It was number 95 out of 100 of his round-the-world art and conservation awareness projects. The last five walls will be painted in the UK, Germany, South Africa, Abu Dhabi, and the incredible #100 wall will be painted in Beijing, China in 2008 for the Summer Olympics. The Olympic effort will entail painting a 2-3 mile wall of canvas, with the help of 13 students from each nation represented at the Olympics.
The Key Largo ceremony on Feb. 24, included a dedication from Wyland to the late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. In addition, Critter Control founder Kevin Clark showed up wearing two hats - one as the CEO of Critter Control, and the second as a newly appointed representative of Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors USA foundation.
Clark told the crowd of hundreds of fans and conservationists that, "Steve Irwin did what only a few people – some very special people like Wyland - have been able to do before them, and that is to get millions of people worldwide passionate and enthusiastic about wildlife, and to reach out to a global audience and inspire people. Steve’s energy, his passion, his love of animals and his family values have motivated people of all ages, and of all walks of life, to be fascinated by the beauty and importance of our natural world."
Clark went on to say, "Steve's tragic passing on September 4, 2006 was a huge blow ... wildlife lost a great ambassador, and everyone felt they had lost a friend. It marked a moment in time that no-one will forget, but it also marked a time when his Wildlife Warriors foundation was recognized as a preeminent wildlife charity – the legacy left by Steve to inspire the world to get involved."
Wildlife Warriors was established in 2002 by Steve and Terri Irwin as a wildlife trust that would be ‘the most effective conservation organization in the world,’ and while the protection of tigers, elephants, cheetahs, crocodiles, marine mammals and sea-life and their habitat is vital, Irwin felt it was even more important to build of a global wildlife force – a force such as Wildlife Warriors. To find out more go to: www.wildlifewarriors.org
The Wildlife Warriors objectives are: 1) to protect and enhance the natural environment; 2) to provide information and education to the public and raise awareness of wildlife issues; 3) to research, recommend and act in the protection of threatened or endangered species; and 4) to enter into cooperative arrangements with like-minded organizations.
Clark thanked Wyland for his contributions to global conservation awareness, and added, "I think we can all support those four ideals, and I’d like to support some other ‘like-minded organizations,’ right here and now." He then presented checks from Critter Control for $5,000 each to the Wyland Foundation, The Turtle Hospital of Marathon, and the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key to help further their goals and conservation efforts.