40 Years of Ripley
40 Years of Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy…with the Best Yet to Come!
Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy was founded in 1985 in Litchfield, CT by world-renowned ornithologist and long-time Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, S. Dillon Ripley (1913-2001), alongside his wife, Mary Livingston Ripley, a respected entomologist. The mission of the organization was – and continues to be – rebuilding rare and endangered waterfowl populations and repopulating waterfowl habitats.
Dillon Ripley is credited with the first conservation breeding efforts of several waterfowl species, such as the Red-Breasted goose, the Nene goose, the Laysan teal, the Emperor goose, and the Philippine duck, all of which were seeing significant population decline in the wild. Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy is proud to carry on Dillon Ripley’s visionary efforts and to remain innovators in the field of waterfowl conservation.
Today, the Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy is one of the only collections of rare and endangered waterfowl in North America and is home to nearly 100 species totaling more than 500 birds from around the world, including ducks, geese, swans, pheasants, shore birds, raptors, and passerines, all of which are experiencing population declines in the wild.
Birds are one of the only truly global groups of species, found on every continent and moving between continents, and are therefore at the forefront of conveying information about our changing world as temperatures rise and wetlands disappear. They provide a range of indispensable services to humans — pollinating plants and transporting seeds. They also provide a less tangible service — lifting our spirits with their songs and beauty. Many find it intuitive to save land, but imagine if that land were to become empty and silent.
The aviculture team at Ripley are conservation breeding specialists, safeguarding the irreplaceable genetics of our waterfowl species if — or more likely when — these species become extinct in the wild. Every bird, egg, and chick at Ripley is strategically planned and serves a vital role in our mission to ensure these species survive for generations to come.
Learn more about our work at www.ripleyconservancy.org.
55 Duck Pond Road, Litchfield, CT 06794
Come celebrate our contributions to conservation at our 40th Anniversary Benefit on June 28th — a celebration decades in the making!
Honoring George Archibald
Founding Trustee, Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy &
Founder, International Crane Foundation
