Overview
The Florida grasshopper sparrow lives in the prairie region of south-central Florida and is one of the most endangered birds in the state. In order to boost numbers in the wild, a captive breeding program began at White Oak Conservation. Since the program’s inception, sparrows have successfully hatched and been released into the wild. The tireless work of multiple partners, including agencies such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, as well as conservation organizations, are essential to the recovery of this critically endangered species. White Oak Conservation reached out to SF Teaching Zoo to collaborate and we became the first zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to answer the call for help and temporarily house sparrows. To date, sparrows that were cared for by our keepers have gone on to find a mate within the breeding program or have been released into the wild.
Learn more about this inspiring initiative from Zoo Animal Technology program graduate, Andrew Schumann, who is leading the captive breeding program at White Oak Conservation.