Caesar Kleberg Keynote tackles conservation funding

[Cara J]

As public funding for conservation appears to be dwindling and the need for projects increases, a panel of speakers at the TWS 25th Annual Conference in Cleveland offer glimpses into where future conservation dollars might come from. The Caesar Kleberg Keynote: The Future Funding for Wildlife Conservation will look at four models that bring in funds from nontraditional sources. The common denominator for all of them is private dollars for a profession that has historically relied on public funding, said David Hewitt, executive director of the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, which is sponsoring the keynote and is a platinum sponsor of the conference. The keynote takes place Thursday, Oct. 10 from 10:20 a.m. to 11:50 p.m. at the Huntington Convention Center. “There are projections of less money being available, and it’s obvious there is more and more conservation work that needs to be done,” Hewitt said. His own organization is one of the success stories he wants to share. Although the nonprofit wildlife research institute is affiliated with Texas A&M’s Kingsville campus, most of its budget comes from private funds, primarily through endowments and annual gifts. “It’s really opened up a lot of potential to [...]

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