The Maritime Aquarium got a boost in funding its master plan rennovations, a $5 million dolalr doantion form the longest serving trustee, William Ziegler. From the Advocate:
Ziegler has served on the board since its inception in 1981.
Changes will include new exhibit information, a new entrance and orientation area, and two new galleries - Winter in the Sound and Shores of the Sound, Loynd said.
The galleries will look at the ecology of the Long Island Sound’s shores and fish that can winter in the Sound, he said, such as halibut, herring and conger eels.
Construction on the aquarium’s master plan - which was approved in October - began with a refitting of the aquarium’s IMAX theater, allowing it to show regular Hollywood films, Loynd said.
The first film, “The Polar Express,” debuted last month. “Beowulf” is scheduled for spring, he said.
The $5 million also will pay for ongoing outreach and education programs. Ziegler gave $1 million last year to kick-start an endowment fund for the aquarium’s education programs.
In recognition of Ziegler’s philanthropy, the aquarium’s existing environmental education center will bear his name.
Ziegler is the owner of Swisher International, a private company with revenue of more than $200 million from the manufacture and sale of sweetened and premium cigars, along with smokeless tobacco.
Ziegler, an avid sailor, recently founded Sargent’s Cove, an aquaculture company dedicated to farming indigenous oysters, in the Sound.
“The Sound has been meaningful to my life, and I want to share our collective knowledge about it, especially with children,” Ziegler said in a statement. “Part of my intention in giving this gift is to encourage others to step forward and join me in providing the necessary resources to make the aquarium’s ambitious plans become a reality.”
Under the aquarium’s 20-year master plan, the makeover would be done in three phases, each taking five to six years. It will increase the aquarium’s size from 140,000 square feet to 160,000 square feet.
The project also will triple the amount of water in aquarium exhibits, from 180,000 gallons to 530,000 gallons.
As the project progresses, aquarium visitors will be able to watch sharks, beavers and shorebirds, and kids will be able to pet stingrays.
source: The Advocate, ,a href=”http://www.norwalkadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-nor.aquarium5dec20,0,5745572.story?coll=nor-news-local-headlines”>Darien exec gives $5M to aquarium By Tim Stelloh, December 20 2007
