It comes from a lot of different sources. It comes from members of the public that come through the gates of our parks. It comes from companies like Coca-Cola. And it comes from some of the merchandise opportunities here in the park. If you buy like some of these cups… Read More
So somebody along the line said something, either to her or a member of the family, said, “You ought give some money to the conservation from from SeaWorld.” So it really comes from all over the place. Read More
And how do you decide who receives funding?… Read More
We get about 400 proposals a year. We do two funding cycles. We split it a half year, a half year. And, based upon the subject matter or the discipline, if it’s a bird project or a salt water project or a freshwater or a carnivore, we route it through… Read More
What are the significances of J.K. O’Brien and T.R. Robeck’s paper, “The Value of Ex Situ Cetacean Populations in Understanding Reproductive Physiology”?… Read More
Well, Dr. Justine O’Brien and Todd Robeck are pioneers in artificial reproductive technology. And the work they’ve done, again, and I may be repeating myself, with citations and pinnipeds is the idea that you can move genetic materials. And I think this is very important for the whole idea of… Read More
When you help the conservation fund, how do you generate funding for the conservation fund now?… Read More
My role is on the steering committee, and I help raise money for that group. I’m also on the advisory board where we have quarterly calls to talk of about the next steps. Now, CPSG has just changed their acronym. It used to be CBSG. And the reason it’s CP… Read More
But CPSG now is going to sort of facilitate their processes to try and get people connected and then get home-range countries to buy into the projects and go there and get them done quicker instead of this long, drawn-out, 40-year idea that conservation will finally work in Namibia or… Read More
Can you talk about your role in the CPSG Strategies Committee with the Conservation Planning Specialist Group?… Read More
Well, I’m most proud of the beginning of this Rising Tide project, that one we talked about earlier, raising marine ornamental fish. But I think some of the ones, I’m trying to think of the actual name of it, it’s in Ethiopia and it has to do with sustainable, actually… Read More
What did the conservation fund fund, the development of the stoves?… Read More
The development of the stoves and the development of actually how they would start manufacturing the dung to briquettes. And it was done by a young couple out of Denver, Colorado, of all places. And I guess the third one, if I’m gonna keep it at that, is the work… Read More
The zoo and aquarium people can’t do this. We let them in the door and they screwed it up.” But I think that’s an important project. I think some of the Caribbean islands ought to start coalescing now. They’ve just been ruined by hurricanes, but they should coalesce a little… Read More
Can you name a couple of projects that have been funded by the conservation fund that you’re most proud of?… Read More
And how do they make a difference?… Read More
Because I think a lot of people will say, “Well, I’m gonna save the Tennis Shoe Club, so I’m gonna send money there because it sounds right.” Well, 90% of it goes to somebody’s salary and somebody’s car and 10% of it is going to save something. So I don’t… Read More
Well, speaking of projects, what are, in your opinion, the top marine mammal conservation projects that need to be done?… Read More
Well, I think I mentioned already the vaquita process. I think it’s too late. I think the intervention is too late. Read More
They don’t even know if there’s 30 or 50 animals left, but what I don’t wanna have happen is that, if the zoo and aquarium field has mobilized, they’ve raised money, they got the Mexican and the American, everyone’s agreeing to do it, they’re taking the Navy dolphins down into… Read More