Estelle Sandhaus, director of Conservation & Science at Santa Barbara Zoo, has been recognized by the Disney Conservation Fund for her pioneering work in the field of conservation.
The acknowledgment highlights Sandhaus’ commitment to fostering a healthier planet for people and wildlife, a mission that resonates with the values and efforts of the Santa Barbara Zoo, and conservationists worldwide, the zoo said.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have such a visionary leader in conservation like Estelle on our team at the Santa Barbara Zoo,” said Rich Block, president/CEO of the Santa Barbara Zoo. “Her dedication and passion for conservation have not only benefited the wildlife she and her team work so directly to protect but have also inspired those around her.
“We are thrilled to see Estelle receive this well-deserved recognition from the Disney Conservation Fund, and look forward to continuing to support her endeavors in making a significant difference in the lives of wildlife and the ecosystems they inhabit.”
Sandhaus’ career in conservation began when she was a biology student at UC San Diego, volunteering for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s giant panda project. Her interest in conservation led her into graduate research, eventually taking her to the Santa Barbara Zoo.
Santa Barbara Zoo works with various agencies to recover threatened and endangered species endemic to their biodiverse region, from the island fox and western snowy plover, to the monarch butterfly.
Sandhaus was drawn to the plight of reintroduced California condors, and under her leadership, the Santa Barbara Zoo partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop the California Condor Nest Guarding Program.
Because of Sandhaus and her team’s thousands of hours of field observations, interventions, and education and outreach in the urban communities that share the condor’s landscape, condor nest success has dramatically increased. Today, more than one quarter of the southern California condor flock is wild-born.
The Disney Conservation Fund supports the efforts of people like Sandhaus, whose work spans continents and species, from lions in Africa to orangutans in Indonesia, and monk seals in Hawaii.
For more about the Santa Barbara Zoo’s conservation efforts, visit https://www.sbzoo.org/conservation/.