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About Us - History
Habitat Protection:
Tropical Forests
Discovery Cove, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens have supported Conservation International's (CI) work in Brazil's Cerrado and Pantanal regions - both under increasing threat from development and agricultural demands.
Fully implemented, this project will provide for a protected area totally about 800,000 square kilometers. The Pantanal is a freshwater wetland of 140,000 square kilometers adjacent to the Cerrado, which is woodland and savanna. Home to some of South America's most rare and endangered species, including the giant anteater, giant otter and jaguar, the Cerrado also is prime habitat for more than 800 species of birds. The largest wetland in the world, the Pantanal supports the largest concentration of wildlife in South America.
In 2003, SeaWorld and Discovery Cove aviculturists joined with CI to assist bird rehabilitation and release efforts. Of particular importance was the work conducted on behalf of blue fronted Amazon parrots, whose populations have been severely depleted due to the pet trade. Research was funded by the Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks to gather data on whether the released parrots dispersed and assimilated back into wild populations. It is hoped that the birds will eventually add to the gene pool by reproducing.
"Working with SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove brings value to all sides of the partnership," said CI's Roberto Cavalcanti, Vice President of Brazil. "Our conservation programs and experts in the field benefit greatly from the Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks' much-needed financial support and hands-on animal care expertise. The staff from SeaWorld and Discovery Cove, who have contributed to our field programs, then share important conservation messages with the guests they interact with everyday at the parks. That's what it's all about."
Conservation International's work in these special places combines science, community outreach and economics to protect important ecosystems and the variety of life they support. Current initiatives include a master conservation plan, sustainable eco-tourism and low-impact agricultural land use.
Rescue-the-Reef®
From 1999 to 2003, SeaWorld and Discovery Cove supported The Nature Conservancy's Rescue the Reef® campaign, a community-driven coral reef conservation program. Through science and community outreach, Rescue the Reef aims to protect and preserve fragile warm water coral reef habitats in the Florida Keys, Caribbean Basin and Asia/Pacific regions. In addition to working with community leaders to balance the needs of the economy and the environment, the program enlists score of volunteers - some of whom are SeaWorld and Discovery Cove employees - who do everything from underwater clean-ups and fish counts to outreach programs for local dive shops and fishermen.
"Our partnership with SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove continues to grow and evolve," said Stephanie Meeks, TNC's Managing Director of Marketing and Philanthropy. "Through the 'Rescue the Reef' program, for example, we are finding innovative ways to ensure the economic vitality of local fishing communities while protecting the fish and other marine life that depend on healthy reefs. These are local projects with far-reaching implications, driven by a faith that we can find ways of sustaining both natural diversity and people. Sharing these success stories with millions of park guests each year has strengthened the overall conservation impact of our partnership."
Adopt-an-Acre®
Busch Gardens supported TNC's Adopt an Acre® program, a forest conservation program aimed at securing and protecting habitat for wildlife in the U.S. and throughout the world. Adopt an Acre provides critical funds for rainforest acquisition and protection. This support enables the Conservancy and its partners to achieve their mission of protecting biological diversity. Every year, Adopt an Acre chooses two to three imperiled sites that are in critical need of protection. Adopt an Acre works with other like-minded conservation organizations to raise funds for the protection of additional Adopt an Acre sites. Since its beginning, the Adopt an Acre program has protected more than 600,000 acres of rainforests in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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