A Caribbean reef shark swims off the coast of Honduras.

Time for Change! 

It’s July in Florida and as things heat up, so does our Quarters for Conservation voting station. For the next three months, your vote will support a project of your choice—snake conservation in Nepal, shark and ray conservation worldwide or wildlife rehabilitation right here in Brevard County!

The Projects

It’s no secret a lot of people don’t like snakes. In the Rupandehi district of Nepal, human-snake conflict (HSC) is a very common problem. Each year, this area sees an estimated 20,000 injuries and up to 1,000 human lives lost from bites. Local communities have consequently developed a sense of fear and animosity towards snakes and, not realizing their ecological importance, kill large numbers of these misunderstood reptiles. Biodiversity Conservancy Nepal is working to diffuse HSC tensions. Funds raised through Quarters for Conservation will help to rescue snakes and promote conservation through community education, awareness and participation.

Sharks and rays play an essential role in ocean ecosystems worldwide by controlling the population sizes of their prey species, which is in turn a boon to even smaller animals and marine vegetation. Without these apex predators to balance the web of life, our oceans would be thrown into disarray and collapse. Globally, sharks and rays are threatened with extinction because of unsustainable practices like finning and overfishing. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has launched the Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program, committed to protecting sharks and rays as well as penguins, gorillas, rhinos and more. With support from Quarters for Conservation, scientists will continue developing a three-year Conservation Action Plan, which will include specific projects and goals to keep these majestic fishes swimming in the deep blue waters of the world for generations to come.

Florida is a hotspot for biodiversity, but our presence leads to plenty of injured, sick and orphaned native wildlife and migratory birds. The Florida Wildlife Hospital and Sanctuary (FWH), located in Melbourne, works 365 days a year to care for over 5,000 patients annually. Operating only on private contributions, membership dues and grants, FWH is relying on you to secure a better future for local wildlife. Quarters for Conservation will help raise the funds needed to purchase two industrial grade, high-capacity washer and dryer systems to make doing laundry for all the patients easier.

Cast Your Vote!

Your admission to the Zoo already helps these projects—25 cents from each admission (and five dollars from each membership purchased) goes towards Quarters for Conservation. On every visit to the zoo, you’ll receive a “quarter” token to use to cast your vote for whichever conservation project most inspires you. If you’re extra passionate about any of the projects, feel free to drop in “real” quarters or dollar bills! Together, our small corner of the world can help make a large impact on conservation everywhere.