Repair + Replanting with the Board Members - CGA

Hurricane Ian hit Florida on September 28, 2022 - just days before the fundraising for Giving Day for Great Apes was launched. While we had planned on fundraising to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Center for Great Apes (Sept 2023 is the 30th!) - we are pivoting to raise funds for repairs and replanting after Hurricane Ian. 

The apes and staff were in the night houses during the storm. The night houses have concrete walls and roofing - so it is possibly the safest place to be. All went well and most of the damage caused by the storm includes down trees, debris, washed-out pathways due to flooding, and some structural damage (still evaluating at the time this page was launched). 

The nutrition center, which provides meals and snacks for all the apes three times a day, was fortunate to have JUST installed a generator.  The rest of the sanctuary is still without power and has no internet. Having the generator in the nutrition center has been incredible. 

Our goal is to raise enough funds to have an additional generator in the office and education center AND raise enough funds to purchase 30 new trees to replace all the ones that were destroyed during the storm. We chose 30 in honor of the approaching 30th anniversary.

Every dollar counts. We really, really appreciate your support!

Below is an image from a 2018 member day where Butch and Marco and enjoying seeing all the people just as much as the people are enjoying seeing the apes. The image to the right is a day after Hurricane Ian. Like all the apes, Butch and Marco were safe and secure in the night houses during the storm. 

Below is a photo of one of the new night houses. Like all the night houses, where apes sleep at night or go when there is bad weather, are concrete. During storms, such as Hurricane Ian, the staff stays with the apes in the night houses. This is for the safety of the apes and our dedicated team members. The is a secure, locked barrier between the apes and the humans, of course.

In the Before and After photo below you can see how much the creek flooded. This is the view looking from the bridge toward the aerial walkways that allow the apes to wander around the sanctuary. During the storm, all the apes were safe and secure in their night houses.