JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens has received a major donation from longtime zoo volunteers Scott and Karen Fauth.
The gift will support wildlife conservation efforts and fund priority projects, beginning with a new habitat for cassowaries.
The contribution is designed to advance the zoo’s core mission of connecting people with wildlife and wild places. Funds from the donation will support animal well-being, education initiatives and species preservation efforts across the institution.
The upcoming cassowary habitat will feature enhanced space designed to support the natural behavior and well-being of the birds. The facility will also feature improved viewing areas for visitors to create an immersive experience, while incorporating features to support potential breeding efforts as part of the zoo’s conservation work.
Scott and Fauth have spent years assisting the facility through volunteer work. Scott Fauth, a longtime zoo volunteer and co-donor, described the motivation behind the contribution. “Karen and I have always been animal and plant lovers,” Fauth said. “They are a gift to mankind from God and our way of giving thanks is doing what we have planned.”
Nikki Smith serves as the chief philanthropy and marketing officer at Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
“We are deeply grateful to Scott and Fauth for their extraordinary generosity, their years of volunteer service and their unwavering belief in the mission of Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens,” Smith said. “This gift will have a lasting impact on our animals, our guests and the conservation work we are privileged to support. Scott and Karen’s commitment reflects the very best of what philanthropy can do: turn a love for wildlife and nature into meaningful action for generations to come.”
The new cassowary habitat is scheduled to open in spring 2027.
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