Avangrid Foundation Awards $140,000 to Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers

February 23, 2024 at 11:00 AM EST

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

The Avangrid Foundation, the primary philanthropic arm of leading sustainable energy company Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), today 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.

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Photo credit: National Marine Life Center

“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 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 eagle 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 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 Foundation: The Avangrid Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that funds philanthropic investments that primarily impact communities where Avangrid, Inc. and its subsidiaries operate. Since 2001, the Avangrid Foundation and its predecessors have invested more than $38.9 million in partnerships that focus on building sustainable, vital and healthy communities; preserving cultural and artistic heritage; advancing education; and improving people’s lives. The Avangrid Foundation is committed to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the United States. For more information, please visit www.avangridfoundation.org.

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: networks and renewables. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Through its renewables business, Avangrid owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. Avangrid employs more than 7,500 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens. In 2024, Avangrid ranked first among utilities and 12 overall. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2023 for the fifth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.

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Avangrid Foundation Awards $140,000 to Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers

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