ZooTampa at Lowry Park's David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center becomes recipient of Theodore Roosevelt Hillsborough Forever Conservation Award
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners presented the 2026 Theodore Roosevelt Hillsborough Forever Conservation Award to ZooTampa at Lowry Park's David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center during its April 15 meeting. The annual award, established in 2017, recognizes individuals or groups for their dedication to preserving Hillsborough County's natural resources. ZooTampa Senior Clinical Veterinarian Dr. Christina McCullough accepted the award.
McCullough thanked the Board for the award, and said that ZooTampa's conservation mission reaches both a global and local audience.
"Locally, our impact extends through partnerships throughout the Tampa Bay area, from Hillsborough County schools and community access programs…and under-resourced families. Together, we can reach 1.2 million guests who visit our zoo each year."
Since 1991, the Manatee Care Team has been at the forefront of manatee conservation. This multidisciplinary team - spanning animal care, veterinary services, and nutrition, and supported by staff and volunteers across the organization - provides critical and rehabilitative care to manatees throughout the state while also supporting rescue and response efforts in the field. To date, the Manatee Care Team has rescued more than 635 manatees and returned 356 to the wild, helping preserve this iconic species. This work is made possible through close partnerships with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Theodore Roosevelt Hillsborough Forever Conservation Award is named in honor of the 26th president of the United States. Known as the nation's first conservationist president, Theodore Roosevelt placed more than 200 million acres under public protection and doubled the number of sites in the National Park System.
Interested in all the details about the latest BOCC meeting? Here is a full recap.
Subscribe to Commission Connection for more Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners news.