(EVANSVILLE, IN) – Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden has received an award from the Vanderburgh County Soil and Water Conservation District for being a “Conservation Education Group”. The Zoo is being recognized for its efforts in education about conservation and involvement in conservation programs.
“The City of Evansville is dedicated to the protection of our environment through its sustainability policy and conservation. Not only is Mesker Park Zoo making an impact on our City and State with its efforts to restore nature preserves, the Zoo is also making a global impact by taking part in Association Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) recommended conservation of endangered species,” said Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel.
One part of Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden’s local conservation efforts is demonstrating how the use of a rain garden in managing storm water runoff helps reduce pressure on the City’s sewer system. The Zoo’s new demonstration rain garden is located to the left just inside the main gate. It contains native wildflowers, grasses and woody plants which allow storm water runoff from the building’s roof to soak into the ground instead of into storm drains and sewers. Students from the USI College of Science and Engineering helped build the garden which is meant to demonstrate to Zoo visitors the practicality and use of rain gardens and other environmental projects at their own homes.
The Zoo is assisting in the preservation of natural areas including raising funds at its annual plant sale to aid in the reconstruction of the Howell Wetlands. The Zoo is also involved in the restoration of the Indiana State Nature Preserve, Prairie Creek Barrens, in Daviess County. It is the only example of a sand prairie under protection by the State. In 2006, the Zoo assisted Nature Preserve staff in the installation of 10,000 locally adapted prairie plants that were grown for this project from seed collected near the site. 2,000 of the plants were grown in Mesker Park’s greenhouse facilities.
Mesker Park Zoo is involved in AZA Species Survival Plans or SSP’s. The mission of SSP’s is to manage and conserve a select and typically threatened or endangered species population outside of their natural habitat with the required cooperation of AZA accredited institutions. SSP programs exemplify animal conservation at its best in zoos and in the field. The goal is to have a self-sustaining captive animal population so zoos contribute to conservation education through exhibiting and preserving rare and endangered species. The Zoo participates in nearly two dozen SSP’s including the one which led to the birth of new jaguar cubs, Zimba and Maya.
“In addition to our commitment to SSP programs, key members of the zoo staff are contributing to specific conservation projects such as Spectacled Eider Duck’s who winter in Alaska, and bat conservation with our work on White Nosed Syndrome which jeopardizes bat colonies globally,” said Zoo Director Amos Morris.
As a result of a recommendation by the Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden Conservation Committee, Evansville Board of Parks and Recreation approved the installation of gates in the Wesselman Nature Preserve to protect its salamander population. The gates are closed between February 14th and April 1st to allow migrating salamanders to safely cross park roads to breeding pools. The Zoo also provided funds to the Wesselman Nature Society to construct a box tunnel under a section of road to create safe passage for the salamanders where it was impractical to close the road.
Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden has partnered with local Boy Scouts to construct and test three artificial nesting habitats for chimney swifts. The habitats are located in the landscape near the exit of AMAZONIA: Forest of Riches. The chimney swift is one of four regularly occurring species of Swifts found in North America, but their numbers are declining. Chimney swifts make a 6,000 mile roundtrip flight between Evansville and their wintering grounds in Peru.
In addition to all of these programs, the Mesker Park Zoological Society has a Conservation Fund which distributes $5,000 annually to programs including: The International Rhino Foundation, The Cheetah Foundation, The Association of Zoological Horticulture Conservation Fund, the Tapir Consortium, and Wesselman Nature Society.
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