The Aquarium Foundation Stream Team invites you to help us Revamp the Riverfront - a three-part cleanup series along the Mississippi River, in partnership with Great Rivers Greenway! As a part of our commitment to water stewardship and supporting our downtown neighbors, we will be cleaning up the Mural Mile on the Mississippi Greenway (6 minutes from St. Louis Aquarium) on April 30^th, June 8^th, and September 17^th. All are welcome to participate in any or all clean-up events! Gloves, bags and snacks will be provided! Join us in Revamping the Riverfront and preventing plastic pollution from entering the Mighty Mississippi and eventually our oceans!

As a part of this cleanup series, we are participating in the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI) to track the debris picked up along the Mississippi River and collect data that can be used to make policy changes to ensure a healthy river for years to come! To participate, feel free to download the Marine Debris Tracker app before arriving. You will receive further instruction on how to use this simple app the day of the cleanup!  

Location: Mural Mile - 998 S Leonor K Sullivan Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63102

This spring we have had a full semester of teaching aquatic-science classes to students in grades K-12 both in person and virtually! In total, our education team has provided 467 students with education classes this year. And thanks to donors like you, 40% of those programs were provided for free through our H₂O Friends program (Help To Our Friends). We have also been able to offer 537 free admissions for families in under-resourced communities! This includes 215 guests from St. Louis ARC and Easter Seals on Sensory Friendly Day in March!

Donor Spotlight

Through its Prairie Garden Grants program, the Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF) provided funding to enhance our outdoor Rain Garden in the Conservation & Education Center. Their mission is to protect and restore prairie and other native grassland communities through acquisition, management, education, and research. MPF offers grants to schools, parks, and conservation organizations to help fund the establishment of prairie gardens or plantings. We will be adding pollinator features to our urban garden with native plants, a composting bin, a solar-powered bird bath, and an insect “hotel” to encourage visits from pollinators. Look for photos of the finished product in our July newsletter. Thank you Missouri Prairie Foundation!

Cardinals Care is the St. Louis Cardinals’ community foundation dedicated to improving the lives of children. The Aquarium Foundation is grateful to receive a grant to support our Camp Fins & Friends summer camp. This grant will provide supplies and equipment for presenting a fun and educational camp experience for up to 216 kids ages 5 to 10 this summer. Our weeklong summer camp offers kids the opportunity to learn about aquatic animals, habitats, and why water is so important to our lives. They get to visit the Aquarium each day (of course!), go behind-the-scenes to see how to operate an Aquarium, do group projects, make crafts, and meet the biologists and engineers who provide animal care and healthy habitats for our 13,000+ residents. Thank you Cardinals Care!

Want to make DOUBLE the impact? See if your employer offers a matching gift program! Many corporations match employee donations (or the tax deductible component of your membership) to our organization. If you volunteer with us, your employer may also provide us with a grant as a way to recognize your ongoing support. Click here to see what your employer offers. If we do not have information on your employer, check with your HR Department.

Learn more and complete an application here!

As I look back four years ago when I started as the Executive Director of the Aquarium Foundation, I remember the feelings of excitement and anticipation of starting not only a new position but launching a new organization alongside a new aquarium in a beautiful historic building. The aquarium we know today was a construction zone, and everything was a dream yet to be fulfilled.

And fulfilled it was! I am honored to have been a part of creating the Conservation & Education Center (CEC) exhibits alongside very talented people. This free-admission facility allows guests to take their aquarium visit deeper by learning about our local waterways and how we can each make an impact to conserve water and protect our rivers and oceans. I am grateful for the team members who joined me to create our education programs, engage in community outreach, develop our fundraising programs and internal structure needed to run a nonprofit, build a dynamic board of directors, and create a volunteer program – all from scratch!

Thank you to the members of the Development Committee, Education Council and Board of Directors for your time and dedication to helping our organization and the Aquarium. Your time and expertise were (and are) imperative to all we have achieved and everyone we have served.

As I move on now to my next adventure, I leave the organization with a solid foundation for growth and program innovation. Meeting our donors, volunteers, and community organization leaders has been the highlight of my time here. I have learned, grown, and hopefully left a positive legacy on the Aquarium Foundation as it continues to grow and positively impact the community.

Thank you – it’s been OTTER-ly amazing!

Sincerely,

Diane Bauhof, CFRE

Meet Chico! This Six Banded Armadillo is the newest Ambassador Animal at the St. Louis Aquarium and absolutely ar-ma-dorable!

Chico’s species belongs to the family of Euphractus sexinctus, making him close relatives to Coconut and Chewy the sloths (Choloepus didactylus) and Annie the tamandua (T. tetradactyla)! Six Banded Armadillos usually weigh around 11 pounds and measure on average 16 inches long from head to body with a tail 2/3 as long. Their body consists of 6 to 8 movable bands, called “scutes”. Due to the number of bands on their back, these armadillos are unable to roll into a ball for protection like their three-banded cousins can. They do have well developed claws for digging and constructing burrows, which they use for shelter and raising their young.

Chico is an omnivore, meaning he has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Plants make up about 90% of the Six Banded Armadillo’s diet, but they also consume insects such as ants and termites.

Six Banded Armadillos are mainly timid animals that generally run to escape danger rather than stay and fight. They are good swimmers and buoyancy is aided by their fat storing ability as well as swallowing air. They inhabit the South American Savannahs in both dry and wet parts with their burrows typically located in grasslands.

Be sure to check out Chico the next time you visit the Aquarium!