Welcome to the latest edition of Elephant Tracks, the official newsletter of The National Elephant Center. Elephant Tracks is your exclusive look at exciting project news, stories and photos to keep you informed of all the action and development taking place at The National Elephant Center.

Since our last update, The Center has made significant progress toward creating a new model for elephant care and conservation. From construction planning, site design and local education efforts, we are beginning to create awareness amongst the Florida community and wildlife advocates everywhere.

Thanks to your ongoing support, we’re charging ahead and expect to break ground by the end of the year. In this update, we’ll take a look at recent activity as we prepare to create a first-of-its kind Center to care for and protect these magnificent creatures.

Picturing a Pachyderm Paradise

Located on more than 300 acres of land owned by Waste Management in Florida’s St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties, the Center’s future home rests amongst beautiful, pristine habitat that’s perfect for elephants.

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Supporting Local Business

Construction planning is well underway, and we’re working with a number of contractors and firms supporting the Center’s construction. In keeping with our efforts to be good neighbors and business partners, we selected firms located in Florida – with many in the St. Lucie/Okeechobee area.

Our construction manager is Richard K. Davis Construction of Ft. Pierce, Fla. A family-owned business for 49 years, Davis Construction has established strong relationships with local subcontractors, suppliers, and tradesmen in the Fort Pierce area.

Adding to the complexity is the site’s proximity to environmentally sensitive lands, requiring careful consideration and planning to ensure local wetlands and wildlife are not negatively impacted by any construction work. As wildlife advocates, we’re deeply committed to maintaining and enhancing the area as homes for regional wildlife. It’s a rewarding challenge to be working in such an environmentally diverse area.

We selected firms that have expertise in and share our commitment toward maintaining the beauty and health of the region’s native habitats. The finished product is going to be spectacular haven for local wildlife and elephants.

As you can imagine, designing a home for elephants is a massive undertaking. From sprawling savannas to infrastructure buildings and food storage, there’s a lot to keep in mind. We have some innovative design plans in the works and will share them with you in a future update.

Click here for more information about our contractors.

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NatureFest

The National Elephant Center joined Waste Management on February 28, 2009 to participate in NatureFest in Fort Pierce, Fla. Elephant Center board member John Lehnhardt and his wife, Kathy, represented the Center along with Waste Management partners Jenny Pung and Jeff Sabin.

NatureFest is an annual community event hosted by the Manatee Observation and Education Center. Hundreds of people attended this year’s event which showcased 28 area conservation organizations. Visitors of all ages learned about the Elephant Center and discovered fascinating elephant bio-facts. This was a wonderful event and one we look forward to attending for years to come.

Click here to see more photos from NatureFest.

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Help Us Care for Elephants

As we prepare to begin construction at The National Elephant Center, we’re planning state-of-the-art facilities and unprecedented amenities that provide the best possible care for the elephants we will welcome at the Center’s opening.

This commitment to elephant care and conservation requires resources and we need your support to make it a reality. Can you help support elephants today?

Many of you have already joined the coalition of accredited zoos from across the country that recognizes the importance of this project. Thanks to your personal contribution, are moving forward to create a state-of-the-art Center for elephants that will allow us to provide a future for these magnificent creatures. Thank you.

For more information, check out our plans at www.thenationalelephantcenter.org.

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We hope you enjoyed this issue of Elephant Tracks. You will receive additional issues periodically regarding our work on behalf of elephants. If you don’t want to receive future updates, click here to unsubscribe.

Thank you for your support. Watch for another issue of Elephant Tracks soon.