“The struggle of today is not altogether for today...it is for a vast future, also.”

-Abraham Lincoln-

A Sampling of Funded Grants

The Wildlife Foundation of Florida is dedicated to Florida’s wildlife through the funding of grants that not only preserve endangered species, but also investigate Florida’s unique flora and fauna, in order to better protect and conserve Florida’s wilderness, and to better afford Florida’s citizens and visitors increased and prolonged enjoyment of our great outdoors. By funding research and educational grants, the Wildlife Foundation of Florida enhances the efforts of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to protect our unique ecosystems and to educate our citizens, young and old, outdoorsmen and city dwellers, to the bounty of wildlife and wild places available in Florida and how to live in harmony with our wild neighbors.
 

Saving the Miami Blue

The Miami blue butterfly, a tiny blue-winged beauty once found on both the east and west coasts of Florida, has dwindled to less than 100 individuals in the wild, located only in the Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida keys. Because the Miami blue is not migratory, and cannot move to better locations if the plants it requires to survive are harmed or destroyed, this butterfly is easily impacted by urbanization and hurricanes. The Wildlife Foundation of Florida is helping to fund a captive propagation program that hopefully will result in bolstering the wild populations by expanding the range of this species, thus pulling it back from the brink of extinction. This project will also serve as a model that can be used to evaluate future reintroduction efforts for other imperiled butterfly species in Florida. ”Lessons we learn in protecting this species will help us make strides in addressing the decline of other butterflies and critters that share their habitat,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist, Ricardo Zambrano. “The Miami blue is very striking when its wings are spread and the sun hits it. We want our children and our grandchildren to be able to see this butterfly.”
 

Invaders Attack

They may not be from Mars, but invasive, exotic species, whether plant or animal, have become a real problem in Florida. They’re not from around here and they tend to treat the Florida natives unkindly. Whether here by accident or brought here on purpose, they’re upsetting the delicate balance that nature’s been developing for a long, long time. More than an inconvenience, they take food from our tables, money from our pockets, and threaten our health. One key factor in winning the battle over these invaders is education. The Wildlife Foundation of Florida has funded an Invasive Species Awareness Program designed specifically to help Floridian know how to take action against these invasive species to help protect what’s left of our precious and irreplaceable natural Florida.
   

Continuing Our Sports Fishing Legacy

It doesn’t seem as easy as it once was to find a good fishing hole to pass on the joys of reeling in your first bream or bass. The Joe Budd Aquatic Education Center was established by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to encourage the next generation of Floridians to enjoy this relaxing sport. With funds donated by the Wildlife Foundation of Florida, the Center expanded its nature trail system with an additional boardwalk, provided additional fishing equipment for the fresh-water angling skills program, and increased the frequency of the Center’s newsletter.
 

Helping to Create Better Years for Kites and Wetlands

Since 1992, the snail kite population in Florida has declined drastically. Restricted to freshwater wetlands and feeding almost exclusively on apple snails, the snail kite is thought to be a barometer for current efforts to restore wetland habitats. The Wildlife Foundation of Florida is helping to fund a year-round study of the kites that will result in management recommendations aimed at increasing snail kite population and the health of the wetlands they depend on. An endangered raptor, the snail kite once flourished in flooded freshwater areas and shallow lakes in Florida. Wetland habitats fluctuate constantly due to climatic or management changes in hydrologic regimes. Understanding how the snail kite adjusts to these changes in habitat is essential to optimizing the management of the systems they inhabit.
 

Following the Owls

Although the burrowing owl spends most of its time on the ground, where its sandy brown plumage provides camouflage from potential predators, this pint-sized bird does take to the air. It used to be only in mythical tales where a renowned tracker could follow the trail of a bird on a windy day, but these days, with radio telemetry technology, scientists can do just that. This opportunity to actually follow the owls is a technique essential to helping FWC scientists truly understand these amazing birds. One of Florida's smallest owls, it averages nine inches in height, with a wingspan of 21 inches. The Wildlife Foundation of Florida has helped fund the Burrowing Owl Conservation and Management Program, providing the necessary telemetry equipment that allows FWC scientists to follow these owls for a more thorough understanding of what is needed to bring them back from their endangered status.
 

Being Good Neighbors

It isn’t always intuitive how to live harmoniously with our wild neighbors, especially those that have been known to weigh in at up to 600 pounds, but figuring out how to accomplish this is becoming more essential as Florida’s urban populations increase and wild lands decrease. In the Wekiva Protection Area in Seminole County, a special effort was made to educate the public in living with Florida’s black bears. The “Be Bear-Aware” Project, supported by funds from the Wildlife Foundation of Florida, produced and distributed educational materials to residential communities experiencing conflicts with their neighboring black bears. A workshop was created for Seminole County teachers and a community bear liaison group was initiated. Follow-up on the Project indicates that the education program has helped these two populations, bears and people, to become more successful neighbors.