Conservation & Science

Native Plants & Pollinators

Did you know Ohio is home to more than 1,900 native plant species? When grown in their natural range, these plants require little to no maintenance and provide food and shelter to local and migratory wildlife, including pollinators (like bees or endangered monarch butterflies), which are responsible for roughly one out of every three bites of food we eat!

Sadly, native plants are being pushed out in favor of land development and nonnative ornamental plants, so we’re doing our part to give native plants a much-needed boost on our property and beyond. With guidance from the Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District, we planted more than 180 native trees and shrubs throughout the Park in 2022 alone. Our Walk-Thru Safari is recognized by the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat^®, and we’ve pledged to protect a quarter-acre of our property as a “no-mow zone” with native plantings each year!

Healthy Waterways

Lake Erie and the Lake Erie Watershed are vital to our survival. These precious natural resources host thousands of incredible species like otters, beavers and walleye; provide safe, clean drinking water to millions of Americans and Canadians; and offer recreational opportunities that enrich our quality of life and support our economy. Unfortunately, decades of pollution have caused major ecological damage to Lake Erie and the Lake Erie Watershed.

With our Park located just minutes from the shoreline, we feel a deep connection to the Lake Erie Watershed. We are proud supporters of the Lake Erie Foundation, and we collaborated with the foundation to produces signage educating African Safari guests about local water quality issues such as algal blooms and dead zones—and the everyday actions Ohioans can take to keep local waterways healthy for wildlife and humans alike.

Protecting Wild Places

Our corner of the world is a hotspot for migratory birds, particularly warblers, making their way north from Central and South America each spring. This annual event is considered one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the United States.

African Safari supports the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, a sprawling, 8,000-acre network of protected forest, wetlands and grasslands established in 1961. The Refuge is a haven for native and migratory wildlife alike, including 38 warbler species and over 30 waterfowl species. In addition to financial contributions to Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, our staff has participated in native plantings to improve wildlife habitat at the Refuge.

Cheetah Conservation Fund

African Safari has supported the work of Cheetah Conservation Fund for decades. Led by Dr. Laurie Marker, this Namibia-based nonprofit works throughout the cheetah’s range to research and protect these unique African cats. CCF’s community-based approach to conservation addresses the needs of people and wildlife alike through initiatives such as the Livestock Guard Program, which provides farmers with Anatolian shepherd and Kangal shepherd dogs that scare away would-be predators—reducing the likelihood that the cheetahs will be trapped or killed as retaliation.

Giraffe Conservation Foundation

Due to extensive habitat loss, human hunting and climate change, giraffe are experiencing a “silent extinction” that has seen wild populations plummet by nearly 30% since the 1980s. In some areas, numbers have dropped by a staggering 95 percent. Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) is building a sustainable future for giraffe through conservation monitoring, field research, habitat protection, translocation and community education programs. GCF operates across 17 African countries and impacts millions of acres of giraffe habitat.

Be a Guardian of Wildlife!

Our ability to support these projects comes from Guardian of Wildlife, our registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in the 1980s to benefit conservation efforts worldwide. African Safari guests have the opportunity to support Guardian of Wildlife by rounding up their transactions to the nearest dollar, donating online or mailing a check to the following address:

Guardian of Wildlife
25600 Woodward Ave, Suite 110
Royal Oak, MI 48067