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Summary of Transcript:
The North American Songbird saving animals from Extinction program aims to raise awareness of the threats facing native songbirds, promote native habitat conservation and restoration, bird-friendly coffee and chocolate, and citizen science projects to monitor songbird populations. These threats include death by collisions with glass, free-roaming domestic cats, and wildlife trafficking, and have led to a decline in bird populations across various ecosystems, including wetlands, forests, coastal areas, and grasslands. With over 400 native bird species in Georgia alone, reducing these threats and protecting them from further decline is crucial.
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Summary of Description:
Zoo Atlanta donates 25 cents from every admission ticket for field conservation programs. Visitors can vote for their preferred conservation projects. Details of the projects can be found on the Zoo Atlanta website.
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Zoo Atlanta’s Contribution to Field Conservation Programs
Zoo Atlanta is committed to protecting wildlife and their habitats. The organization recognizes that the survival of certain species of animals is already under threat and that the future of others is also in danger. To help preserve these endangered animals, Zoo Atlanta has initiated field conservation programs funded partly by general admission ticket sales.
Grants to Conservation Partners
Twenty-five cents of every Zoo Atlanta general admission ticket goes directly to the field conservation programs. Through these programs, Zoo Atlanta partners with other conservation organizations to provide grants for conservation efforts worldwide. These grants can be used to fund research projects and support education and conservation programs in the areas where they are needed most.
The public gets to choose!
One of the exciting things about Zoo Atlanta’s effort to support conservation research is that the public gets to participate. Visitors can read up on the projects that Zoo Atlanta is supporting and then vote on which one they would like their portion of the ticket sales to be directed toward. By empowering the public to choose where the money goes, Zoo Atlanta can tailor its efforts to the projects most important to the greater community.
The Projects
Zoo Atlanta supports a variety of projects aimed at protecting vulnerable species. Here is a brief overview of some of the current projects:
1. African Elephant Conservation
African elephant numbers have declined by nearly 30 percent in the past decade, and they currently face severe threats from habitat loss and poaching. Zoo Atlanta is partnering with the Wildlife Conservation Society to study elephant populations in central Africa and to develop strategies to protect them.
2. Gorilla Conservation
Mountain gorillas are critically endangered, with only 1,063 individuals remaining in the wild. Zoo Atlanta partners with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International to support habitat protection and gorilla health monitoring efforts in Rwanda.
3. Florida Key Deer Conservation
The Florida Key deer population has declined dramatically due to habitat loss, disease, and human development. Zoo Atlanta is partnering with the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge to support a disease monitoring program and habitat restoration efforts.
4. Eastern Hellbender Conservation
The eastern hellbender, also known as the “snot otter,” is a giant salamander in streams throughout the southeastern United States. Zoo Atlanta is partnering with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to study the factors contributing to the species’ decline and to develop strategies to protect the streams where the eastern hellbender lives.
5. Chilean Flamingo Conservation
The Chilean flamingo is a threatened bird species facing habitat loss and climate change. Zoo Atlanta is partnering with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust to study the birds and their migration patterns and to develop strategies to protect their habitat.
Contribution to Conservation
Zoo Atlanta’s field conservation programs demonstrate their commitment to animal welfare and a sustainable world. By contributing to conservation programs, zoo visitors and supporters can actively protect wildlife and their habitats. Through these efforts, Zoo Atlanta can help combat endangered species’ extinction while promoting education and awareness about conservation issues.
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Source Description
Did you know that 25 cents of every Zoo Atlanta general admission ticket benefits field conservation programs? You can help us decide how to distribute grants to our conservation partners! Read about the projects here and vote for your favorite.
Learn more: https://zooatlanta.org/qfc.
