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CONNECTING HUMANS TO THE

NATURAL WORLD

OUR HISTORY

In 1995, Steve Martin formed the “World of Birds Show, Inc.” as a Section 501(c)(3) Public Charity with an exempt purpose of “furthering the education of the public concerning wildlife and the conservation of wildlife through educational programs.” Education of the public typically involves shows that integrate animals demonstrating their natural behaviors, a carefully designed dialogue, and an entertaining choreography.

Since then, World of Birds Show, Inc. has been soliciting funds and direction donations to worthy in situ organizations involved in conservation efforts for endangered animal species worldwide. It was re-named to do business as “Natural Encounters Conservation Fund, Inc.” in 2003. This change was made to better reflect World of Bird Show, Inc.’s mission of helping empower in situ conservation efforts.

A size-able portion of the donations are small amounts given by individuals attending shows in the United States. To date, NECF has donated more than $1,500,000 to diverse in situ conservation organizations. A majority of the recipients are located in Africa and focused on critically endangered animal species. In many instances, they are chronically underfunded causing NECF’s donations to a have a disproportionately greater impact than donations made to larger, well-funded organizations. When possible, the donations are directed to support specific projects rather than general purposes. Many of these relationships span more than 20 years.

NECF is a sister company to Natural Encounters, Inc. (NEI). NEI offers expertise in animal training, staff training, educational program production and presentation, exhibit design, and enrichment. With innovative, industry-leading technology, the NEI team of trainers has worked with hundreds of species of animals and has taught the art and science of behavior change to thousands of people. NEI’s goal is threefold: to Engage, Inspire, and Empower audiences and animal professionals all over the world by teaching the art of training and the science of behavior change.

OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Steve Martin

President, NECF and NEI

Educational show producer and animal behavior consultant with experience at over 135 zoological facilities worldwide. Though best known for his work with free-flight bird programs, most of his consulting work involves teaching animal care professionals the art and science of behavior change principals focusing on positive reinforcement and producing inspirational animal programs designed to inspire caring that leads to conservation act.

Bernie Hansen

Secretary, Treasurer

Manager of Business Diagnostics, LLC, a business consultancy. 40 years of diverse business experience including 16 years with three national banks of which 10 years were with Citicorp responsible for managing their regional offices in Seattle and Atlanta. Currently, co-founder and board member of three private businesses.

Jamie Gilardi

Vice President

Executive Director of World Parrot Trust, an organization devoted to the conservation and welfare of parrots worldwide, since 2000. Previously, Research Director for The Oceanic Society. Jamie has authored or co-authored over 17 articles addressing a wide range of wildlife research topics.

International Rhino Foundation

IRF is based in the United States and operates on-the-ground programs in Africa and Asia where rhinos live in the wild, supporting viable populations of the five remaining rhino species and the communities that coexist with them.
Through grants and field programs, IRF has funded rhino conservation efforts in 10 countries, focusing on scientific research, anti-poaching, habitat conservation, captive breeding, environmental education, and demand reduction. Over the last decade more than $20 million has been invested in rhino conservation.
Founded in response to intense poaching of Zimbabwe’s black rhinos in the early 1990’s, IRF and supporters like you helped to virtually eliminate the threat and stabilize the population. To this day, we support conservation programs in Zimbabwe and have grown to support all five species of rhinos.

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Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre’s mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured, orphaned, and poisoned wildlife while creating awareness of the urgent challenges facing conservation today. They provide a safe haven for animals that cannot be returned to the wild, using them as ambassadors to educate the public about the threats to their species. Through research initiatives, such as tracking leopards and vultures, and successful breeding programs for endangered species like Servals, they actively contribute to preserving South Africa’s biodiversity. By fostering harmony between humans and wildlife, they aim to inspire global action for a sustainable and thriving natural environment.

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Save The Giraffes

Save The Giraffes is founded with the mission to guarantee that giraffes are protected and preserved in their natural habitat.  To find success, we know connecting and supporting projects, research and other organizations with the same missions and goals will expand our reach at a more rapid pace than trying forging the road on our own.  We also realize that there are many facets to nurturing an organization to combat the increasing conservation needs of a species that is fighting a shrinking population with limited knowledge of their demise.  Another goal of Save The Giraffes is to increase the volume of the need to help halt the current trajectory toward a silent extinction.  STG supports projects focused on; physiology and anatomy, behavior, adaptations, tracking innovations and anti-poaching.  Importantly, fostering the aspirations into the next generation to focus on continuing to push the current work forward through education projects.  

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Niassa Carnivore Project

Our work is as much about people as it is about lions and other carnivores. If we get the relationships with local people right and resolve any conflicts as they occur, we believe that the lions will eventually look after themselves. Three of the upper management team (Colleen, Hugo and Agostinho) have completed training in “conflict transformation” presented by Conservation Peacebuilding. The skills taught are based on peace-building principles. We have adopted the philosophy that every conflict should be seen as an opportunity for positive change.

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Vulpro

Vultures face a number of threats, including but not limited to direct and indirect poisoning, habitat loss and fragmentation, habitat degradation, electrocution and collisions with power lines and other infrastructure (wind turbines), as well as reduced availability of natural food sources and direct persecution as well as the illegal harvesting and trade of vultures for belief-based purposes.
Some vulture species are threatened with extinction within our lifetime and unless we can halt these declines and mitigate and stop these persistent threats, the consequences of losing our vultures will be catastrophic and far reaching.

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Mabula Ground Hornbill Project

The MGHP is solely dedicated to the conservation of this icon of the savannahs and grasslands. Southern Ground-hornbills are Endangered in southern Africa. Their life-history strategies prevent population recovery under an onslaught of anthropogenic threats. The threats are well understood, and we aim to use innovative approaches to tackle the three greatest threats: persecution, loss of nests and secondary poisoning. As a highly territorial species, with large spatial requirements, conservation outside of protected areas will only succeed territory-by-territory.
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The Peregrine Fund

The Peregrine Fund is responding to 21st Century conservation challenges with a new strategic plan based on the conviction of our founders—“we will succeed by using science to inform decisions and by not accepting failure as an option”—so that by the year 2050 we will have helped create a vision of success in which bird of prey populations and their ecosystems thrive; we have enriched the lives of local communities where we work and improved their future; we have earned the reputation and serve as global experts on birds of prey and their conservation; and raptors are valued by all humans.
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Tikki Hywood Foundation

The Tikki Hywood Foundation is a non-profit, wildlife orientated organization. It strives to bring recognition, awareness and sustainable conservation action to lesser known endangered species, such as the highly endangered Pangolin. With an expansive view on welfare, policy and legislation for wildlife, we engage with appropriate authorities to effect proactive change for the improved preservation of fauna and flora. Finally, we work towards sustainable and holistic management of ecosystems and their wild resources, to realize our mission statement.
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Save Giraffes Now

Save The Giraffes is founded with the mission to guarantee that giraffes are protected and preserved in their natural habitat. To find success, we know connecting and supporting projects, research and other organizations with the same missions and goals will expand our reach at a more rapid pace than trying forging the road on our own. We also realize that there are many facets to nurturing an organization to combat the increasing conservation needs of a species that is fighting a shrinking population with limited knowledge of their demise.
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World Parrot Trust

The World Parrot Trust (WPT) is a globally recognised organisation dedicated to the conservation and welfare of parrots. It is a registered charity in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. With a history of successful conservation initiatives and a network of experts and supporters worldwide, WPT has made significant strides in protecting parrots and their habitats. Since its founding in 1989, the Trust has helped more than 80 species of parrots across 45 countries.

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Painted Dog Conservation

Painted dogs are one of the most endangered species in the whole of Africa. Fewer than 7,000 painted dogs are left across the entire continent. Painted dogs are native to Africa, and aren’t found in the wild anywhere else on the planet. They live in small pockets across a handful of countries including Zimbabwe, the home of Painted Dog Conservation. There are roughly 700 painted dogs here, and we work with local populations of both humans and dogs—via conservation, education, and outreach programs—to help them not only survive here, but thrive.

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