Minnesota Zoo/Conservation Action Team Awards




		Minnesota Zoo's Ulysses S. Seal Conservation Grant Program In an effort to "go beyond our fences," the Minnesota Zoo has a program to help fund range country conservation projects expanding the Zoo's conservation impact exponentially. The Zoo's Ulysses S. Seal Conservation Grant Program awards small grants to projects promoting the conservation of wildlife and natural ecosystems through competitive grants. The Ulysses S. Seal Fund honors a man who inspired the Minnesota Zoo to achieve greatness. He served as our first board president, founded the International Species Information System (ISIS) and worked as a life-long international conservationist as originator and chair of the IUCN's Conservation Breeding Specialist Group. He believed in the value of all species and worked diligently, conserving as many as he was able. For his extraordinary wisdom and vision, he was showered with medals and awards from zoos worldwide, but it is here at the Minnesota Zoo where his legacy began, and continues in a fund named after him. Funding priority is given to field-based conservation but worthy zoo-based projects are considered. To receive support, a Minnesota Zoo staff member needs to champion the project. A $2,500 annual cap per project allows more projects to be funded from our limited budget widening the scope of the Minnesota Zoo’s conservation outreach. As of June 2007, the fund has awarded $136,929 to 52 projects in 25 countries worldwide. The following projects have to-date been selected to receive awards from the Ulysses S. Seal Conservation Grant Program. 2007 Amur Leopard: Reintroduction biodiversity study, Russia Argali Sheep and Ibex: Ecological research, Mongolia Beavers: Disease Screening, Canada Blakiston's Fish Owl: Ecological research, Russia Bukhara Deer: Habitat rehabilitation, Tajikistan Canada Lynx: Tracking and research in the Great Lakes, USA Environmental Education, Russia Fishing Cat: Survey and conservation project, Thailand Peregrine Falcon: Monitoring and banding, USA (Midwest) Piping Plover: Recovery project, USA (Michigan) Rain Forest Research and Recovery, Puerto Rico Sundaland Clouded Leopard: Surveys and habitat research, Malaysia Wolverine: Tracking and research, USA (Alaska) 2006 Asian Wild Horses: Satellite tracking of Asian horses in Kalameili Reserve, China Cheetah: Chipangali Cheetah Project, Zimbabwe Coral Reef: Votua Village Biodiversity Studies and Community Education, Fiji Cotton-top Tamarin: Proyecto Tití (Project Tamarin), funds a census of remaining cotton-top tamarin population, Colombia Ecuador's Cloud Forest Birds: Ecuador Environmental Education and Bird Research, Kenya Fish Owl: Conservation and Management of Blakiston's Fish Owl Habitat, Primorye, Russia Golden Lion Tamarin: Agroforestry Systems for Conservation in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil Grevy's Zebra: Northern Rangelands Endangered Species Program, Kenya Hornbill: Research Foundation/Hornbill Family Adoption Program, Thailand Leatherback Sea Turtle: Trinidad's Leatherback Sea Turtles, Trinidad Lemurs: Effects of human encroachment of red ruffed lemurs in forest fragments, Madagascar Macaw: Blue-throated macaw conservation by the World Parrot Trust, Bolivia Mexican Wolf: Radio tracking reintroduced Mexican wolves to monitor success of release, Arizona, USA Pallas Cat: Pallas Cat Conservation Project, Mongolia Pallas Cat: Community Education and Field Research for the Pallas' Cat Conservation Project Sun Bear/Bearded Pig: The Effects of Selective Logging on Malayan Sun Bears and Bearded Pigs, Borneo 2005 Amur Leopard: Field Census Conservation Program, Russian Far East Bukhara deer: Habitat rehabilitation, Tajikstan Coral Reef: Coastal Ecology of the Bahamas Fossa: Carnivores of Madagascar Cheetah: Chipangali Cheetah Project, Zimbabwe Golden Lion Tamarin: Agroforestry Systems for Conservation in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil Grevy's Zebra: Monitoring competition with livestock on protected versus non-protected land, Kenya Grevy’s Zebra: Northern Rangelands Endangered Species Program, Kenya Hornbill: Research Foundation/Hornbill Family Adoption Program, Thailand Monarch Butterfly: Monarch Watch, US and Mexico Jaguar and Giant Otter: Surveys of Brazil's Meeting of the Waters Park Peregrine Falcon: Monitoring, US Midwest Piping Plover: The Piping Plover Recovery Program, Michigan, USA Sea Otter: Prevalence of infectious disease as a cause of mortality in northern sea otters in Alaska 2004 Brown Bear: Determining the Effects of Humans on Brown Bears at Alaskan Salmon Streams, Alaska, USA Clouded Leopard/Fishing Cat: Thailand Clouded Leopard and Fishing Cat Conservation Project Cotton-top Tamarin: Proyecto Tití (Project Tamarin), funds a census of remaining cotton-top tamarin population, Colombia Hyacinth Macaws: Population census of hyacinth macaws as a result of conservation efforts, Brazil Lemur : The re-introduction of the Black and White Ruffed Lemur and the Diademed Sifaka, Madagascar Lemur: Project Betampona: Lemur Reintroduction by the Madagascar Fauna Group Mexican Wolves: Semen Collection and Storage, Estrus Evaluation and Assisted Reproduction, USA and Mexico Pallas Cat: Pallas Cat Conservation Project, Mongolia Sea Otter: Prevalence of infectious disease as a cause of mortality in northern sea otters in Alaska Sloth: Rehabilitation and Release in Costa Rica Takhi: Hustai National Park - Takhi Reintroduction Project, Mongolia Sea Turtle: Conservation Costa Rica Sun Bear/Bearded Pig: The Effects of Selective Logging on Malayan Sun Bears and Bearded Pigs, Borneo Tree Kangaroo: Conservation Program, Papua, New Guinea Tree Kangaroo: SSP Husbandry Manual, USA Tree Kangaroo/Echidna: Radio telemetry studies of the Matschie’s tree kangaroo and the long-beaked echidna, Papua, New Guinea 2003 Hornbill: Research Foundation/Hornbill Family Adoption Program, Thailand Clouded Leopard/Fishing Cat: Thailand Clouded Leopard and Fishing Cat Conservation Project Komodo Dragon: Conservation Biology and Population Management of the Komodo Monitor, Indonesia 2002 Amur Leopard Conservation Clouded Leopard/Fishing Cat: Thailand Clouded Leopard and Fishing Cat Conservation Project Green Aracari: Genetic Analysis Project, USA Hornbill: Research Foundation/Hornbill Family Adoption Program, Thailand J. Michael Fay and Wildlife Conservation Society's Gabon Habitat Conservation Project Lear's Macaws: BioBrasil Lear's Macaws Conservation Project, Brazil The Siberian Tiger Project: Russian Far East Tree Kangaroo: Conservation Program, Papua, New Guinea The Turtle Conservation Fund: Southeast Asia As of June 2007, the fund has awarded $136,929 to 52 projects in 25 countries worldwide.