Greenville Zoo accepting conservation grant applications
January 2, 2020
The Greenville Zoo is currently accepting applications for its conservation grant program. Utilizing funds raised through the Quarters for Conservation program, the zoo awards grants to projects that focus on field conservation, conservation research or conservation education. Citizen science-based projects are also eligible to apply. First-time applicants can apply for up to $1,000 and previous grant recipients in good standing can apply for up to $3,000. The application is available online and the deadline to apply is Friday, January 31, 2020.
The Greenville Zoo originally launched the conservation grant program in 2011 to support projects in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. Today, regional projects still receive preferred funding priority but national and international conservation projects can also apply. In 2019, the zoo awarded a total of $17,410 to 10 conservation projects in locations ranging from the Savannah River area in South Carolina to Africa.
According to deputy zoo administrator and veterinarian Dr. Nikolay Kapustin, the zoo especially encourages submissions from Upstate citizen science initiatives and university studies in wildlife ecology subjects that are often challenged to find funding due to their smaller scope. In some cases, applicants can also request funds for a portion of the budget of a larger project. “We have many values that support our mission, including promoting conservation and sustainability, actively seeking knowledge through science and collaborating with others to maximize our impact and achieve greater goals,” said Kapustin. “We are proud to support many worthy conservation projects in our region. Our ability to also fund national and global projects makes us one of the leaders of the zoological community in promoting these valuable initiatives.”
The Greenville Zoo will announce the 2020 conservation grant recipients by March 15. For more information about the conservation grant program, including descriptions of the eligible project categories and a list of past recipients, visit https://greenvillezoo.com/272/Conservation-Grants.
