Interactive World Map
Get a world view of conservation efforts the Zoo supports

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 November 2009, the fund has awarded over $215,000 to 79 different projects in 36 countries.

The following projects have been selected to receive awards from the Ulysses S. Seal Conservation Grant Program.

2009

Blue-throated macaw: Conservation and research in Bolivia (also funded in 2006 and 2007)
Bobcats: Tracking and research, USA (Minnesota; also funded in 2008)
Butterflies: Big Stone Wildlife Refuge Butterfly Survey, USA (Minnesota)
Canada lynx: Tracking and research in the Great Lakes, USA (also funded in 2007 and 2008)
Carnivores: Conservation and research, Malaysia (also funded in 2007)
Crocodiles: Recovery of dwarf and slender-snouted crocodiles, West Africa
Fishing cat: Survey and conservation project, Thailand (also funded in 2007)
Great apes: Western Cameroon Great Apes Programme
Hawaiian honeycreepers: Reintroduction of the palila on Mauna Kea, Hawaii Island, USA
Japanese macaques: Field surveys, Japan (also funded in 2008)
Moose: Radio collaring moose in Voyageurs National Park, USA (Minnesota)
Parrots: Conservation of yellow-headed Amazon parrots in Belize
Primates: Wildlife patrolling and monitoring on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea (also funded in 2008)
Rattlesnakes: Population study of Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes, USA (Michigan)
Stingrays: Ecology and movement study, Belize
Tapirs: Population monitoring and conservation of Malayan tapir, Malaysia
Zebras: Conservation of Hartmann's mountain zebras, Namibia


2008
Blakiston’s fish owl: Ecological research, Russia (also funded in 2007 and 2006)
Brown bear: Ecology and conservation, Kamchatka peninsula, Russia
Brown bear: Community program, USA (Wyoming)
Cloud forest birds: Banding and surveying, Ecuador (also funded in 2006)
Community Based Conservation: Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya
Conservation education: “Club P.A.N. (People, Animals, Nature)”, Ivory Coast
Hairy-nosed otter: Surveys and conservation, Vietnam
Macaws: Tambopata Macaw Project, Peru
Peregrine falcon: Monitoring and banding, USA (Midwest) (also funded in 2007 and 2005)
Reforestation: Habitat restoration on Costa Rica’s Pacific slope
Serengeti giraffes: Surveys and ecological research, Tanzania
Tapir: 4th International Tapir Symposium, Mexico
White shark: Monitoring and research, USA (Pacific coast)

2007
Amur Leopard: Reintroduction biodiversity study, Russia
Argali Sheep and Ibex: Ecological research, Mongolia
Beavers: Disease Screening, Canada
Bukhara Deer: Habitat rehabilitation, Tajikistan (also funded in 2005)
Environmental Education, Russia
Piping Plover: Recovery project, USA (Michigan, also funded in 2005)
Rain Forest Research and Recovery, Puerto Rico
Wolverine: Tracking and research, USA (Alaska)

2006
Asian Wild Horses: Satellite tracking of Asian horses in Kalameili Reserve, China
Cheetah: Chipangali Cheetah Project, Zimbabwe (also funded in 2005)
Coral Reef: Votua Village Biodiversity Studies and Community Education, Fiji
Cotton-top Tamarin: Proyecto Tití (Project Tamarin), censusing cotton-top tamarins, Colombia (also funded in 2004)
Environmental Education and Bird Research, Kenya
Golden Lion Tamarin: Agroforestry Systems for Conservation in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil (also funded in 2005)
Grevy's Zebra: Northern Rangelands Endangered Species Program, Kenya (also funded in 2005)
Hornbill: Research Foundation/Hornbill Family Adoption Program, Thailand (also funded in 2005 and 2003)
Leatherback Sea Turtle: Trinidad's Leatherback Sea Turtles, Trinidad
Lemurs: Effects of human encroachment of red ruffed lemurs in forest fragments, Madagascar
Mexican Wolf: Radio tracking reintroduced Mexican wolves to monitor success of release, Arizona, USA
Pallas Cat: Pallas Cat Conservation Project, Mongolia (also funded in 2004)
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 (also funded in 2004)

2005
Amur Leopard: Field Census Conservation Program, Russian Far East
Coral Reef: Coastal Ecology of the Bahamas
Fossa: Carnivores of Madagascar
Grevy's Zebra: Monitoring competition with livestock on protected versus non-protected land, Kenya
Monarch Butterfly: Monarch Watch, US and Mexico
Jaguar and Giant Otter: Surveys of Brazil's Meeting of the Waters Park
Sea Otter: Prevalence of infectious disease as a cause of mortality in northern sea otters in Alaska (also funded in 2004)

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 (also funded in 2003)
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
Sloth: Rehabilitation and Release in Costa Rica
Takhi: Hustai National Park - Takhi Reintroduction Project, Mongolia
Sea Turtle: Conservation Costa Rica
Tree Kangaroo: Conservation Program, Papua, New Guinea (also funded in 2002)
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 and 2002
Green Aracari: Genetic Analysis Project, USA
J. Michael Fay and Wildlife Conservation Society's Gabon Habitat Conservation Project
Komodo Dragon: Conservation Biology and Population Management of the Komodo Monitor, Indonesia
Lear's Macaws: BioBrasil Lear's Macaws Conservation Project, Brazil
The Siberian Tiger Project: Russian Far East
The Turtle Conservation Fund: Southeast Asia