop of an ever-increasing human population and a static landmass requires continuous and interactive transmission of values, decisions and practices among the local communities adjacent to wildlife. Youthlink Kenya recognizes that children are going to inherit the responsibility of taking care of the Earth and its resources. With support from the Fund, this energetic group makes available timely and strategic information regarding wildlife to these children and their teachers and parents.  As a result, more Kenyans are understanding their role in depleting or sustaining the animals that share their space. 

The Zoo Outreach Organization is known for its skill in developing, producing, distributing and implementing conservation education materials and training. With support from the Fund, this project is providing relevant and accurate educational materials and training to six amphibian-rich countries in South Asia as part of the 2008 Year of the Frog. This program is building upon a pilot project conducted in October 2007.  Z.O.O. distributed 3,000 educational sets of items to 56 key organizations, each of which conducted effective public programmes. Senior foresters, forest ministers and other relevant stakeholders in these countries were engaged and enlightened.

The illegal bushmeat trade threatens numerous species on multiple continents. A major impediment to monitoring and enforcing wildlife regulations has been an inability to identify the species of origin of many animal products. DNA barcoding is a tool that can be used for species identification, and its application to the bushmeat crisis will be essential in attempts to evaluate, demonstrate, and litigate illegal bushmeat trade. With support from the Fund, this project is starting to build a bushmeat barcoding infrastructure by focusing on capacity building and education in Nigeria. Specifically, the project aims to establish multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder partnerships and host bushmeat barcoding training workshops for professors and students at African universities and for conservationists working in the field in Africa.