At the 2012 annual meeting, the Columbus Zoo Conservation Fund (CZCF) received Columbus Audubon’s James Chase Hambleton Award for their commitment to conservation. The CZCF collaborates with conservationists across the globe to secure a future for animals of all kinds in the wild. In 2009, the Zoo’s Conservation grants program and Partners in Conservation awarded more than $1 million in program support for 70 conservation projects in 35 countries. Over the past five years, the Zoo has distributed $4 million in support. This money is raised from restricted donations, conservation fundraisers, and coins donated by Zoo visitors.
Through long-term partnerships with dedicated conservationists from Belize to Borneo, the Zoo provides funds for field research, equipment, training, educational materials, and community support—all with the goal of saving endangered species. Many of the grants travel no farther than Ohio’s borders as the Zoo supports work on declining amphibians and critically endangered freshwater mussels.
Darlene Sillick nominated the Columbus Zoo Conservation Fund and their field conservation coordinator, Rebecca Rose, for the Columbus Audubon James Chase Hambleton Conservation Award. Darlene has been awarded two grants that have stayed within Ohio’s borders and both times the Columbus Zoo benefited from the conservation work being done within zoo properties. Nest boxes have been set up for eastern bluebirds, tree swallows, Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice and now in the past year homes went up for returning purple martins. Nest boxes were put up by Eagle Scouts; boxes are monitored by trained monitors; programs are given to enlighten and teach the public; birds are banded; field research has been conducted by two universities; and nestlings have been fostered from Ohio Wildlife Center into boxes on Zoo properties. Citizen science field data is entered in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology NestWatch program. This is but one very small but meaningful project helping some birds that have been declining.
The scope of what the Zoo does for conservation speaks volumes. The funds distributed and the species helped sets the bar high for other organizations to follow. A sincere thank you to the Zoo for helping so many dedicated conservationists over the years.