Press Release
For Release September 14, 2006
Contact: Mara Neville, 203-259-6305 ext. 103
e-mail: mneville@ctaudubon.org
Independent Audubons of Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island
Put Fujitsu Technology to Work for the Environment
Connecticut Audubon Society, New Jersey Audubon Society and Audubon Society of
Rhode Island will share in $3 million worth of Fujitsu technology -- will enhance
child and adult education programs, data collection, research, collaboration,
conservation, stewardship and advocacy initiatives in all three states.
Sunnyvale, CA; Fairfield, CT, September 14, 2006 -- The three statewide independent Audubon organizations of Connecticut, New Jersey and Rhode Island -- which work to foster environmental conservation and stewardship by focusing on birds and other wildlife and providing citizens of all ages with opportunities to learn about and experience nature firsthand -- announced today that they will receive a total of $3 million worth of Fujitsu products and services. The products are part of a $30 million technology grant program designed to benefit and serve the technological needs of community-based and non-profit organizations nationwide that are selected by a third party consulting firm.
Connecticut Audubon Society will receive $1.3 million, New Jersey Audubon Society will receive $950,000 and Audubon Society of Rhode Island will receive $750,000. In each case, this represents the single largest gift of technology in these organizations’ long histories.
The Fujitsu products and services will be instrumental in developing new and enhancing existing environmental exhibits, on-site programming and activities, school curricula, citizen science projects and other services offered year-long at dozens of nature centers, wildlife sanctuaries and other facilities operated by the three Audubons. The Fujitsu technology will also raise the level and increase the effectiveness of stewardship outreach programs undertaken by each Audubon to educate municipal officials, private and public land managers, farmers, and other owners of large lots about important incentive programs designed to preserve wildlife habitat and create new open space, and to educate citizens and decision makers statewide about the need for open space acquisition funds. The Fujitsu technology will also be applied to New Jersey Audubon Society's “Birding and Wildlife Trails” and Connecticut Audubon Society’s “EcoTravel” programs, both designed to market nature-based tourism to hundreds of thousands of in-state and out-of-state travelers.
All three Audubons are engaged in major conservation initiatives – including “Connecticut State of the Birds,” “New Jersey Important Bird and Birding Areas,” and “Rhode Island Wildlife Surveys” – designed to identify critical wildlife and habitat and improve the effectiveness of conservation efforts throughout their states. The Fujitsu technology will dramatically increase the capacity and sophistication of these and other conservation efforts, providing file servers, external hard disk drives, Tablet PCs, and laptops that will collect, store and analyze data and increase our knowledge about the birds and bird habitats of the northeast. Newer and more accurate maps of sanctuaries will be created, and bird migration patterns will emerge through analysis of Doppler radar, bird banding archives, and audio recordings. Through the use of Fujitsu Tablet PCs, the Audubons will augment the activities of their citizen science projects, as students and volunteers will be able to immediately collect and present data to document the results of their investigations.
The technology grant program will also enable the three Audubons to transform their exhibit and education program spaces. Plasma screens and LCD projectors will be connected to Tablet PCs to create digital “chalkboards,” providing a multi-media learning experience that will grab students’ attention and pique their interest in environmental science. (Thanks to the Fujitsu technology, the three Audubons will be among the first to have environmental education programs that utilize Tablet PCs.) Mobile computer labs will enable young visitors to use the latest technologies while learning about water quality, bird migration, or local amphibian populations.
Upgrades to each Audubon’s office networks will streamline their business operations. The acquisition of new Fujitsu servers and upgrades to software will improve operations in membership services, program registration and retail store transactions. New web technologies and dynamic interactive features will be added to each Audubon’s site.
"This technology grant program represents a quantum leap for Connecticut Audubon Society,” said CAS president Robert Martinez. “Our teachers and educators will finally have state-of-the-art tools to use with their students, both at our nature centers and sanctuaries and in private and public school classrooms. Our environmental science exhibits and programming will be more vibrant and compelling for visitors young and old. And our citizen science initiatives – for measuring air and water quality, banding birds and studying horseshoe crabs, to name a few – will be substantially enhanced and expanded. We are tremendously grateful to have been selected as a recipient of the grant program, which will have a tremendous impact on conservation efforts here in Connecticut. We are also very appreciative of all the assistance we've received from Fujitsu in helping us to match our needs with appropriate technology.”
“Keeping up with technology is paramount to the efficient delivery of programs and services that nonprofit organizations provide,” said Thomas J. Gilmore, president of New Jersey Audubon Society. “We are thankful to be among the independent Audubon societies who are benefiting from the Fujitsu technology grant. It will greatly enhance our work in preserving wildlife and at-risk, natural systems through our environmental education, conservation, and research initiatives. We are particularly appreciative of the collaborative work that the Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey Audubon Society are involved in with help from staff at Fujitsu Computer Products of America to maximize the impact that this marvelous grant will have now and in the years to come.”
“The Audubon Society of Rhode Island is grateful to Fujitsu for its generous donation of technology and support," said Lawrence Taft, Executive Director of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. "Raising the level of sophistication in both our research and education programs will not only enhance our organization's strategic mission of land conservation and environmental education, it will also greatly impact our ability to communicate a powerful, dynamic and positive environmental message to the citizens of our state.”
“Fujitsu is pleased to assist the Connecticut, New Jersey and Rhode Island Audubon Societies with their efforts to promote conservation of natural and wildlife habitats,” said Lorne Wilson, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. “The hard work put forth by these groups to educate the public is key to improving overall environmental awareness statewide, and we are proud that Fujitsu technology will play a role in realizing the Societies’ objectives.”
Connecticut Audubon Society was founded in 1898 in Fairfield, Connecticut by pioneering conservationist Mabel Osgood Wright, to draw public attention to and stop the mass killing of songbirds for their feathers – used to adorn ladies’ hats! Connecticut Audubon Society conserves Connecticut’s environment through science-based education and advocacy focused on the state’s bird populations and habitats. CAS operates the historic Birdcraft Museum (declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993, and site of the nation’s first privately owned songbird sanctuary) and other nature facilities in Fairfield, Milford, Glastonbury and Pomfret, an EcoTravel office in Essex and an Environmental Advocacy office in Hartford. CAS manages 19 wildlife sanctuaries around the state, preserves over 2,600 acres of wildlife habitat, and serves over 200,000 people annually, including 60,000 children reached through school programs, summer camps, scout groups and special events.
Connecticut Audubon Society’s annual Eagle Festival™ attracts thousands of visitors to Essex, CT, every President’s Day Weekend to view eagles wintering along the Connecticut River and celebrate their slow-but-steady return from the brink of extinction. CAS’s new “Connecticut State of the Birds” 2006 report, a first-of-its-kind for the state, examines the health of Connecticut’s bird populations and the effectiveness of conservation efforts, and makes recommendations to reverse widespread habitat loss and species decline. Working exclusively in the state of Connecticut for over 100 years, Connecticut Audubon Society is an independent organization, not affiliated with any national or government group. Visit http://www.ctaudubon.org.
New Jersey Audubon Society is a privately supported, not-for-profit statewide membership organization that fosters environmental awareness and a conservation ethic among New Jersey's citizens; protects New Jersey's birds, mammals, other animals and plants, especially endangered and threatened species; and promotes preservation of New Jersey's valuable natural habitats. Founded in 1897, and one of the oldest independent Audubon societies, NJAS has no connection with the National Audubon Society.
New Jersey Audubon Society currently has 22,000 active members, maintains stewardship of 34 sanctuaries and conducts its programs through 10 staffed facilities. In the year 2005, nearly 34,000 youth and 37,000 adults attended New Jersey Audubon Society's 3,000 programs, ranging from nature day camps to adult birding workshops; 80,000 people visited its staffed nature centers; and 700 teachers were reached through a series of professional development workshops for educators. Visit http://www.njaudubon.org.
Audubon Society of Rhode Island, independent and unaffiliated with the National Audubon Society, was founded in 1897. Today, with 17,000 members and supporters, the Audubon Society of Rhode Island is dedicated to education, land conservation and advocacy. The Society independently protects or owns more than 9,500 acres of woodlands and coastal property embracing diverse natural habitats. More than 33,000 students from area schools participate annually in its educational programs. A voice in statewide ecological issues, the Society actively fulfills its environmental stewardship through preservation and protection of Rhode Island’s natural heritage. Visit http://www.asri.org
Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. conducts engineering and marketing activities in Sunnyvale, CA and sales operations throughout the United States. Fujitsu Computer Products of America currently offers products and services including hard disk drives, scanners and scanner maintenance, Magneto-Optical drives, palm vein recognition technology, 10Gb Ethernet switches and degaussers. Fujitsu Computer Products of America is located at 1255 East Arques Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA, 94085. For more information about Fujitsu products and services, call us at 800-626-4686 or 408-746-7000.
For more information, please see: http://us.fujitsu.com/fcpa.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
--Mara Neville, Connecticut Audubon Society, 203-259-6305, ext. 103, mneville@ctaudubon.org
--John Carno, New Jersey Audubon Society, 908-204-8998, john.carno@njaudubon.org
--Jeffrey Hall, Audubon Society of Rhode Island, 401-949-5454, jhall@asri.org