Stone Harbor, NJ, May 4, 2017 – The Wetlands Institute has been awarded a $23,700 grant from the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) as a part of the Fund’s focus on reversing the decline of at-risk wildlife around the world. The conservation grant recognizes The Wetlands Institute’s efforts to protect Northern Diamondback terrapin populations.
“Disney’s continued support of our efforts to conserve and study northern diamondback terrapins in New Jersey is vitally important to our work.” stated Brian Williamson, Research Scientist at The Wetlands Institute. “With DCF support, we will expand and continue our efforts to protect terrapins from pressing threats, increase our understanding of the local population through the continuation of our long-term mark recapture study, organize volunteer based efforts to remove abandoned crab traps that drown hundreds of turtles, give undergraduate students hands-on research and conservation experience, and educate the public on the importance of the diamondback terrapin for salt marsh ecosystems.”
The Disney Conservation Fund focuses on reversing the decline of wildlife and increasing the time kids spend in nature. Since its inception in 1995, DCF has provided approximately $65 million to support conservation programs in 115 countries. Projects were selected to receive awards based on their efforts to study wildlife, protect habitats and develop community conservation and education programs in critical ecosystems around the world.
For information on Disney’s commitment to conserve nature and a complete list of grant recipients, visit www.disney.com/conservation.
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About The Wetlands Institute
The Wetlands Institute is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization promoting appreciation, understanding, and stewardship of coastal and wetland ecosystems through programs in research, conservation, and education. We work to restore, preserve and protect wetlands and coastal ecosystems for a healthy environment for people and wildlife. Research and conservation efforts are focused on the issues that are affecting wetlands and the critical species that live in them. Studying and conserving diamondback terrapins, horseshoe crabs, shorebirds, and the plants that grow and stabilize the marsh dominate our efforts. Our scientists are working on solutions right now. They are testing methods to raise the marsh to offset decades of sea level rise to make sure we have healthy marshes to protect the island from storm surges and flooding. They are restoring habitats and conserving terrapins, horseshoe crabs and birds to maintain the balance disrupted by people and climate change. We engage thousands of children each year in discovering the wonders of our environment to keep them interested in science and make them more environmentally literate. The Wetlands Institute is your Wetlands Institute. It is a world-class research, conservation and education facility and its right here in our backyard.