Flint RiverQuarium Annual Report 2018

2018 Annual Report Promoting the education and awareness of water and its value

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER

229.639.2650

|

Pine Avenue / Albany, GA 31701 | www.flintriverquarium.com 117

O V E R V I E W

The Flint RiverQuarium Promoting the education and awareness of water and its value

HISTORY The idea for the Flint RiverQuarium Environmental Education Center was born in the wake of tragedy as South Georgia searched for a way to deal with the 1994 flood and its aftermath.

From the flood’s devastation, a vision began to emerge for the Flint RiverQuarium. It would be a place to tell the story of the global value and importance of water in a meaningful and relatable way through the microcosm of the

the critical need for conservation

internationally renowned

Flint River, its animals, and its

and stewardship of all natural

architect Antoine Predock,

various ecosystems. Realizing that

resources by imparting the

leaders created a uniquely

informed citizens become

understanding that clean, available

integrated facility designed

advocates, the founders of the

water is necessary for the health

around a spectacular, open air,

Flint RiverQuarium had a vision to

of all life on the planet. Working

90-foot diameter Blue Hole

educate future generations about

closely with award-winning,

Spring exhibition.

TODAY

of the Flint, Chattahoochee and

The theater serves as an

Apalachicola River Basins,

educational component,

RiverQuarium visitors observe the

including their flora and fauna. A

showing films for visiting school

exhibits from a gradually

native bird aviary houses birds

groups during the week, and

descending pathway that wraps

indigenous to the Flint River basin,

screenings of mission-related

around the recreated blue hole

as well as migratory birds. The

films are shown for the public on

spring. Along the way, guests can

RiverQuarium also boasts the

Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

encounter exhibits and interactive

Imagination Theater which

elements that interpret the nature

features a three-story screen.

60,984

853,788

Average number of visitors annually

Total number of visitors since opening

A Message from

Our Chair The Flint River is more than just a river. It is a living connection symbolizing the link between nature and our community.

Since opening our doors in 2004, the Flint RiverQuarium’s focus has remained steadfast—to tell the story of the global values and importance of water in a meaningful and relatable way through the microcosm of the Flint River, its animals and its various ecosystems. Realizing that informed citizens become advocates, the founders of the Flint RiverQuarium had a vision to educate future generations about the critical need for conservation and stewardship of all natural resources by imparting the understanding that clean, available water is necessary for the health of all life on the planet.

Over the last 14 years, this uniquely integrated facility has welcomed more than 850,000 visitors with an average visitation of around 60,000, including school groups from 67 Georgia counties as well as several counties in northern Florida and eastern Alabama. Educating our younger generations remains a top priority for the Flint RiverQuarium, as we continue to expand and adapt our exhibits. During the past year, the Flint RiverQuarium has also increased the number of lab classes we offer to all grade levels. The increase in our offerings has resulted in a higher number of students taking the labs!

This year also brought a number of capital improvements. A renovation of the Imagination Theater included state-of-the-art equipment to accommodate a variety of presentations, in addition to improved film screening experiences.

The aquarium also received a substantial grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to improve current safety and life support systems as well as to convert all existing lighting units to more efficient LED-based systems. The main aquarium building and the Adventure Center both received new roofs, funded by the Dougherty County SPLOST VII. Our corporate and individual sponsors, along with partnerships created with various organizations and businesses, have proven beneficial in building a foundation of financial and educational support for the Flint RiverQuarium.

With the continued support of our sponsors, partners, volunteers, and visitors, the Flint RiverQuarium is on a great course to continue to promote education and awareness of water and its value.

Judy Powell Board Chair

L E A D E R S H I P

Board of Directors Providing direction for the future The primary role of the Flint RiverQuarium Board of Directors is to provide oversight, foresight and insight for the organization, while upholding the mission of promoting the education and awareness of water and its value.

By carefully identifying and selecting its members, the Board has recruited individuals with unique strengths, talents, knowledge, and passions who can effectively steer this ship through very challenging waters.

Officers Judy Powell—Chair City Commissioner, Leesburg John Culbreath, Ph.D. —Vice-Chair Retired Superintendent, Dougherty County Schools Brad Hallford—Secretary Vice President of Operations, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Chase Harvard—Treasurer Trust Officer, AB&T Trust & Investments, a division of Thomasville National Bank Jimmy Lindsey—Past Chair Retired Marketing Manager, AB&T National Bank

Board of Directors Whitcomb Barnhill President/CEO, Complete Carriers

James Luckey Plant Manager, Exelon (Albany Green Energy)

Wilburn Campbell, Ph.D. Retired Aquatics Coach/Faculty, Albany State University

Emily Jean McAfee Owner, Fowltown Farms

Christie Cannon Cole Marketing Director, Flint Ag & Turf

Faison Middleton Attorney, Watson Spence

Chuck Darsey Retired, Dilmar Oil Co.

Dedric Perkins Technical Services Manager, Miller Coors

Lacey Lee Retired, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital

Shayla Williams, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Biology, Albany State University

Bobby Lindsey Piedmont National

Louise Wrensford Associate Provost/Graduate Dean, Albany State University

S U P P O R T

Donors Our heroes Behind every successful non-profit, you will find a group of dedicated indivduals, businesses, foundations, and other organizations who step forward wtih the dollars needed to make the difference in operations and programming. We extend our gratitude to those listed here who have so generously supported the Flint RiverQuarium financially. You have truly made a difference.

Partners for Sustainability

FRQ Forward Supporters

Our Partners for Sustainability play an important role in the future of the Flint RiverQuarium. These individuals, businesses, and foundations realize that their support is important to our future.

FRQ Forward contributors have committed to our mission and environmental education efforts through regular monthly donations.

City of Albany

John Culbreath

James M. Barnett, Jr. Foundation

F & W Forestry

Dougherty County SPLOST VII

Cynthia George

Flint Equipment Co.

Tommy & Sandy Gregors

Edward C. Fogg III & Lisabeth A. Fogg Charitable Trust

Chase Harvard

Georgia Board of Regents Loretta Haley McKnight Foundations Richard King Mellon Foundation

Emily Jean McAfee Loretta Haley McKnight Foundation Sarah R. Wetherbee Charitable Trust Louise Wrensford

Contributors Albany Green Energy

Georgia Power

Carlton Foundation

Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Hoopes

Thomas Chambless

MARS North America

Four G’s Charitable Trust

Emily Jean McAfee

W.B. Haley Foundation

Loretta Haley McKnight Foundation

Georgia Pacific Albany Packaging Plant

Miller Coors-Albany

Georgia Pacific Cedar Springs Container Board Operation

James & Pam Reynolds Henrietta Singletary

S U P P O R T

A Wild Affair Our signature event More than 285 guests joined us on Friday, April 20, 2018, on the banks of the Flint River to attend the Flint RiverQuarium’s annual signature event, A Wild Affair. Attendees enjoyed a wild game dinner prepared by Stewbos, as well as silent and live auctions featuring both one-of-a-kind items from a variety of artisans and businesses and unique experiences coordinated by our tireless A Wild Affair committee.

285

In 2018, more than 285 attendees enjoyed a beautiful evening at A Wild Affair on the banks of the Flint River.

Thank you to the committee and to all of our attendees, sponsors, and donors! Funds raised from the event continue to enrich and promote the Flint RiverQuarium’s education programs.

S U P P O R T

Membership The backbone of the Flint RiverQuarium While many of our members reside in the Albany/Leesburg area, we’re happy to report that we have supporters across the region and state.They serve as grassroots marketers, spreading the word by bringing guests with them to visit our exhibits, writing about their experiences and posting their pictures on social media outlets, rating us on travel sites, or simply mentioning us in everyday conversations with family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.

They are also our allies and advocates, invested in the Aquarium’s success and

431

With a total of 431 memberships, including individuals and families, the Flint RiverQuarium boasts a strong membership program. ready to be mobilized to help us achieve it. Our Corporate Partner and Blue Hole Society programs have recently been revamped to encourage growth of support in those areas.

Special thanks to all of our members who further our mission to promote education and awareness of water and its value!

Blue Hole Society

Blue Hole Members

Early in 2006, the Blue Hole Society was formed as an opportunity

Leigh Brooks

for friends of the Flint RiverQuarium to express substantial support of the organization’s mission and progress. Recently, the Flint RiverQuarium has worked hard with many partners to create

Gayle Chapman Mary Helen Dykes

a plan for sustainability. The Blue Hole Society continues to be an

Bee McCormack

integral part of that sustainability plan. The RiverQuarium

Lou McCormack

contributes inestimably to the greater Albany area’s quality of life by continuously offering new programs, exhibits and events to the residents of southwest Georgia.

Ray McKinney Pam & Jay Reynolds

S U P P O R T

Founding Members Our most loyal supporters In 2004, we began building a base of membership support for the Flint RiverQuarium. Today, 44 of our original Founding Members are still actively engaged in our member family. We’re exceedingly grateful to these loyal friends and supporters.

Our Founding Members William Bacon

Martha Guyton

Frank Middleton, III

Pam Barfield

Sue Henson

Clayton Mims

William & JoAnn Bates

Dale C. Hoffman

Ladd Murphy

Julia Bowles

John & Betsy Holman

Raymond Norvell

Tary Brown

David Jackson

Freddy W. Page

Cheryl Buford

Angela Johnson

G.N. Rainey

Andrew Cartmell

Proctor Johnston

Robert Rusconi

Randy Carver

Terry Kile

Patti B. Savelle

Bland Cleesattle

Donald Lamb

Janice L. Sheppard

Frances B. Davis

Bill Landau

Dunn & Nealy Stapleton

Ernest Day

Sue Lehr

LouAnn Talley

Rebecca Dusterdieck

Duane McCaskill

Cynthia Watson

Hal & Elaine Gurley

John & Anita McDuffie

Lynn Baell Wilson

Founding Member Spotlight: Dunn & Nealy Stapleton The Stapletons have been faithful supporters of the Flint RiverQuarium from the beginning. Pictured here at the 2018 A Wild Affair, they especially love visiting the RiverQuarium with their out-of-town grandchildren.

“The best recommendation we can give about the RiverQuarium is that our grandchildren ask to go there every time they come to Albany,” says Nealy. “The RiverQuarium has interesting exhibits at just the right height so they can see, wide open spaces to run and jump, and they are learning at the same time they are having fun!”

S U P P O R T

Volunteers Always going above and beyond

Keeping the Canoe Launch Clean

Since the beginning, the Flint RiverQuarium has fostered a strong volunteer program. With a

In 2018, the Flint RiverQuarium adopted the Cypress Point Canoe and Kayak

relatively small and lean staff, the

Launch in Flint River Park as part of a Flint Riverkeeper initiative to keep our

Flint RiverQuarium utilizes

canoe and boat launches clean and presentable. With the help of volunteers

volunteers in several ways.

we conduct quarterly clean-ups at this site and along the river.

1,486

Volunteers contributed 1,486 service hours in 2018.

Volunteers assist in caring for and feeding the animals, interpreting exhibits to guests, engaging guests at the touch tank to enhance their experiences, and assisting with a variety of office tasks. Episodic volunteers have assisted with our largest annual fundraiser, helped maintain the teaching garden, and joined in with our canoe launch clean-up.

The volunteer program accepts individuals age 15 and up.

Volunteer Spotlight: Alan Ashley Alan Ashley is one of our most faithful volunteers, helping out in our aviary since 2008. Alan is a fount of knowledge about birds and enjoys answering questions and sharing his knowledge with our visitors in the aviary on Thursdays.

“Many of the people who visit the FRQ Aviary have an interest in birds but have little knowledge of them,” Alan says. “I enjoy answering their questions and teaching them about birds.”

Amazingly, Alan has contributed more than 1,300 hours of time and energy to the Flint RiverQuarium! We are extremely grateful for his service and commitment. We consider him a part of the FRQ family!

E D U C A T I O N

Staff Development Educating staff so they can educate others

From Our Education Coordinator Malloree Holcombe In June 2018, I traveled to the Steppe of Mongolia for my Master’s Program. The focus of this class on paper was the Steppe ecology, civic media and endangered animals of.

6,834

The distance from Albany to Mongolia is approximately 6,834 miles.

Mongolia, but, in person, the class

community viewpoint. The Earth

The second half of the trip, we

was so much more.

Expedition summer courses, like what

stayed at Khustai National Park, and

I took in Mongolia, are a large part of

spent our days studying and

how those goals are accomplished.

searching for takhi, or the

The program that I am enrolled in,

Przewalski’s horse (Equus ferus

the Global Field Program, is run through the University of Miami in

This class/trip is in no way a vacation

przewalskii), population located in

Ohio and funded through Project

(another hard concept to explain), as

the park.

Dragonfly. The concept of the

you rise with the sun, working,

program is what drew me in the first

studying, hiking, and falling asleep way

Another portion of the course

place. They focus on inquiry-driven

past when the sun has left the sky. In

included working with Mongolian

education, environmental

Mongolia, the sun is up by 5 AM and

teenagers interested in biology and

stewardship and understanding

sets at 9 PM in the summer!

science and incorporating what they know with a radio presentation. As

global conservation efforts from a Our days were filled with studying the

you can imagine, television is not as

local ecology and botany, assisting

common in Mongolia as it is here in

local researchers in their data

the States, so the best broadcast

collections, creating inquiries and

communication is through radio. We

studies of our own, exploring the

met these students and worked with

landscapes and searching for wildlife

them and practiced interviewing

to “oohhh” and “ahhh” over. While we

techniques.

were never successful in finding a Pallas Cat (Otocolobus manul), we were

It is hard to describe the

able to find foxes, marmots, gerbils,

perseverance, dedication, and joy

pikas, ground squirrels, Steppe eagles,

that these people have studying the

buzzards, cranes, plovers, magpies,

country they love. Getting to work

and domesticated camels, cows,

alongside and learn from them was

horses, sheep, and goats. And all of

easily the best part of the whole

these discoveries happened within the

experience. I’m already planning my

first five days!

return trip to Mongolia!

E D U C A T I O N

Partnerships Stronger together

FRQ & Flint River Fresh

Education Partners Thronateeska Heritage Center

This year, the Flint RiverQuarium established a working partnership with

We partner with Thronateeska on

Flint River Fresh to use the Golly Gee Garden as a demonstration area

a varietyof educational programs.

and teaching garden. Flint River Fresh director Fredando Jackson, AKA

Chehaw Spooktacular

Farmer Fredo, taught workshops on-site at the FRQ and installed new

Chehaw Earth Day event

raised garden beds. The summer beds included yellow squash, zucchini,

KADB Water Festival

and tomatoes for our tortoises. Other summer crops grown included cucumbers, watermelon, peppers, basil, and oregano. In the winter, the

Georgia Pacific

raised beds were used to grow spring mix lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower,

We participate with GP each year at

cabbage, carrots, and arugula. The harvest was used to supplement

the WaterFestival held at Kolomoki

feeding our animals at the aquarium, and the gardens were integrated

Mounds State Park.

into programs taught by the education department.

Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful We exhibited at the annual KADB Water Festival.

Lee County Middle School West Participated in Water Quality Week at FRQ & Biodiversity Day at Chehaw Chehaw Partnered on Biodiversity Day and participated in Chehaw events, Spooktacular and Earth Day Flint River Fresh Partnered on Golly Gee Garden Flint RiverKeeper Water Quality Day and workshops for staff development/learning Master Gardeners Partnered to organize and host Earth Day at the Flint RiverQuarium Albany State University Provided education-based field trips for ASU students and affiliates.

E D U C A T I O N

Gopher Tortoise Council Grant FRQ partners on new exhibit In October 2018, the Flint

FRQ education staff worked with

RiverQuarium Education

students at Lee County Middle

Department received an

School West 7th grade students

Environmental Education grant

on a project focused on gopher

from the Gopher Tortoise Council

tortoises. These students visited

to build an outdoor gopher

the FRQ to learn about gopher

tortoise enclosure in concert with

tortoises, talked to experts, and

sustainable gardening to feed

then worked in groups to design

animals in the aquarium from the

exhibits and posters for

Golly Gee Garden.

informational text panels based on what they had learned. FRQ

According to the Gopher Tortoise

education staff judged the

Council, the Environmental

projects, along with Department

Education Grant was established

of Natural Resources personnel,

to support educators and

and the winners will help build

organizations committed to

the actual exhibit which is

developing educational projects

scheduled for completion by

about the gopher tortoise and the

Fall 2019.

fascinating world in which it lives.

The grant also honors Donna June Heinrich, an environmental educator, whose life was dedicated to conserving wildlife and their associated habitats.

About the Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Gopher tortoises live in upland habitats throughout the coastal plain of the southeastern United States, with most being found in north-central Florida and southern Georgia. Their numbers have declined range-wide, but have been severely reduced at the western and northern part of their range due to habitat loss. Gopher tortoise populations along Florida’s southeast coast and the Florida Panhandle also are greatly reduced from their historic numbers. In Georgia, the gopher tortoise is listed as a threatened species, which means it is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future.

The gopher tortoise is designated as the official Georgia state reptile.

E D U C A T I O N

Water, Wings & Wildlife Our annual festival celebrates creatures of the water, land, & sky The ninth annual Water, Wings & Wildlife Festival, held Friday, September 28, and Saturday, September 29, was another wonderful celebration of all creatures great and small. The school group day on Friday, gave educators an opportunity to share the educational enrichment provided by our presenters and exhibitors with their students. On Saturday, we opened the festival to the general public. Many visitors left this year’s Water, Wings & Wildlife Festival with a renewed appreciation for the Flint River and its native wildlife.

The special guest at this year’s event was NOAA shark expert and author Jose Castro. His field guide, The Sharks of North American Waters, is the definitive work on the subject and covers shark history, etymology, biology and more. Castro gave two lectures focusing on shark history, biology and what makes sharks such successful predators. A copy of his book was raffled off to a lucky guest following the event.

E X H I B I T S

Atlantic Sturgeon New Atlantic Sturgeon make their home at the FRQ When animals Dr. Jeff Hinshaw, head ofby a These were being kept completed aquaculture research the North Carolina State project at Department North Carolina University of State Applied University Department of Ecology and were part of Applied Ecology, was looking for a facility to re-home several sturgeon from the project, the Flint RiverQuarium was happy to take them.

5

In May 2018, the Flint RiverQuarium acquired five new Atlantic Sturgeon for the Blue Hole exhibit.

Director Richard Brown obtained

monitored with a dissolved

all of the required permits, and

oxygen meter to be sure that the

the local Georgia Dept. of Natural

animals were getting enough

Resources Fisheries loaned the

oxygen to breathe. Temperature

Flint RiverQuarium a 500-gallon

was also monitored during the

circular transport unit complete

transport. When the animals

with trailer to transport the

arrived at the RiverQuarium they

animals. Complete Carriers, LLC

were acclimated by slowly adding

also provided a truck and driver

water from the exhibit and letting

to help with the transport.

them get used to the difference

About the Atlantic Sturgeon

in water parameters. The Transporting the animals was a

sturgeon also were slightly

very involved process and

anesthetized so that they would

required oxygen to be pumped

be safer to handle during the

into the transport tank and

move.

Atlantic sturgeon are the same species as the Gulf sturgeon which used to swim up the Flint River from the Gulf of Mexico before the Lake Seminole dam was built.

The sturgeon are a great example of man’s effect on the environment as they are no longer found in the Flint River despite restocking efforts.

E X H I B I T S

Our Collection Meet a few of the animals that call the Flint RiverQuarium home The Flint RiverQuarium has a lot of mouths to feed and a lot of habitats to maintain. Because the collection of the Flint RiverQuarium is a living one, it requires daily care.

160 The Flint RiverQuarium is home to more than 160 different species.

175,000

1,300

The Blue Hole Spring centerpiece exhibit of the Flint RiverQuarium holds 175,00 gallons.

Our staff cares for more than 1,300 animals each day.

5 Five new Atlantic sturgeon were added to the Blue Hole Exhibit in May 2018.

68

The water in the Blue Hole exhibit is kept at a constant 68 degrees year-round to match the conditions in nautre.

800 The FRQ staff makes 800 gallon batches of artificial sea water at a time to refill our marine tanks.

In addition to feeding the animals and maintaing their tanks, sta and vounteers must ensure that all needs are met 24 hours a day and during all types of weather.

54,000

8

The Flint RiverQuarium main building covers 54,000 square feet.

The glass of the Blue Hole viewing window is eight inches thick to contain the pressure of the water behind it.

62 There are 62 water pumps throughout the RiverQuarium, including the exhibits and life support systems.

38

6,000

38 native and migratory rescue birds call the Flint RiverQuarium aviary home.

We order more than 6,000 pounds of frozen ďŹ sh each year to feed our collection.

126 Big Al, our oldest resident snapping turtle, recently weighed in at 126 pounds.

30 At least 30 baby turtles were hatched at the Flint RiverQuarium in 2017.

O P E R A T I O N S

Hurricane Michael

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

FRQ weathers a record-breaking storm

Hurricane Michael made landfall as an unprecedented Category 5 Hurricane in the Florida Panhandle region with maximum sustained wind speeds of 161 mph. Hurricane Michael remained at hurricane strength into southwest Georgia, wreaking widespread destruction. Thankfully, the Flint RiverQuarium sustained no major damage as a result of the storm, but we did operate for an entire week on generator-supplied power.

The curatorial staff monitored our life support systems around the clock and began clean-up efforts as soon as possible. The FRQ’s largest exhibit, our recreated Blue Hole Spring, is open to the outdoors, and was filled with debris and a few downed trees. In the week following the storm, staff performed many dives to clear the water. They also dealt with climate control issues caused by a lack of ventilation and a rise in humidity due to the temporary

On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael barreled into the Florida Panhandle and up through southwest Georgia, leaving a path of destruction in his wake. In the days

loss of air conditioning. Fortunately,

before, people throughout the

no animals from the collection were

region were scrambling to make

lost during or immediately after

preparations, including our friends

Hurricane Michael. After power was restored and all exhibits were thoroughly inspected and cleaned, the Flint RiverQuarium reopened to

at Gulf Specimens Marine Lab in Panacea. Pulling the Flint RiverQuarium's 450-gallon transport tank, Flint RiverQuarium staff Ben Scott and Aaron Griffin traveled to

the public on October 18, a little

Florida and brought back two nurse

more than a week after the storm.

sharks, intending to house them at the FRQ for the duration of the storm. When Hurricane Michael hit

Two corporate membership cards

Albany, however, Georgia Aquarium Thepicked Corporate Partners Program staff up the sharks and allows businesses of Atlanta all typeswhere and transported them to sizessafely to invest thethe Flintstorm. they rodeinout RiverQuarium. Three investment levels make this attractive program affordable and the generous benefits may be shared with employees and clients alike.

O P E R A T I O N S

Staff Changes Old and new faces at the FRQ

New Responsibilities After Richard’s departure, a couple of well-qualified staff people were promoted from within to fill the positions left in his

Richard Brown joined the original Flint RiverQuarium staff as Curator in

absence. Meet Ben & Aaron!

2004 and was responsible for acquiring and caring for the RiverQuarium’s collection of more than 1,300 animals for the next 14 years. During his time at the RiverQuarium, he was involved in nearly every aspect of the facility’s operation. When he left in November 2018 to accept a position as Curator of the Ripley’s Buffalo Quaratine Center in Buffalo, New York, his role had grown and he was serving as Director of the FRQ. We miss Richard, but we have some great staff who stepped right in to carry on what he started. Catch up with Richard below.

An Update from Richard Brown

Ben Scott FRQ Director

Hi to all my friends and

Ben Scott started at the Flint

colleagues in Albany, Georgia.

RiverQuarium in May 2012. He has kept

I wish I could say that I was all

fish since the age of 10 and has also put

settled in at my new job, but it

in 28 years in the retail ornamental fish

has been quite a whirlwind, so

industry before being directly recruited

if you haven’t heard from me,

by Richard Brown to serve as an aquarist

it’s because I’ve been really busy!

at the RiverQuarium. Ben worked

As Curator of the Ripley’s Buffalo

alongside Richard attaining General

Quarantine Center, we have fish

Curator position in 2016 and then

that continually need attention

Aquarium Director in 2018.

and animals going up to Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada in Toronto on a regular basis. Some of the animals we take care of are Japanese sea nettle Jellyfish, Deep sea Isopods, Lookdowns, Sandbar sharks, Sand tiger sharks, Swell sharks, and my old favorites, cuttlefish, just to name a few!

I have to say that everything they say about the snow in Buffalo is true! You wouldn’t believe the snowstorm I drove through to take some cuttlefish up to Toronto! I guess you might think I’m crazy to have moved that far north, but you can see from the photo I’m sending that I have big sharks to take care of again, and any of you who know me, know how important that is!

I also have to say that I really value the time I spent at the Flint RiverQuarium and all of the relationships that I made there. I miss everyone quite a bit. After all I was there since 2004, and made quite a few good friends in that time. Sometimes I think it’s a good thing they keep me so busy!

Best Fishes, Richard

Aaron Griffin Curator Aaron Griffin has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Georgia Southwestern State University. He has worked in animal husbandry for the last 7 years including 3 1/2 years at the Flint RiverQuarium. He has been the General Curator since December 2018 and supervises animal health and welfare.

N U M B E R S

Attendance FY 2018 Total: 53,788 Aquarium Visitors Adults 16,114

Youth (4-12) 6,664

Senior (62+) 1,629

Age 3 & under 4,215

College 1,129

Complimentary 0

Adult AAA 825

Youth AAA 215

0

20,000

Total Aquarium Visitors: 30,791

0

5000

Education Aquarium Visitors

10000

15000

20000

Students 7,376

Chaperones (Paid)

1,992

Teacher/Driver Comp.

841 0

Total Education 10,970 0 Aquarium 1000Visitors: 2000 3000

10,000

4000 5000 6000 7000 8000

On-site Education Program Participants Lab Classes 2,712

Camps

47

Birthday Parties 1,165

Sleep with the Fishes

99

Other

297

3,000 1500

0

0

500

1000

1500

Total On-site Education Program Participants: 4,320

2000

2500

Facility Rentals Total Facility Rental Visitors: 4,298 *Note: Attendance ďŹ gure total does not include Outreach Programs, which were delivered to a total of 1,295 individuals.

Imagination Theater Total Theater Visitors: 2,913 Total Theater/Adventure Center Rental Visitors: 1,257

3000

F I N A N C I A L S

Revenue FY 17/18 Total: $1,221,000 Membership Dues 5%

Education Programs 2%

Admissions 18%

Contributions 29%

BeneďŹ t Events 9%

Retail Sales 3%

Grants 31%

Facility Rentals 3%

F I N A N C I A L S

Expenses FY 17/18 Total: $1,097,302 Other Expenses 1%

Educational Programs 7%

Capital & Special Projects 14%

Personnel 43%

Repairs & Maintenance 7% Telephone 0.5% Occupancy 25%

Travel 0.5%

* 85% of all expenses support mission-related activities.

Professional Fees 2%

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER 117 Pine Avenue

Albany, GA 31701

229.639.2650

FlintRiverQuarium.com