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Speaking Engagements

• Sierra Club: Akron Ohio
  
• Professional Compounding Centers of America:
  Houston, Texas
  
• Professional compounding Centers of America:
  The Wilds, Ohio
  
• International Wild Waterfowl Association:
  Anchorage, Alaska
  
• American Association of Zoo Veterinarians:
  Los Angeles, California
• Ohio Wildlife Rehabilitators Association:
  Keynote talk, Columbus ,Ohio

Cambodia Conservation Project

Wild4Ever, partnered with Gilman International Conservation Foundation in a Wildlife Conservation Society staffed project.

This project, undertaken in Feb 08, hoped to find a population of the critically endangered white wing wood duck in northern Cambodia. A survey trip to the region was a HUGE SUCCESS!! The ducks were found in the dense forested areas along the Thailand border and even more exciting…a white wing wood duck nest site was located, a first for the conservation of this species.  Wild4Ever was able to fund local villager monitored nest protection for the nest which was rewarded with a successful hatching of 7 ducklings!! We are continuing the funding for monitoring of the adults and young to gather valuable, and currently unknown, information about this rare, secretive species.

W4E and its conservation partners are also working in other important areas to protect the white wing wood ducks for the future.

• We have funded the moving of a busy road and bridge in the forest to give more privacy and protection to a suspected duck breeding pond
• We are in the process, through the WCS, of reaching an agreement with a Cambodian village to be conservation partners! They will agree to protect and not use a large portion of a nearby lake where we have located a pair of ducks.  In return, we will build a bird blind for the village to allow them to earn income guiding international birdwatchers to the area, which will further add to the value of the government saving the area for conservation purposes.
• Again working with WCS staff, we are helping to develop and fund a regional education program for local schools and community groups to emphasize the need and value of local conservation and wildlife protection practices
• We are in the early stages of development of a regional eco-tour plan which we hope to both bring funds to the local conservation efforts and highlight, on a local and governmental level ,the value of protecting these important wildlife habitats
• Finally we hope to develop further conservation surveys and low-impact environmental research in the area as part of a student field study program

Venezuelan Conservation
We have recently received the final study report outlining the successful completion of the Wild4Ever/Palm Beach Zoo partnered Orinoco goose nest box program.  Recent habitat loss in the Llanos wetland area of central Venezuela threatens an endemic species of tree nesting goose. 

Wild4Ever and its partners developed a project to determine if  the population of Orinoco geese could be enlarged by the strategic placement of artificial nest boxes in their historic nesting areas.  We funded the nest box production, transportation, placement, and monitoring throughout the 2008 breeding season.  Results were very promising and serve as an excellent pilot project that can be utilized in other areas of habitat loss to support the populations of these vanishing geese.

Madagascar Conservation
Wild4Ever is happy to continue our conservation partnership with the Madagascar Fauna Group and participate in the funding of their important work in this fragile, critically important wildlife habitat.  The conservation project is multi-faceted, focusing equally on animal health issues, habitat preservation, and community and governmental education.  We look forward to a long productive relationship.

Panama Jaguar Conservation
2008 has been a great year for progress on the conservation of our foundation’s flagship animal.  We are very proud to be a founding partner of the Summit Jaguar Conservation Center in Panama.  This is a facility that serves multiple purposes.  It represents a jaguar conservation education center, opening the eyes of countless visitors daily to the plight of the jaguar in Central America.  The facility also is a meeting place for conservationists from throughout the country to meet and exchange ideas and launch new conservation initiatives.  Finally the Summit facility can serve as a “safe house” for jaguars found near populated areas that would normally be destroyed.  They now can be safely relocated to the near jaguar facility to be relocated to safe, protected habitat.

To further aid this project, Wild4Ever has recently donated a blow gun and darts desperately needed by the project’s veterinarian, Dr. Diorene Smith, to help with the humane transport of the endangered cats.  We look forward to increasing our participation with this growing conservation movement in Panama.  For 2009, we hope to help fund regional education/conservation seminars throughout the jaguar’s native habitat through a series of regional workshops in Panama, and continue the efforts to protect the wild jaguars throughout the country.

Wild4Ever continues to be committed to conservation of local species as well as endangered species worldwide.  We have enlarged our wildlife rehabilitation support through the Barberton Veterinary Clinic and our conservation partners:

• Medina Raptor Center
• Stark Parks
• Project Orphan
• Ohio Division of Wildlife
• Metro Parks serving Summit County

Our current project with Metro Parks serving Summit County is a partnership to support local bat conservation.  Bat populations are critical to maintain local ecosystems and with habitat destruction and developing disease issues, the need for bat conservation is more important than ever.  Wild4Ever and Summit Metro Parks has partnered in a series of fundraisers to construct a long-term bat “condo” to safety provide housing for thousands of local bats.  We look forward to having construction complete late 2009.

Kibale Community Wood Fuel Project

Wild4Ever was happy to contribute to this exciting Uganda project to save critical Mountain Gorilla habitat in a way that helps the people that live in the habitat as well.  The Kibale Project helps local inhabitants build fuel efficient cook stoves and plant quickly renewable firewood trees to greatly minimize the need to destroy local forested areas that the critically endangered gorillas need for survival.

Health-in-Harmony

This Indonesian Conservation Foundation also embodies Wild4Ever’s goals to accomplish conservation in a manner beneficial to local populations.  Wild4ever’s donation to Health-in-Harmony supports local village human health care in return for village conservation oriented efforts  that will help sustain important orangutan and other rainforest animal habitat.

Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center

Wild4ever’s successful “Bowling for Sun Bears” event raised funds to help in the construction of Borneo’s first Sun bear conservation, rehabilitation, and education center.  Hopefully this facility will continue to grow and with the efforts of the dedicated staff will make a huge impact into conservation and education for this very endangered bear.