FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Avangrid Foundation Awards Grant to Oregon Zoo to Support California Condor Recovery
New equipment will enhance the Oregon Zoo’s ability to rear endangered condors
PORTLAND, Ore. — March 11, 2020 — The Avangrid Foundation today announced a $50,000 grant to the Oregon Zoo Foundation to support California condor recovery efforts. In rural Clackamas County, the Oregon Zoo operates the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, where efforts are underway to restore this critically endangered species to its historic range — from the Baja Peninsula into British Columbia.
This grant award will fund the purchase of a new, larger commercial freezer to store and handle food for condors at the Jonsson Center, expanding the zoo’s ability to raise condors for reintroduction into the wild.
The California condor was one of the original animals included in the Endangered Species Act and has been listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1967. In 1982, only 22 of these birds remained in the wild and by 1987, the last wild condors were brought into human care in an attempt to save the species from extinction. Thanks to recovery programs like the Oregon Zoo’s, condor numbers now total around 500, with most of those flying free.
“The new equipment funded by the Avangrid Foundation will enhance our ability to rear and care for juvenile condors,” said Julie Fitzgerald, executive director of the Oregon Zoo Foundation. “This supports our goal of restoring California condors to their historical range across the western United States.”
The grant is aligned with the Avangrid Foundation’s programmatic focus on the protection of avifauna and supports the Avangrid Foundation’s commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The Avangrid Foundation seeks to fund organizations and projects whose work contributes to the improvement of biodiversity and prevention of species extinction.
“The Oregon Zoo is a natural partner for the Avangrid Foundation,” said Nicole Licata Grant, Foundation Director. “We are proud to support their efforts to restore this iconic species to the skies above the American West.”
The Foundation provided the support as part of ongoing partnerships with more than 300 partners in over 30 states. During 2019, it invested over $3 million in grants, scholarships, and matching gift programs across the United States.
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About Avangrid Foundation: The Avangrid Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that funds philanthropic investments that primarily impact communities where AVANGRID, Inc. and its subsidiaries operate. Since 2002, the Avangrid Foundation and its predecessors have invested more than $21 million in partnerships that focus on building sustainable, vital and healthy communities; preserving cultural and artistic heritage; advancing education; and improving people’s lives. The Avangrid Foundation is committed to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the United States. For more information, please visit www.avangridfoundation.org.
About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a leading, sustainable energy company with approximately $34 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states. With headquarters in Orange, Connecticut, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 6,600 people. AVANGRID supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2019 by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
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