"...when the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another Heaven and another Earth must pass before such a one can be again."
-William Beebe

Discover, Secure, Sustain:  Real-Life Success Stories

ALBC’s conservation actions are shaped by the “Discover, Secure, Sustain”
paragadigm. Below are some of the success stories from ALBC’s archives. These
examples illustrate the of application of “Discover, Secure, Sustain” in ALBC projects and actions.

Secure & Sustain: ALBC staff member Jeannette Beranger and former staffer Don Schrider developed a master breeder program for Buckeye chickens that has set the gold standard for expansion and selection of rare chicken breeds.

Secure & Sustain: In 1997 ALBC took a census of Heritage Turkeys. There were only 1,335 breeding birds in the whole United States. Between 1997 and 2002, ALBC began to get the word out. A specialty newsletter was started and a project with Virginia Tech was initiated to compare the immune systems of Heritage Turkeys and industrial strains. With the help of marketing and education, by 2003, the breeding population had more than doubled, numbering 4,275. ALBC initiated an educational program on how to care for Heritage Turkeys, and how to select quality breeding stock. By 2007, the population exceeded 10,000 breeder birds.  

Discover & Secure: One of ALBC’s first rescues ocurred in December 1987, when it learned that a unique population of feral sheep on Santa Cruz Island (off the coast of southern California) faced imminent eradication.  Thanks largely to Phil Hedrick, Marion Stanley, and Dirk Van Vuren; a viable population was brought off the island. 

Sustain: ALBC has defined the term Heritage for chickens and turkeys, helping to set
standards for product marketing and helping to generate a niche market for these breeds.

Discover & Secure: The Marsh Tacky project was the culmination of a successful 4 year project to describe, document, and conserve an endangered horse breed previously thought to be extinct. The breed is from the lowlands of South Carolina and is of Spanish descent.

Secure: Former ALBC Executive Director Don Bixby initiated a gene bank to store genetic material in case of a crisis and to give breeders access to stored semen.

Secure & Sustain: During the 1980s, hog prices plummeted and many breeders sent their herds to market. In 1999, there were only 42 Red Wattle hogs and 4 breeders. In 2000, ALBC was asked to re-initiate a registry for the Red Wattle hog breeders. Only 3 hogs were registered the first year. ALBC helped facilitate communication between breeders. By June 2001, the population had increased to 90 and added 3 breeders and an association had been formed. The population has continued to increase, and last year (2008) 111 hogs were registered. The Red Wattle Hog Association recently reported 56 breeders.

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