UF Studies Advance Thanks To Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund

August 28, 2000

GAINESVILLE — The University of Florida’s conservation and wildlife study programs received a boost this summer from the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund: more than $142,000 to fund eight different projects. The Disney awards are part of the company’s commitment to support conservation efforts around the globe.

The UF projects cover a wide range of ecosystems and plant, aquatic and wildlife species throughout the world. Each of the funded projects falls under the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). The eight projects are in three different UF departments:

Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences

Using Fin Rays as an Alternative Aging Method for Protected Marine Fish Species
Benthic Mapping and Monitoring of Corals and Reef Fishes in Dry Tortugas National Park
Assessment of Grouper and Snapper Populations at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Matrix Permeability and Use of Vegetated Corridors by Forest Dwelling Birds of South-Temperate Rainforests
Nutritional Landscape Ecology of Samoan Fruit Bats
Conservation of Burrowing Owls in Argentina
The Ecology of the Leopard in Satpura National Park
UF’s Southwest Florida Research & Education Center

Behavior and Ecology of Coyotes, Florida’s Newest Carnivore
“We’re delighted that Disney is supporting conservation research,” said Nat Frazer, chairman of UF’s department of wildlife ecology and conservation. “These projects represent an important partnership between the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund and the University of Florida’s IFAS. But they’re even more important for the corals, fishes, birds, bats, coyotes and

leopards themselves. Unless we increase our knowledge of fish and wildlife species through this kind of research and develop our graduates to lead this charge, we have little hope of conserving the earth’s biodiversity in the 21st century. It’s exciting to see these two great Florida institutions

joining forces to advance conservation — in Florida, in the Western Hemisphere, in Asia and even in the Pacific Islands.”

The Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund has been a consistent funding source for UF conservation and wildlife project.

“The University of Florida submitted several impressive studies for consideration by the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund, and the projects we selected are very exciting. We are delighted to be part of such meaningful work for wildlife,” said Kim Sams, manager of Conservation Initiatives at Walt Disney World Co. Sams said nearly $250,000 has been directed to UF conservation projects over the past three years.