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IGUANA  •  VOLUME 13, NUMBER 2  •  JUNE 2006 171IRCF ON THE MOVE

Governor’s Reception

In honor of the Blue Iguana Recovery Program, His Excellency
the Governor of the Cayman Islands, Mr. Stuart Jack, CVO,

and Mrs. Mariko Jack held a reception at the Government House
on Grand Cayman on 9 May 2006. In attendance were the Blue
Iguana Recovery Program’s staff and volunteers, the National
Trust for the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands Government’s
Departments of Environment, Tourism, Education, and
Agriculture, local sponsors, and supporters. From the UK,
Quentin Bloxam represented the Durrell Wildlife Conservation
Trust, accompanied by DWCT Board members and supporters.
Representing the International Reptile Conservation Foundation
were John and Sandy Binns, and Joel Friesch.

Speeches by His Excellency, Governor Jack, Fred Burton,
and Quentin Bloxam expressed gratitude to all the people and
organizations that have supported the Program over the years.
Looking forward, Bloxam indicated that protected status for the
specialized habitat and the Blue Iguanas now residing in
Cayman’s East End is an important next step in the recovery Plan
and urged all those able to influence such a decision to provide
support.

The IRCF acknowledges and is grateful for the accommo-
dations supplied by Teresa Foster of the Grand Caymanian
Resort (www.grandcaymanian.ky). All speeches in their entirety
will be available for download on the new IRCF website in the
weeks to come.

Project Heloderma

The IRCF is proud to partner with Zootropic, Fundación
Defensores de la Naturaleza, Guatemala, CONAP, Zoo

Atlanta, and The Nature Conservancy in supporting Project
Heloderma (see Conservation Focus, p.176), which is focused
primarily on the preservation of the Guatemalan Beaded Lizard
(Heloderma horridum charlesbogerti). With fewer than 200 indi-
viduals remaining in a tiny amount of specialized habitat, this
unique subspecies has become one of the most endangered rep-
tiles in the world. The project is part of a conservation effort to

I R C F  O N  T H E  M O V E

Chris Carr of the BIRP staff dressed elegantly for the Governor's
reception.

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John and Sandy Binns meet the governor.

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Guatemalan Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum charlesbogerti).

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172 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 13, NUMBER 2  •  JUNE 2006 IRCF ON THE MOVE

preserve the remaining dry forest habitat of the Motagua Valley
in Guatemala. 

To support Project Heloderma, the IRCF is developing a
content-rich website to promote the project. This will include a
donation-support program that will be a major tax-deductible
donation port for U.S. donors. The site also features information
on both species of Heloderma plus a section dedicated to support
of the upcoming 2006 National Reptile Breeder’s Expo auction
to benefit the Guatemalan Beaded Lizard.

Rob Dorson Memorial Trust

The IRCF has received a $6,500 donation from the Rob
Dorson Memorial Trust to be applied toward the Blue

Iguana Recovery Program. We are grateful to the friends and
family of Rob Dorson, especially Marilyn, Lee, and Jill Dorson,
for their ongoing support in honor of their son and brother who
passionately loved Blue Iguanas.

Andros Iguanas Football Club

Ricardo Johnson, team coach, reports the Andros Iguana
Football teams did well in the Nassau Games, returning with

many medals. “All of us came back with an experience that makes
us proud to be Iguanas,” he commented.

Ricardo reports that the team has expanded to 40 members
and now has eight coaches on staff. The next phase is to start a

13-year-old and under team to launch into another dimension.
To meet this expansion, the IRCF and Shedd Aquarium, through
the efforts of Chuck Knapp, are in the process of creating another
shipment of team jerseys. Those interested in contributing to this
winning team, all of whom are iguana conservation-minded
spokespeople on Andros, please contact John Binns at
JFB@IRCF.org 

IRCF Helps Out

This past March, the Mid-Michigan Reptile Rescue took in
27 assorted varanids (Varanus), tegus (Tupinambis), and

Rock Iguanas (Cyclura), many of them extremely thin and dehy-
drated. All had been in the possession of a Detroit resident, who
passed away without leaving any instructions or provisions for
their placement. To help buffer the expense of caring for these
rescued animals, the IRCF donated $500 and rallied other IRCF
members for donations. Answering the call for assistance, IRCF
members Mark Malfati (West Coast Iguana Research), Desiree
Wong (IRCF Public Relations), Kathryn Tosney, Ella Marie
Poyner, and Jerod Rice amassed $1,065 in aid. Thank you con-
tributors!

IRCF Poster Used in Dallas Zoo Interpretive Display

The Dallas Zoo incorporated the IRCF remaining-numbers
poster in a new interpretive display near their Cyclura cor-

nuta exhibit. Joel Friesch’s Rhinoceros Iguana sculpture is also a
part of the display, but had not yet been erected when the photo
was taken. 

Prior to the Nassau Games, the IRCF created this special poster for the
event and printed a limited quantity for distribution.

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Interpretive sign at the Dallas Zoo, with remaining-numbers poster on
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Rhinoceros Iguanas (Cyclura cornuta) at the Dallas Zoo.

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IGUANA  •  VOLUME 13, NUMBER 2  •  JUNE 2006 173IRCF ON THE MOVE

New Addition to the Blue Iguana Website

The IRCF has been developing an online sponsorship program
for the Blue Iguana Recovery Program and it is now in the

final testing stages and scheduled for launch very soon. The spon-
sorship program allows visitors to the Blue Iguana website
(www.BlueIguana.ky) to review catalogs of animals available for
sponsorship on a yearly basis. Once a selection (and optional items,
such as naming the animal for life) has been made, the program
generates an official personalized sponsorship certificate embedded
with a photo of the sponsored Blue Iguana, a custom photograph,
and other optional items, and sends the sponsor a download link
for retrieval. The program tracks the sponsorship duration and
automatically notifies the sponsor when renewals are due. 

New IRCF Website
IRCF software developers are creating an updated, dynamic, and
informative website. Development is progressing rapidly; we are
now incorporating content and plan to launch soon. 

Educational Poster for the Indianapolis Zoo

As part of the our commitment to support iguana conserva-
tion awareness, the IRCF donated creative resources to assist

Indianapolis Zoo’s Ricord’s Iguana conservation efforts in the
Dominican Republic. In addition, the IRCF sent 50 copies of
Volume 12, Number 4, Special Emphasis on the Dominican
Republic, to the Dominican Republic for distribution.

Poster about Ricord’s Iguana (Cyclura ricordii) conservation efforts at
the Indianapolis Zoo.

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Blue Iguana Recovery Program sponsorship page.

Blue Iguana Sponsorship Certificate. 

New IRCF Main Page.

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