Campuses Receive Wild Kingdom Grant Award to Protect Endangered Wildlife

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and the National Wildlife Federation have joined forces again to inspire and support the efforts of the next generation of conservation leadership. We are collaborating on a series of grants that support colleges and universities to showcase and fund innovative and solutions-based programs that help protect threatened and endangered wildlife and their habitats.

We are excited to announce the recipients of the 2025 Wild Kingdom grant awards: Allegheny College (Pennsylvania), California State University, Bakersfield, Georgia State University Perimeter College, Kentucky State University, Smith College (Massachusetts), University of South Florida, and The University of Tennessee.

Read the grant project summaries below.

Allegheny College, Pennsylvania

Allegheny College is in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and ranks among the oldest one percent of colleges and universities in the U.S. Allegheny is committed to sustainability and community resilience as key aspects of their mission to prepare their students to be change-agents and difference-makers in a complex world. Through support from the Wild Kingdom Grant Program, Allegheny will transform poorly managed turf at the entrance to their library into a native perennial area and install bird and bat boxes throughout campus.

Allegheny will base their native perennial planting on artistic principles of landscape design, which combine aesthetic value with habitat and food for wildlife, including native bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and small mammals. Allegheny will install 20 wooden nest boxes for cavity-nesting bird species amongst the native perennial plants at the library and other campus locations. Many bird species are facing declines in North America, but cavity-nesting, insectivorous birds (e.g., Tree Swallows) are of particular concern, as both their habitats and food sources are at risk under changing climates.

Nest boxes will provide vital nesting locations for native cavity-nesting birds including Eastern Bluebirds, Tree Swallows and House Wrens. Additionally, they will place bat boxes on campus buildings to create habitat and lure bats from residence halls. Providing habitat is critical, as bat populations have crashed due to white-nose syndrome, especially the Northern long-eared bat and little brown bats.

California State University, Bakersfield

Centrally located on a 375-acre site in the southern San Joaquin Valley, California State University (CSU), Bakersfield, is dedicated to training the next generation of leaders who will address the challenges of climate change across a range of industries and applications. Through support from the Wild Kingdom Grant Program, CSU Bakersfield will contribute to the protection of the endangered San Joaquin kit fox.

CSU Bakersfield will conduct a survey on the San Joaquin kit fox on campus grounds and in nearby lower Kern River floodplain areas, using a non-invasive DNA based technology. This survey will identify preferred denning and hunting grounds on campus and in areas along the Kern River that runs through the entire city and that connects fragmented fox populations.

CSU will support conservation strategies for this small canine species that has lost more than 90 percent of its original habitat in the San Joaquin Valley due to urban sprawl and extensive industrial agriculture. The survey data will be used for the development of a San Joaquin kit fox habitat conservation plan that will be presented to the CSUB administration and to the Bakersfield City Council.

Georgia State University Perimeter College

The Georgia State University (GSU) Perimeter College, located in Atlanta, actively integrates sustainability into its operations and academics, focusing on environmental stewardship, educational initiatives, and community engagement. Through support from the Wild Kingdom Grant Program, GSU Perimeter College will create nesting boxes for the Brown-headed Nuthatch, which is endemic to the pine forests to the Southeastern U.S.

Although currently not endangered, the nuthatches’ association with mature pines and its failure to re-colonize degraded areas make this species extremely vulnerable to habitat loss. In Georgia, most of the old-growth pine forest is gone and has been replaced by fragmented stands of younger trees. Younger trees lack the seed crops and snags needed by this species for successful reproduction and survival.

Further, the longleaf pine ecosystem in Georgia is among the most critically endangered forest types in the country, with less than five percent of its original acreage remaining. The Brown-headed Nuthatch requires stands of mature pine forests for nesting and feeding purposes and is not found outside of this type of habitat.

In 2015, Birds Georgia designated this species as a “species of concern” for this very reason. GSU Perimeter will construct more nesting boxes, repair existing boxes, with the goal of expanding box coverage to all campus locations as well as local community sites including nearby K-12 schools, community centers, and local nature preserves.

Kentucky State University

Kentucky State University (KSU) is a public, historically Black land-grant university in Frankfort, Kentucky. KSU emphasizes conservation through its various programs, including the Environmental Education and Research Center and its focus on sustainable agricultural practices. Through support from the Wild Kingdom Grant Program, KSU will enhance the habitat for two key groups of at-risk bird species on campus including the Red-headed Woodpecker and various songbird species that depend on shrubby habitats.

The Red-headed Woodpecker, a species of conservation concern, requires mature forest habitats with snags (standing dead trees) for nesting. These snags, essential for woodpeckers to create cavities, have been increasingly scarce due to forest management practices and the removal of dead trees. To address this, KSU will focus on preserving existing snags and incorporating new nesting boxes specifically designed for Red-headed Woodpeckers in strategic locations within the KSU forests on campus.

These actions will provide critical nesting sites for this species while also supporting the broader goal of promoting biodiversity in our university’s green spaces. Additionally, KSU will improve shrubby habitats, which are vital for several threatened songbird species such as the Kentucky and Prairie Warblers. Improvement efforts will include invasive plant control and native plant restoration.

Smith College, Massachusetts

Smith College located in Northampton, Massachusetts, prepares women through active learning and societal engagement to foster and lead sustainable, just communities and to make significant and lasting contributions to address the critical issues of the times. Through support from the Wild Kingdom Grant Program, Smith College will focus their efforts on the restoration of woody habitat in support of the endangered Eastern rat snake.

The Ada and Archibald MacLeish Field Station, owned and stewarded by Smith College, is a 250-acre area of diverse terrain ranging from early successional grassland habitats to dense mature forests. The land provides opportunities for all members of the Smith community to pursue artistic inquiry, scientific research, outdoor education, and low-impact recreation. The Eastern rat snake, the only tree snake in Massachusetts, is a large two- to five-foot stout snake that prefers hardwood forests, forested wetlands, and adjacent thickets.

Eastern rat snakes are excellent tree climbers and can even scale sheer cliffs. Smith will restore important habitat features through the control of non-native plants and introduction of native plant woody species. Additionally, students will conduct research on the natural history of the Eastern rat snake, focusing on important habitat features, including hibernaculum design and tree planting plan.

University of South Florida

The University of South Florida (USF) located in Tampa, Florida, encourages and facilitates the collaborative efforts of the campus community in generating knowledge, developing values, changing behaviors, and initiating practices that contribute to a sustainable campus. Through support from the Wild Kingdom Grant Program, USF will protect and restore habitat for the threatened gopher tortoise.

The USF “Bull’s Nature Trail” Boardwalk Project will transform an underutilized campus resource into an ecologically sustainable green space that fosters biodiversity and mitigates human-wildlife conflict while strategically preventing encroaching development that threatens their diverse ecosystem.

The boardwalk will serve as an environmentally responsible recreational pathway that minimizes disturbance to existing habitats for the gopher tortoise and other wildlife while providing educational opportunities for the campus community. Boardwalk construction will use eco-friendly materials that minimize habitat disruption while creating safe access. The boardwalk strategically channels foot traffic away from sensitive habitat areas, reducing trampling and erosion.

The University of Tennessee

The University of Tennessee (UT), a land grant institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee, is committed to serving as a model of sustainability, stewardship, and inter-generational responsibility. Through support from the Wild Kingdom Grant Program, UT will research, educate, and protect freshwater mussels.

Freshwater mussels are an extremely important part of East Tennessee’s ecology and culture. Freshwater mussels provide vital ecological and economic advantages to aquatic creatures, land-dwelling animals, and our communities. Their impressive filtration capabilities allow them to consistently remove nutrients like algae, organic matter, bacteria, plankton, and sediments from the water, tirelessly carrying out this critical role throughout their entire existence.

UT will assess the recovery of freshwater mussels in areas where human activity has severely impacted their populations. Additionally, they will evaluate the success of ongoing restoration efforts, providing valuable insights to improve state and federal conservation recovery programs.

UT will partner with the Powell River Tourism Committee of the Claibourne County Tourism Commission to provide interpretive environmental materials for the Powell River Blueway Trail, highlighting the importance of freshwater mussels, their role in the ecosystem, and their conservation status.

Read about the 2024 Wild Kingdom College and University Grant Projects.

About Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom

Since its network television premiere in 1963, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom has been one of the most loved and respected wildlife programs in television history. The Daytime Emmy® nominated Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, now airing weekends on NBC’s “The More You Know” time block, celebrates stories of conservation success, including the great work of caring, compassionate experts and how they are making a positive impact on the Wild Kingdom.

For more information about Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, visit the website.

About National Wildlife Federation

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 52 state and territorial affiliates and more than six million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, paddlers, educators, and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes.