The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is awarding 12 grants totaling $272,835 through their Wildlife Without Borders Program, Service Director H. Dale Hall announced today. These grants will support educational activities and training related to conservation management in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on audiences including graduate students, park rangers, in-service personnel, and decision-makers.
Partners will contribute an additional $1,866,423 in matching funds and in-kind contributions, raising the total to $2,139,258.
"Many wildlife issues range across our borders in neighboring countries," said Hall. "Thanks to efforts like this, we're able to make a significant difference on a global scale. The high level of interest and participation by our partners in countries in Latin America and the Caribbean is a clear demonstration of public concern, and I'm proud the Service is involved."
Grants range from helping fund a master?s degree program in wildlife management for Latin America at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica training for 30 individuals in Argentina to better deal with the management of invasive and problem species.
The grants are awarded through the Service's Wildlife Without Borders Program for the Latin American and Caribbean Region. The projects cover a geographic scope expanding through most of the hemisphere, and also support conservation efforts in specific countries including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Peru.
The Wildlife Without Borders - Latin American and the Caribbean program supports training initiatives at many levels - from masters degree programs to park guard training - to improve in-country wildlife conservation.
For more information about the Service's international programs, visit http:www.fws.gov/ international.
