Avangrid Foundation Awards $140,000 to Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers
Funds will be used to train interns, combat the Avian Influenza, build new flight cages, expand rehabilitation facilities, and more
To access photos from the grantees, click here.
ORANGE, Conn. — The Avangrid Foundation, the primary philanthropic arm of leading sustainable energy company Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), has announced a record total of $140,000 in grants to 15 wildlife rehabilitation centers as part of its Wildlife Rehabilitation Program. Now in its eighth year, Avangrid Foundation’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Program has given a total of more than $650,000 in grants to centers nationwide.
“Climate change is rapidly altering our ecosystems, creating significant impacts on wildlife and their habitats,” said Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO. “We are very proud to help combat these risks through the Avangrid Foundation’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Program. A clean energy future is not possible without investments like this in wildlife protection and conservation efforts.”
This year’s round of grantees spans fourteen states and includes nine returning and six new grant recipients. The funds will support a wide range of efforts, including operational capabilities and expanding outreach to communities within the service area of the Avangrid family of companies to improve knowledge and awareness of wildlife resources.
“This program continues to grow and evolve each year,” said Pablo Colón, director of corporate citizenship at Avangrid and executive director of the Avangrid Foundation. “Our goal is for these grants to create a lasting impact that builds a better future for wildlife across the country. I’m excited that, for the first time, this year’s grantees include centers dedicated to marine mammals. This means our efforts now support the wellbeing of an even greater range of animals—from sea turtles and seals to bald eagles and California condors.”
This year’s grantees will use the funds to:
- Austin Wildlife (Texas): Build a small outdoor mammal enclosure for rehabilitating wildlife to acclimate to the outdoors, gain muscle strength, practice natural foraging habits, and more.
- Blue Mountain Wildlife (Oregon): Complete the fourth building in the organization’s standalone Intake Center, which includes exam and quarantine rooms, to combat Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
- Green Chimneys (New York): Upgrade its eagle rehabilitation enclosure for permanently injured bald eagles and future bald eagle rescues.
- Hawks Aloft (New Mexico): Build a flight cage for bald and golden eagles. The funds will also support Hawks Aloft’s statewide Raptor Rescue Hotline.
- Liberty Wildlife (Arizona): Expand its facilities to have a dedicated Orphan Care Building for the endangered California Condors.
- Marine Mammals of Maine (Maine): Support the organization’s diagnostic program for seals admitted to its triage and rehabilitation facility.
- National Marine Life Center (Massachusetts): Support rehabilitation efforts for sea turtles and seals. The funds will also support public education on the importance of a healthy ocean.
- Nature’s Nursery (Ohio): Construct a new pre-release flight cage for bats, which allows the organization the opportunity to confirm the bats can fly and feed prior to their release.
- Ojai Raptor Center (California): Upgrade the organization’s animal hospital to have a dedicated space for HPAI triage and purchase raptor food.
- Pennsylvania Bat Rescue (Pennsylvania): Support for its new bat rehabilitation and sanctuary center.
- Possumwood Acres Wildlife Sanctuary (North Carolina): Support internships for 2024 and the organization’s bat rehabilitation efforts.
- Rowena Wildlife Clinic (Oregon): Purchase raptor food to ensure wildlife is well-fed while rehabilitating.
- Saving our Avian Resources (SOAR) (Iowa): Support veterinary services, diagnostics, and treatments for wild birds in SOAR’s care.
- Sharon Audubon (Connecticut): Hire a paid intern for the spring and summer to work the organization’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, which admits approximately 300 birds, mammals, and reptiles annually. The grant will also support upgrades to the center’s specialized Chimney Swift rehabilitation facilities.
- Whispering Willow Wild Care (New York): Replace the center’s Broad-wing Aviary, which is in need of repairs and upgrades.
“With so many changes involved with our care of endangered California Condors through the Avian Flu episode this past year including our new orphan care building, funding from Avangrid Foundation has allowed us to devote new space to the care of these important birds,” said Megan Mosby, executive director at Liberty Wildlife. “Having a partner as valuable as the Avangrid Foundation has allowed us to complete needed changes to our campus to facilitate this care and allow us to continue to care for tens of thousands of animals a year. A big thank you to everyone at Avangrid and the Avangrid Foundation.”
For more information on the Avangrid Foundation, click here.
About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $41 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, Avangrid has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs more than 7,600 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital for three consecutive years as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens. In 2022, AVANGRID ranked second within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment and the communities it serves. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2022 for the fourth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
About Iberdrola: Iberdrola is one of the world’s biggest energy companies and a leader in renewables, spearheading the energy transition to a low carbon economy. The group supplies energy to almost 100 million people in dozens of countries. With a focus on renewable energy, smart networks and smart solutions for customers, Iberdrola’s main markets include Europe (Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Greece), the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. The company is also present in growth markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Ireland, Sweden and Poland, among others.
With a workforce of nearly 40,000 and assets in excess of €141.7 billion, across the world, Iberdrola helps to support 400,000 jobs across its supply chain, with annual procurement of €12.2 billion. A benchmark in the fight against climate change, Iberdrola has invested more than €130 billion over the past two decades to help build a sustainable energy model, based on sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.
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