Show your loved ones you're their
biggest
fin
with a
"Fishy" Valentine Card
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Donate $50 or more to the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation between now and Valentine's Day and receive a personalized Aquarium-themed Valentine card (select one of the four themes above) that you can print and give to your loved one,
as well as a personalized commemorative fish to be displayed on the digital recognition screen in the Conservation & Education Center.
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Amelia Rodgers is the Education Curator for the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation. Each newsletter will feature an article from Amelia focusing
on an educational and/or conservation topic.
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The Problem(s) With Plastic
Maybe you’re wondering why there is such a focus on reducing plastic use when there are also single-use containers made of glass and aluminum.
“Single-use” packaging means any type of packaging you use once then discard – like soda bottles, plastic straws, or to-go packaging. Reducing your use of all single-use packaging is best for the environment, but plastics are particularly important to reduce.
Here’s why:
Plastic is not as easily recycled as other materials. Glass and aluminum can be melted down and made into new products again and again. But plastic can only be melted down 2-3 times before it loses its quality – then new materials have to be added for the recycled plastic to be useful at all. Plastic recycling is not as efficient as recycling glass or aluminum.
And what is worse – when plastic is not recycled, it doesn’t decompose. It slowly breaks down into smaller pieces and releases toxins into the environment during the process. Then sometimes these small pieces of plastic (often referred to as “micro-plastics”) are washed into our rivers and oceans where they are mistakenly eaten by animals. Traces of plastics are now being found in humans, since we’re eating the animals that have eaten plastic. Plastic is not something you want to ingest - it has been linked to disrupting hormonal growth and carcinogens.
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How can you use less plastic and be part of the solution? Opt for reusable materials, and choose aluminum cans or glass bottles over single-use plastic bottles. Avoid Styrofoam cups and containers, as most recycling facilities are not able to recycle these, and they contain chemicals that can be hazardous to your health.
You can also help
by volunteering at a stream clean event in your area.
Join us on March
21
st
at the Confluence Trash Bash to help clean up near and
along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Last
ye
ar’s 700 volunteers collected about 18 tons of
trash and nearly 300 tires – that helps protect
lots of river habitats and animals!
It takes a collaborative effort to keep our waters healthy. Can you make one small change to help?
For more information, check out these great articles on plastics:
- Microplastics Have Been Found in People's Poop - What Does it Mean?
- 7 Things You Didn't Know About Plastic and Recycling
Check out more Stream Clean-Up opportunities
here!
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Volunteer Spotlight:
Noel Navarro
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The St. Louis Aquarium Foundation is honored to have so many
fin-tastic
volunteers! Noel has been with us since the very beginning (December), and we are excited to have him on our team. Learn more about Noel and why he loves volunteering below!
Why are your passionate about the Aquarium
and volunteering with the Aquarium Foundation?
I am an avid saltwater enthusiast and have my own 100 gallon tank at home. Aqua life has always been interesting to me and I find it extremely relaxing. I'm excited that St. Louis is bringing attractions like this to revitalize Union Station and bring more family-oriented activities to the city. I have many fond memories at Union Station and now my kids will too.
What are you most excited about when you volunteer?
Since it just opened it's like there is something new each time I go so that's pretty exciting. I get the chance to interact with a lot of different people and I'm happy I can help them when they need it.
Which animal is your favorite so far?
Obviously the otters! Thatcher, Sawyer, and Finn are pretty popular in my family. My nephew's nickname is 'Elliotter' so you can see why I may be partial.
Interested in becoming a volunteer? Register
to learn more about volunteer opportunities and to submit an application.
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Donor Spotlight:
Kent Family Foundation
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The Kent Family Foundation – a family foundation managed by trustees Jerry, Judy, Rachel, Matt and Ana Kent – has given a gift of $250,000 to the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation. Their donation is featured at the What’s Your Watershed exhibit in the Conservation & Education Center. This exhibit highlights the rivers and waterways that create the 13 major watersheds in the United States.
Executive Director Diane Bauhof explained, “By entering your zip code, you can see where water flows from to get to where you live and also see where your water flows, which is eventually into the ocean. We thank the Kent family for its support, helping us understand better how we’re all connected through our waterways and the importance of keeping them clean through this exhibit.”
A portion of the Kent’s gift is also allocated to supporting the H
2
0 Friends program (Help To Our Friends), which will help the Aquarium Foundation provide up to 20,000 free Aquarium field trips for underserved youth each year. The Kent’s gift will provide up to 8,000 free field trips over the next five years.
“We are excited about the potential of the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation – in partnership with the St. Louis Aquarium – to enhance the lives of this area’s children,” said Jerry Kent. “One of the primary areas of focus for our family foundation is youth education, and the Aquarium Foundation’s work to bring underserved young people into the aquarium and to provide educational opportunities fits beautifully with the projects we support. We want to help educate children on the importance of watersheds and their environmental impact.”
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Board of Directors
Steve O'Loughlin, Chair
George Bauer
Maxine Clark
L.B. Eckelkamp, Jr.
Robert Guest, Secretary
Jim Lally
Bob O'Loughlin, Treasurer
Melissa Paz
Peggy Ritter
Thom Sehnert
Executive Director
Diane Bauhof, CFRE
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Thank you to
our donors!
*
Major Gifts
Bank of Washington
George & Carol Bauer
Arthur Duraski
First Bank, Inc.
Frederic Roofing Co., Inc.
Kent Family Foundation
Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer
District
O'Loughlin Family Foundation
Joe & Nancy Sellinger
Global Waters Circle Members
The Albrecht Family
Bank of Washington
Nick Barto & Nancy Clare
Morgan
Mark & Susan Bronson
Maxine Clark & Bob Fox
Marty & Nanci Daesch
Susan J. Lewis
Ted & Christina Macinski
Pat & Beth Moore
Oakland Capital Partners LLC
John O'Connell
Sara Wade
Aquarium Friends Circle Members
Bob Bax
Patricia Belmont
Steven Chandler
Tom Chevalley
Cheryl & Jeff Darr
Joseph L. Dreyer
Lisa & Rob Forsyth
Annette Heller
Mike & Martha Hogan
The Judson Family
George & Caitlin Ladd
Mila Marie Maitland
Shannon & Steve Mitchell
Noel & Caitlin Navarro
Kathleen Nolan
Ann & Carl Polster
James & Rebecca Rathman
Jane Schaefer
Dr. Charles & Dr. Liz Schmitz
Anita Siegmund
Susie & Joe Sivewright
John & Susan Unnerstall
William & Sue Wachter
Steve & Erin Witthaus
Other Donations
The Ashby Family
The Baldecchi Family
Traci Bell
The Bengard Family
Leslie Breckenkamp
The Brett Family
The Buening Family
Build-A-Bear
Barbara & Steve Cade
Chameleon Integrated Services
Chesterfield Day School
Brenda & Raymond Chiu
Amanda Citchen-Taylor
CliftonLarsonAllen
The Cripps Family
The DeSuza's
The Dietzel's
Christopher Doyon
Adalicia Easter
Jason Eccker
Ecolab, Inc.
Lois Fellin
Elizabeth Fitzgerald
Sue Gierer
Tim Giljum
Denise Graham
The Gregerson Family
Keith & Cindi Guller
Tracy Harmon
Hogan Transportation
Robyn Howes
Hannah June
Jacob Juntunen
Casey Kohrmann
Sloane Uthoff
Rasheedah Krus
The Kruse's
Dale Keter
The Lehecka Family
LifeWaters Adaptive Scuba
Program
LaVerne Lorenzini
Amy Lozar
Jason Lyon
Elisabeth Mackay
Sherlyn Maughs
The McCarthy Family
The McCutchan Family
Shannon McIntosh
The Miraflores Family
Jennifer Moes
Laura Morrison
Connie Mreen
The Nailor Family
The Parker Family
Melissa & George Paz
Pierson Family
Kristin Pratt
The Proffitt's
Public Communications Inc.
Kathleen Ratcliffe
Sheila & Scott Reed
Justin Reis
The Rhodes Family
Grant Richter
Lee Roider
Edward Rose
Scott Rothman
Donald & Diane Schrader
Steven & Andrea Schulte
The Selzer Family
Spring Shutt
Dustin Snyder
Society for Marketing
Professional Services
St. Louis Cardinals, LLC
Stichter Family
Stratman Sports
Nancy Suelflow
Stephanie Turnipseed
University City School District
von Kriegenbergh Family
Wagner Family
James Wagner
The Warren Family
The Welsko & Warner Families
Williamson Family
Gary Wolff
zoOceanarium Group
*List includes gifts of $250 and more donated between 10/1/19 and 12/31/19
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Become part of an important group of people who are helping provide free Aquarium visits and transportation to underserved schools, and water-based science exhibits and interactives in the free-admission Conservation & Education Center. Members receive a variety of benefits including
Aquarium annual passes,
a personalized commemorative fish, discounts, and invitations to exclusive events.
Click
here for more information and to sign up!
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Support the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation just by shopping on Amazon! Visit
smile.amazon.com
when you shop on Amazon, select the
“St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station Foundation
” as your charity, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your sales to directly to us!
If you like to shop and help others, check out our Wish List
here
and donate items we can use in the Conservation & Education Center and our STEM Classroom!
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Animal Spotlight:
River Otters
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We are featuring the North American river otter in this issue of our newsletter because it received the most votes at the donation station in the Conservation & Education Center. Stop by the Center on your next visit to Union Station and learn how you can make a positive impact on your local waterways and also vote for your favorite featured animal too!
North American river otters are mammals found near water across the United States and Canada. They have thick, protective fur to keep them warm. River otters can grow to be 3-4 feet long and their tails usually count for one-third of their body length! Their long, strong tails are used to help propel them through the water, along with their webbed feet. Otters are exceptional swimmers and can hold their breath under water for up to 8 minutes!
The St. Louis Aquarium has three river otters in their care: Thatcher, Sawyer, and Finn. They turned one on December 30, 2019 and love to swim and play with each other. Each of the three siblings have their own unique personalities though. Finn, the only boy, always wants to play and to know what his sisters are up to. Thatcher is very independent and isn't afraid to let her siblings know when she is not in the mood to play. Sawyer frequently acts as the peacemaker between Thatcher and Finn, and also gets distracted easily.
According to Kat Echevarria, Animal Care Manager, our otters have two favorite places; their pool and their straw bed. "They play hard and crash hard," she says. The animal trainers provide enrichment for them by adding new, interesting things into their habitat, as well as moving their "furniture" around. Our animal care staff also give the otters fun treats like fish "cakes" (fish in various shapes and colors of ice gelatin). Otters are very curious animals, so they also enjoy interacting with their trainers and learning new things.
While river otters are not currently considered an endangered species, their populations have been steadily declining due to habitat loss, water pollution, and trapping. A century ago, river otters were almost eliminated in Missouri due to unregulated trapping for their fur, but thanks to restoration efforts and trapping restrictions, otters can still be found across the state and across the country.
Animal Curator Aaron Sprowl notes that, "Otters are actually really great animals; they're kind of indicative of the health of Missouri rivers and streams. When there are a lot of otters, the water tends to be really good for all wildlife." Like humans, otters are sensitive to water pollution, and a lack of otters in a certain area could
be a sign of poor water quality and other issues that effect the local ecosystem.
You can help river otters in the wild by not purchasing products made from animal fur, clean up after yourself to keep waterways clean, and reducing the chemicals you use around your home (
i.e. weed killer, insecticides, ice melt) that run off into waterways. For more information about river otters and ways you can help protect them, please visit
www.riverotterecology.org/how-can-we-help-otters/.
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Visitors to the Conservation & Education Center can vote on their favorite animal with a $5 donation at the donation station. The winning animal is featured in the next newsletter.
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Events and How to Get Involved:
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Volunteer Fair
February 10
th
, 10am-3pm
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Come learn about the different volunteer opportunities available with the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation! Sign up for one of our time slots to hear a brief presentation on volunteering, and then talk one-on-one with a member of the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation staff to see if this is the right fit for you!
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EnviroScape Teacher Training
February 19
th
, 4:30pm-7pm
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Through our partnership with MSD Project Clear and EarthWays Center, we invite teachers to join us for a training on the popular EnviroScope watershed models.
The EnviroScape Watershed model is a hands-on, interactive demonstration of the sources and effects of water pollution. This model allows teachers to easily demonstrate how storm water runoff carries pollutants through the watershed to a pond, lake, river, bay,
or ocean – and the best management practices to prevent this type of
pollution from occurring. The overall watershed/stormwater concept is
effectively communicated to all ages.
This workshop will take place at the new
St. Louis Aquarium Foundation’s Conservation & Education Center. Complimentary parking will be provided. For more information
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Confluence Trash Bash
March 21
st
, 8am-12pm
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Join the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation at
the 2020 Confluence Trash Bash! We'll be there with team members and volunteers
to help clean up the creeks and streams
near the confluence of the Mississippi
and Missouri Rivers.
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World of Water
Symphony Concert
April 19
th
, 3pm
at Powell Hall
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Designed for children ages 5-12, the
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Family Concerts include a 45-minute Sunday afternoon concert that builds family memories to last a lifetime.
Join the Aquarium Foundation on April 19
th
as the Symphony
dives
into musical works for the entire family, all inspired by water. Arrive early to visit the Aquarium Foundation's booth, take a pic with our shark mascot, and explore the Symphony's Instrument Playground for a hands-on experience learning about all the different instruments in the orchestra. For more information and tickets, please visit
https://shop.slso.org/6320
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Earth Day Festival
April 25 & 26
in Forest Park
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Come visit our booth at this year's Earth Day Festival in Forest Park! Enjoy food, music, and activities while learning more about environmentally-friendly practices, sustainable products and services, and local businesses and organizations dedicated to protecting the Earth.
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Give STL Day
Thursday, May 7
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Thanks to many generous donors, we were able to raise over $10,000 through Give STL Day 2019. Now that the Aquarium and Conservation & Education Center are open, we would love to be able to raise even more this year to be able to provide free Aquarium field trips, education classes, and transportation to underserved schools.
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Making Waves
Inaugural Gala of the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation
Saturday, September 26, 2020
at St. Louis Union Station
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Help us
make waves
for education, access and water conservation through the mission of the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation at our inaugural gala. Mark your calendar for an event you won't want to miss! Check out our website for updates:
www.stlaquariumfoundation.org/events
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St. Louis Aquarium Foundation
| 314.923.3926 | info@stlaquariumfoundation.org
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