Submitted by the US Embassy Nassau
The Director of the Ardastra Gardens, Richard Roswell, shows Shawn Kobb the new enclosure that is expected to be completed by the end of January.Bahamas -- Nassau’s Ardastra Gardens Zoo and Conservation Center is the recipient of a $1,500 grant from the J. Kirby Simon Foreign Service Trust to build a new enclosure for the endangered Bahama Parrots. Shawn Kobb, a dedicated American volunteer who is also an officer at the U.S. Embassy, applied for the grant to help protect the colorful birds that once lived in abundant numbers in the trees on two Bahamas islands. The construction for the new enclosure for the Bahama Parrots is expected to be completed by the end of January 2011.
The Ardastra Gardens is home to nearly 300 mammals, birds and reptiles, including a number of endangered species from the Caribbean and South America. By providing a sanctuary and survival center for the plants and animals of the world's vanishing natural habitats, Ardastra helps zoo visitors and researchers learn more about the animals, while giving them a chance to flourish and breed in a near natural setting. 
US Embassy Officer and Ardastra Gardens volunteer, Shawn Kobb, with an endangered Bahama Parrot in the old enclosure. “I wanted to find a way to support the Bahama Parrot project because the Ardastra Gardens is the only known zoo in the world to have these beautiful parrots on display and is playing a leading role in trying to save this endangered species,” said Shawn Kobb, the American volunteer who applied for the funding for the new Bahama Parrot enclosure.
The funding for the new enclosure came from the J. Kirby Simon Foreign Service Trust - a charitable fund established in the memory of an American Foreign Service Officer who died in 1995. The Trust honors Simon’s commitment to community service by providing American diplomats and their family members the opportunity to apply for grants to support local organizations where they volunteer on their own time.
“I am so pleased that through the J. Kirby Simon Foreign Service Trust, I will be able to play a part in providing happier, healthier living conditions for the birds as well as better views of the parrots for zoo visitors,” said Kobb.
The $1,500 grant from the Trust will cover approximately half of the construction costs for the new enclosure for the Bahama Parrots. The Ardastra Gardens does not receive any government funding and relies heavily on visitors’ fees and the support provided by its members and sponsors to maintain the grounds, habitats and education programs.
If you would like more information about the Ardastra Gardens Zoo and Conservation Center’s activities and programs, please contact the zoo directly by phone at 242-323-5806, via email at info@ardastra.com or visit their website at www.ardastra.com.