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The recovery of the Anegada Iguana (Cyclura pinguis)
depends on the diligent work of many natural resource

managers and biologists as well as a commitment from the res-
idents of Anegada. That the species’ recovery program contin-
ues to include outreach activities aimed at increasing local
knowledge of and support for conservation activities should not
be surprising.

“Value-added” is an economic term that refers to increas-
ing a product’s value and thus the revenue from it. Outreach is
a “value-added” activity because it increases the value of the
research. Transmitting results of conservation and research pro-
grams to the public increases the conservation programs’ “rev-
enues” or effectiveness.

Designing and implementing outreach activities on
Anegada is truly a unique experience. With a total of about 100
full-time residents on the island, one can accomplish activities
that reach all or most residents. 

The best method for determining the direction of an out-
reach program is to carry out a social survey to understand the
outreach needs as they relate to conservation goals. We admin-
istered a general survey on Anegada in July 2003 and a second,
specific survey targeting teachers in October 2004.

The first survey assessed local support for and under-
standing of various conservation activities relating to the
Anegada Iguana. As would be expected, 94% of the respon-
dents (N = 34) supported the headstarting program begun in
1997. Somewhat of a surprise, however, was the strong major-
ity of respondents (89%) who supported cat eradication. With
this and other data about local perceptions of the conservation
program, we developed a plan for outreach. In the last two

Value-added Conservation Science:
Outreach Activities that Support 

Conservation of the Anegada Iguana
Lee Pagni and Deirdre Ballou

Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego, California 92112

Photographs by the authors unless otherwise indicated.

86 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 2  •  JUNE 2005 PAGNI AND BALLOU

Lee Pagni interviews a resident of Anegada for the 2003 social survey.

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The first issue of the “Anegada Wildlife News” was distributed in Fall
2004. The newsletter serves the important purpose of keeping resi-
dents informed about the recovery process.

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IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 2  •  JUNE 2005 87ANEGADA IGUANA

years, a variety of outreach activities that support Anegada
Iguana conservation have been implemented on Anegada and
in the United States. These activities not only add value to the
research, but also are ultimately vital to garnering public sup-
port for the conservation and research programs.

Acting Local
One of the most important lessons learned from the social sur-
vey was that Anegada residents held a good deal of misinfor-
mation about the iguana restoration program. To help counter
this and to attempt to inform all residents about current iguana
conservation activities, we created a newsletter. Data from the
survey and other interviews told us what type of information
residents were interested in knowing. In August 2004, the first
edition of the “Anegada Wildlife News” was delivered to resi-
dents and schoolchildren throughout the island. The newslet-
ter’s fun design, wealth of images, and popular crossword puz-
zle made it a hit with locals.

The second survey, a teacher assessment given to all seven
teachers at Anegada’s only school, helped us develop a plan for
engaging teachers and students in conservation education activ-
ities. The second-most requested outreach activity as deter-
mined by the survey was talks by scientists for the students. To
meet this need, talks have been scheduled throughout the year.
In February 2004, Kelly Bradley gave a presentation to the sec-
ondary students at the Anegada School, introducing them to
radio-telemetry and its utility for understanding the habitat
requirements of iguanas.

Results of the 2003 survey indicated that the headstart facil-
ity is a focal point for locals and tourists wanting to learn more
about the Anegada Iguana. In order to engage this interested
audience, we developed plans to create a series of interpretive
materials that allow a self-guided experience at the facility. The
first sign developed was the result of a genetic study (see below)
and will be integrated into other self-guided materials that
explain all the activities involved in the recovery of the species.

The only school on Anegada has approximately 40 students and seven
teachers.

Jennie Lau of the Zoological Society of San Diego’s Conservation and
Research for Endangered Species (CRES) Department prepares
genetic samples as part of the Anegada Iguana genetic study.

Making a full circle connection; ZooCorps members learned about
Anegada Iguana genetic studies, then made necklaces for students on
Anegada using a sequenced gene from iguanas.

A ZooCorps member makes sure she has the genetic sequence correct
for her necklace.



Thinking Global 
To add more value to conservation and research programs, we
must remember that people living around the world are inter-
ested in programs that protect our collective natural heritage.

A grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
helped the San Diego Zoo carry out a comprehensive genetic
study on the Anegada Iguana. The study helped determine how
close the relationships were among the six iguanas in the Zoo’s
collection and measured genetic diversity within the wild pop-
ulation. The grant also helped fund outreach activities that add
value to this important research.

At the San Diego Zoo, a group of 13–16 year-old volun-
teers called ZooCorps taught guests about the role genetic
research plays in the restoration of the Anegada Iguana.
Volunteers were taught about microsatellites and how these
non-coding genes are used to give an estimate of genetic diver-
sity within the population. ZooCorps members then set up a
booth in front of the Anegada Iguana exhibit for two weekend
days and taught guests about what is being done to protect the
species. To reinforce the concept of genetics, ZooCorps mem-
bers led guests in making necklaces out of four differently col-
ored beads representing the four genetic base pairs. At the end
of this program, ZooCorps members made necklaces for the

students on Anegada, including with the necklace a personal
note to the Anegadian students.

From the genetic study, an educational activity was devel-
oped to help middle and secondary school students understand
more about microsatellites and how they are used to determine
the proximity of relationships. This study was a collaborative
effort between geneticists and educational specialists at the San

88 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 2  •  JUNE 2005 PAGNI AND BALLOU

J.J., a member of ZooCorps, works on the “genetic jewelry” that will
be given to a student on Anegada.

One of the goals of outreach is to involve local residents in all parts of
the research. Here Camilla Serieux, a resident of Anegada, helps
release a headstarted iguana back to the wild.

ZooCorps members made this display and used it to help explain the
Anegada Iguana’s genetic status to guests.



IGUANA  •  VOLUME 12, NUMBER 2  •  JUNE 2005 89ANEGADA IGUANA

Diego Zoo. The lesson introduces students to concepts of
genetic conservation and involves three increasingly difficult
activities. The final activity relates directly to the research proj-
ect and has students determine the paternity of six iguanas, given
one female and two possible sires, each with a contrived set of
determined microsatellite alleles at two loci. To distribute the les-
son as widely as possible, it resides on the San Diego Zoo’s web
site (www.sandiegozoo.org) and is indexed for internet search
engines using keywords such as curriculum and microsatellite.

Several other outreach activities have been developed for
this project. These include a graphic panel explaining the plight
of the Anegada Iguana and how genetics are being used in con-
servation efforts. The sign will be placed in the Anegada exhibit
at the Zoo. Dr. Oliver Ryder, head geneticist at the Zoological
Society of San Diego’s CRES (Conservation and Research for
Endangered Species) added further value to the study by pre-
senting the results at a local event highlighting the Society’s
work to conserve endangered species. Finally, updated infor-
mation on the project can be found on the San Diego Zoo’s
“Helping Wildlife” section of their website.

Continuing the Connection
This program of adding value to the conservation and research
activities will continue with several activities planned this year on
Anegada. In May, Kelly Bradley will deliver the gene necklaces
made by ZooCorps members to students at the Anegada School.
Along with the necklaces, Ms. Bradley will give a presentation on
genetic research as related to the Anegada Iguana. We also are
working on the second edition of the “Anegada Wildlife News.”
With the help of a journalism mentor from the British Virgin
Islands Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, we hope to have
students from the Anegada School research, write, and help pro-
duce the upcoming issue. Also this year, we will produce new

interpretive materials for the headstart facility in order to help vis-
itors better understand the amount and type of work that is going
into the conservation of the Anegada Iguana.

The Anegada Iguana recovery program demonstrates how
conservation and research can be combined into engaging out-
reach programs. One research project, such as the genetic analy-
sis, can serve as content for numerous educational activities and
materials that help engender support for conservation locally,
and patently connect others to conservation globally. Clearly,
outreach adds value to conservation science and plays an impor-
tant role in the recovery of the Anegada Iguana.

The Settlement is Anegada’s main population center. With about 100
full-time residents on the entire island, Anegada offers unique oppor-
tunities for outreach.

The use of molecular genetics in the management of
captive populations of endangered species helps

maintain healthy living collections that can become the
foundation for successful breeding programs. Collection
of studbook information and determination of accurate
pedigrees are crucial for successful management of animals
in captivity, but this information may not be available,
especially for animals caught in the wild. The San Diego
Zoo’s collection contains three male and three female
potential founders of the critically endangered Anegada
Iguana (Cyclura pinguis), the only captive individuals of
breeding age in the world. These specimens came to the
zoo with questionable backgrounds. Through examination
of DNA microsatellite variation, the zoo’s genetics research
team has been able to evaluate the relatedness of the cap-
tive population by comparing them with wild iguanas on
Anegada. Based on genetic data, Apparently, of our six

captive adults, three pairs of animals are related (two of the
males, two of the females, and one male-female pair), but
are otherwise unrelated to one another. This information
is now being used to design a captive management plan
that maximizes genetic diversity in the captive collection.
Future pairings will focus on minimizing reproduction
among related individuals and maximizing the retention
of genetic diversity within the group. In addition, our
genetic work has shown that the wild population on
Anegada, although highly endangered with a remaining
estimated wild population of only a few hundred individ-
uals, does not appear to be inbred when compared to other
species. This finding bodes well for the future, and pro-
vides a valuable baseline for monitoring the genetic health
of the wild population over time. We are grateful to the
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for
funding this research.

G E N E S  A N D  C O N S E R V A T I O N




