Since 1998, the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund (DWCF) has been supported by donations from Guests who visit the Walt Disney World Resort and since inception, DWCF has grown to include the participation of Guests on Disney Cruise Line ships as well as those visiting Disney’s Vero Beach and Hilton Head Island Resorts. Supplemented by contributions from The Walt Disney Company, the DWCF marked an important milestone this year: $10 million in total donations have gone to support more than 500 wildlife projects worldwide. In celebration of this accomplishment, Disney CEO Bob Iger honored five conservation heroes with awards of $100,000 each during a special Conservation Legacy Celebration held at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Honorees primatologist Jane Goodall, actress Isabella Rossellini, Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, elephant expert Iain Douglas Hamilton, and actor/comedian John Cleese, accepted awards on behalf of their personal and related conservation causes.

In 2006 alone, the DWCF awarded $1.4 million to 90 nonprofit conservation programs operating in 27 countries. Recipients ranged from large multi-national groups to small community-based programs, which were chosen by a team of scientists, veterinarians, and other animal experts based on the effectiveness of their coordinated research, education, and policy efforts related to wildlife conservation. For a complete list of programs, visit www.disneywildlifefund.com.