Board of Directors
Steve O'Loughlin, Chair
George Bauer
Maxine Clark
L.B. Eckelkamp, Jr.
Robert Guest, Secretary
Jim Lally
Bob O'Loughlin, Treasurer
Melissa Paz
Peggy Ritter
Thom Sehnert
__________________
Thank you to
our donors!*
Elizabeth Allen
Mike & Pier Alsup
Nick Barto & Nancy Clare Morgan
George & Carol Bauer
Diane & Mike Bauhof
Robert Bedwell
Phillip Berg
Berkshire Hathaway Alliance Real Estate
Adam Bertrand
Eve Beye
Kim Boland
Janet Bone
Catherine Born
Jeffrey Bosaw
Patricia Bowolak
Karen Bradshaw
Mike & Kelli Bramell
BRiC Partnership
Kara Brockhaus
Brenda Byars Williams (Nonna)
Eric Cadell
Tony & Chelly Caleca
The Carlson Family
Frank & Maria Caruso
Nir & Jessica Chezrony
Dr. Jerry Clark Family
Maxine Clark & Bob Fox
Andrew & Amanda Clooney
Angela & Jeff Cobb
Bradley & Krislyn Coons
Donna Cranmer
Cheryl & Jeff Darr
Ronald Davenport
Roger DeJean
Bethany Dement
Mark & Barb Doering
Carol & Eric Drake
The Jake Dugal Family
Ashlyn Duncan
Chad Ellis
El-Mel Inc.
Laura Emge
Engelhardt Family Foundation
Molly Engleking
Enterprise Bank & Trust
Craig & Denise Evans
Emily Evans
Lois Fellin
Julie & Rich Fitzer
Neil & Jenifer Fitzgerald
Fixture Contracting
Amy Floro
Michael Forsberg
Regina Fox Henderson
Frederic Roofing Co., Inc.
Geotechnology
Karen Goering
Howard Goldberg
Robert & Susan Goldstein and Family
James Graser
Karen Gudgeon
Bob Guest
Surendra & Karen Gupta
Meghan & Joel Handler
Jill Hauck
Health Care Family Credit Union
The Heinen Family
Cheryl R. Herman
Sal Hernandez
Michael & Courtney Hill
Ann Hogan
Mike & Martha Hogan
Horner & Shifrin Inc.
Emily Howard
Walter Hubbard
Alexandria Hunt
William Hunt
Kristyn Irvin
Robert Jackson
Jefferson Bank & Trust
Lee & Christine Johnson
Hannah June
Kelly Kaehler
Dennis & Rhonda Kaiser
Beth Kamp Veath
Bradley & Annette Keller
Kent Family Foundation
Jordan & Dawn Kettler
Matthew Kiefer
Megan & Quinn Kiley
Brock Killen
Braden King
Rosanne King
Leo Kinney
Bruce & Wendy Kisslinger
Kristie Kneebone
Karen Kozacheck-Szevery
Eric Krause
Ron & Becky Krueger
David Kupke
George Kyd
Stephanie & Alex Lee
William Lee
Laura & Adam Lenau
Stephen Lewis
LaVerne Lorenzini
Stacy Maly-Rodgers & Rodney Rodgers
Jordan S. Mandel
Carol McClure
Grayson McComb
Todd McDowell
John McGuire
Anna McKelvey
Melnick Family
Stephanie Meyer & Jason Lautz
Sharon Mistretta
Shannon & Steve Mitchell
Nathaniel Myers
Neighbors Credit Union
Sara Newell
Timothy & Mary Ney
Amy Niedbalski
Paul Oberlin
O'Loughlin Charitable Gift Fund
Devyn Orozco
Ben & Jessica Page
Cesar Paredes
Melissa & George Paz
PGAV
Pinckney Bend Distillery
David & Adrienne Piston
Amy Poelker
Lualyn Aquatic Gems
Divesh & Rachana Pradhan
Joan Putz
Tim Rasure
Kelly Reed
Dale & Amy Rees
Tom Reeves
Justin Reis
Jennifer Rinesmith
Lisa Roberts
Diane Roche
Jane Schaefer
Dr. Charles & Dr. Liz Schmitz
Dr. Robert & Stephanie Schultz
Taylor Scism
Frank & Georgianna Sczurek
Jean Shanker
Shur-Way Auto Body Inc.
Larry Sidener
Emily & William Simmons
Tulina & Ashish Sinha
Susie & Joe Sivewright
Darlene Skaggs
Michael Slama
Pat & Peggy Sly
Joan Snyder
Michael Sokolik
Jaci Spindler
Michael Steinmann
Blake Stewart
The Stone Family
Bruton Stroube
Dr. Caroline Swift
Debra Tafra
Alexander Thomson
CeCe Tobias
Danielle Tomevi
Sean Torgoley
U.S. Bank
Ursuline Academy
Sloane Uthoff
Dean & Mary Vazis
Mark & Renee Vleisides
Andrew Vrabel
Richard Wagner
Jeremy Ward
Barbara Weekley
Karen White
Greg Wilke
Kelli Williams
Brad & Laura Wilson
Bonnie Wilson Wade
Steve & Erin Witthaus
*List includes gifts of $250 and more donated by 9/30/19
|
|
Thank you to everyone who has reserved
a Commemorative Fish!
$94,617
has been raised towards our mission of
engaging the
community through providing access and education
programs and serving as the region’s recognized voice
for water stewardship.
We still have fish available, be sure to reserve yours
here
before they all swim away!
|
Amelia Rodgers is the Education Curator for the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation. Each newsletter will feature an article from Amelia focusing on an educational and/or conservation message.
|
It has been incredible to see the progress at Union Station as hundreds of people work together to plan, coordinate, build, and create programs for the future St. Louis Aquarium. The staff of the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation are particularly excited to see our Conservation & Education Center come to life, and we can’t wait to share this space with the community when we open this December.
The Conservation & Education Center
This free-admission, hands-on learning experience will feature water stewardship and conservation themes. Guests can explore the history and morphology of the Mississippi River, learn about watersheds, play a collaborative video game about keeping waterways healthy, discover ways to get involved in local conservation efforts, and see local animals that depend on us to care for their environment.
Another feature of our Conservation & Education Center that is sure to be impactful is our plastic bottle sculpture. Over 5,000 plastic bottles will be re-used to create a visual display of the human addiction to single-use plastics. Statistics like, “globally, one million plastic bottled beverages are purchased every 60 seconds” are such shockingly large numbers that it can be difficult to fully grasp the magnitude of the problem. Try to visualize one million plastic bottles...it’s tough to wrap your mind around, right? The 5,000 plastic bottles that will be included in this sculpture represent the amount sold every one and a half seconds in the United States - every one and a half seconds, during every minute, every hour, and every day, in our country alone. We hope this sculpture will inspire all guests to be mindful when using and discarding plastic.
How do you create a giant sculpture with plastic bottles?
First, we found talented artist, Garth Britzman, who is passionate about creating art that challenges people to think differently about everyday items. Garth even has experience creating large-scale conservation-themed art with plastic bottles! Next, we needed the bottles. It was important to us that the sculpture be made of
used
plastic bottles. The St. Louis Cardinals, who practice and promote environmental sustainability within their organization, agreed to give us their plastic recyclables collected during home games for use in our sculpture. Currently the artist is building the structure to hang the bottles from, designing a lighting system for the sculpture, and (with the help of volunteers) removing labels and cleaning about 5,000 bottles.
The takeaway message: REDUCE, reuse, recycle
The unfortunate reality is that recycling alone cannot fix the plastic problem. The recycling process itself reduces the quality of plastics, meaning plastic bottles cannot be melted down and made into new plastic bottles without adding new material. We must reduce our use of plastics and rethink our habits. Sustainable, reusable containers can help change our throw-away culture to one that values durability and environmental responsibility. The health of our planet – and the humans, animals, and plants that inhabit it – depends on it. Some people have come up with new, creative ways to turn recycled plastic into useful items like reusable bags, park benches, and even shoes!
The plastic sculpture, along with all the interactives in the Conservation & Education Center will enrich the lives of our guests as they explore the importance of protecting our waterways. We can’t wait to open our doors and show you what we’ve been working on!
|
Rendering of plastic bottle sculpture in the
Conservation & Education Center.
|
Events and How to Get Involved:
|
Missouri River Relief Clean-Up
|
In September, the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation & Aquarium staff and volunteers spent a Saturday morning helping Missouri River Relief clean up trash along a 10 mile stretch of the Missouri River in Weldon Spring. The event removed
4.6 tons
of trash from the River bank, 1.2 tons of which was able to be recycled!
|
Give thanks on Thanksgiving, and then give back on Giving Tuesday! Join millions of people around the world to show up, give back, and help change the world. Help us reach our goal of raising $10,000 to provide up to 1,000 free Aquarium fields trips to Title I schools and underserved youth. Follow us on Facebook to learn how you can participate in #GivingTuesday!
|
Become part of an important group of people who are helping provide free Aquarium visits and transportation to Title I schools and underserved students, and water-based science exhibits, and interactives in the free-admission Conservation & Education Center. Members receive a variety of benefits including annual passes, a personalized commemorative fish, discounts, and invitations to exclusive events. Click
here
for more information and to sign up!
|
St. Louis Aquarium Foundation Gala
|
Join us for the inaugural St. Louis Aquarium Foundation gala to be held on
Saturday, September 26, 2020
at the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station. More information coming soon!
|
|
Looking for Volunteers!
by Jessica Rhodes,
Manager of Volunteer Engagement
|
|
In the words of Anne Frank, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” I’ve always believed that idea, and through nonprofits I’ve worked for and volunteered with, I’ve been able to positively impact the lives of families, patients, clients, and volunteers served by those organizations.
For those individuals who will become volunteers with the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation, the opportunities to cause a ripple effect are as vast as the sea.
With the opening of the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation’s Conservation & Education Center comes an opportunity to connect customer service-focused, outgoing individuals with volunteer positions like welcoming guests, assisting adults and children with the interactive kiosks that will educate them about their impact on local and global waters, helping guests navigate our new state-of-the-art Aquarium with its 13,000 aquatic animals, and inspiring the next generation to preserve the planet and protect the species that call it home.
In the words of Jim Rohn, “Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have.” And, as the opening date of the Aquarium and Conservation & Education Center approaches, we will need a substantial team of volunteers who will no doubt receive more from their volunteer experience than what they will be giving in time and service.
If you’re considering joining this new globally-minded team of volunteers, visit our
website
and sign up to receive updates! Volunteer positions, application information, as well as dates for upcoming Information Sessions will be available soon!
|
|
Meet the New Staff of
the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation
|
|
 |
Natalie Heath
Development Coordinator
Natalie has worked and volunteered with a variety of nonprofits for the past 10 years. She previously worked with an organization providing free Medicare counseling, serving as the Volunteer Coordinator & AmeriCorps Manager, as well as working as the Adoption Center Coordinator for an animal rescue.
Originally from St. Louis, Natalie has spent the past 15 years in Columbia, MO and is excited to return to her hometown. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Missouri, with an emphasis in Multicultural Studies and a minor in Business.
Natalie has a lifelong love of helping both animals and people and is looking forward to the opportunity to spread that love to the environment and the St. Louis community. As the world around us is changing, she believes “it’s important to educate the community about their impact, what they can do to help the environment and also the other animals we share this planet with.”
|
|
|
|
Jessica Rhodes
Manager of Volunteer Engagement
As the Manager of Volunteer Engagement, Jessica will be on-boarding and engaging all volunteers. She has worked with volunteers in several capacities over the course of her career in the nonprofit field, and she’s excited to get the volunteer program up and running for the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation!
A frequent volunteer herself, Jessica lives by her favorite quote, "you make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give." She believes that everyone has something to give - time, money, expertise - and she enjoys helping others identify how they can best do that.
Jessica is a St. Louis native and received her Masters degree in Nonprofit Administration from Lindenwood University.
She is "
thrilled to be able to connect volunteers to exciting opportunities to educate and enhance the experience of St. Louis Aquarium visitors!"
|
|
|
|
St. Louis Aquarium Foundation
| 314.923.3926 | info@stlaquariumfoundation.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
