The Leslie E. Tassell Avicultural Foundation

For more information on the scholarship/grant program please contact:

APWS Leslie E. Tassell Avicultural Foundation
Bernie Jager, APWS Tassell Foundation Founding Chair

For Information, to Donate or to Apply Contact:

Blake Rossow, Chair

49568  870th Street, Lakefield, MN 56150

Email: rossoge@icloud.com

August 1st  is the Application Deadline

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For Donations to the Leslie E. Tassell Fund – Make checks payable to:

Leslie E. Tassell Avicultural Foundation

Mail to:

APWS Leslie E. Tassell Avicultural Foundation

C/o Blake Rossow, Chair

49568  870th Street, Lakefield, MN 56150

 

The Story of How It All Began…

 

The Foundation was established in October, 2000, with a generous donation from Mr. Leslie E. Tassell, a retired businessman from Grand Rapids, Michigan. At their annual meeting, the Board of Directors approved a motion that only the interest from the fund be used for projects such as protecting endangered species, establishing breeding centers, legislative issues, or other avicultural projects. A committee was appointed to oversee the fund. Members of the committee were Bernie Jager, chairman; Bev Ure, Lloyd Ure, and Don Bruning as of 2020. Bernie Jager continues as chairman of the APWS committee overseeing the Leslie E. Tassell Avicultural Foundation. New members of the committee added as of 2020 are: Blake and Gloria Rossow.

Mr. Tassell was born February 2, 1908, in London, England. At the age of 6, his family moved to Canada. As a young man, he moved to Grand Rapids and soon owned a tool and dye company. Mr. Tassell loved animals and had zebras, camels, donkeys, and his favorite peafowl until the day he died – March 19, 2004, at the age of 96.

Since 2001, the Leslie E. Tassell Avicultural Foundation has awarded more than $16,850.00 in Scholarships and Grants. A small or large donation to the Leslie E. Tassell Avicultural Foundation will help insure the freedom of Aviculture for those interested in conservation, propagation, and raising endangered species in captivity. This can be done through research and the education of our young people. We hope individuals, local, and state clubs will join us in this endeavor.

Together we can make a difference.

 

Because of the generosity of Mr. Tassell, APWS has been able to fund these projects:

  • 2022 –
  • 2021 –
  • 2020 –
  • 2019 – $1000 grant was awarded to Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy.
  • 2019 – $500 donation made to Giraffe Ranch, Dade City, FL for their conservation efforts .
  • 2019 – $150 donation made to Back to Nature Refuge, Orlando, FL to help    with their rehabilitation efforts.
  • 2018 – $250.00 donation was sent to Chouette-a-Voir, Refuge for injured Birds of Prey, Saint-Jude Canada
  • 2018 – $1000.00 grant was sent to the Future of Waterfowl Conservation Workshop held at Sylvan Heights Bird Park in North Carolina
  • 2016 – $1000.00 grant was sent to Nick Tibero at the Livingston Ripley Conservancy for the study of wood ducks
  • 2016 – $1000.00 grant was sent to the Future of Waterfowl Conservation Workshop held at Sylvan Heights Bird Park in North Carolina and to Nick Tiberio to study the incubation temperature of Wood Ducks
  • 2015   $500.00 grant was sent to Destry Potter for internship at the Toledo Zoo
  • 2015 – $600.00 grant was sent to Aviornis International VZW, a Belgian Avicultural group for a study of the pheasants of the world
  • 2015 – $500.00 grant was sent to Jack Eitniear for a West Indies Whistling Duck Project
  • 2014 – $700.00 grant to fund Destry Potter’s internship at the Toledo Zoo.
  • 2013 – $500.00 grants were made to Pinola Preserve and the Livingston Ripley Conservancy to sponsor avicultural interns.
  • 2012- $500.00 grant was made to Pinola Preserve to sponsor interns, young people who would be work with the curator and learn about caring for various birds.
  • 2012 – $750.00 grant was made to the Livingston Ripley Conservancy to sponsor interns to work with the waterfowl under the Director of the Livingston Ripley Conservancy.
  • 2011 – $500.00 grant was made to St. Thomas the Apostle Blessed Teresa’s Garden, a classroom project to teach young people the joys of gardening and sharing their produce with the less fortunate.
  • 2010 – $500.00 grant was made to Holly Herdman who worked at LRWC and who will attend Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, NC.
  • 2010 – $500.00 grant was made to the Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy for two interns.
  • 2009 – $500.00 grant was sent to the Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy to sponsor two interns.
  • 2009 – $500.00 grant was made to the Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservatory to help with the construction of the Sea Duck Facility. This is an excellent place to train young people in Aviculture.
  • 2008 – $1000.00 grant was made to Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park and Eco-Center for a matching fund to operate the Park.
  • 2007 – $500.00 grant was made to Tom Condon for his research on Galliform Indian Red Junglefowl in the vicinity of northeast India and Nepal with emphasis on the genetic status of wild birds, regarding the level of feral and domestic influence.
  • 2006 – $500.00 grant was made to Krissy Bush to continue her genetic work with Sage Grouse and Sharp-tailed Grouse.
  • 2005 – $500.00 grant was made to Sylvan Heights Waterfowl to help cover costs of the waterfowl internship program.
  • 2005 – $500.00 grant was made to the Sylvan Heights Eco-Center at Scotland Neck, North Carolina, which opened in 2006.
  • 2004 – $400.00 grant was made to Matt Scarr for his trip to India to study the Tragopan Pheasants in the wild.
  • 2003 – $1000.00 grant was made to the Wildlife Conservation Society (Bronx Zoo) to cover the costs of radio transmitters to track Peacock Pheasants which were reintroduced to their habitat in Malaysia.
  • 2002 – $1000.00 grant was sent to Jeffrey J. Thompson to study Tinamou in South America.
  • 2002 – $500.00 grant was sent to Krissy Bush to study the Sage Grouse in southeastern Alberta, Canada.
  • 2001 – $500.00 grant was sent to Wetlands International to help fund the work being done by Emmanuel Williams to study the West African Crown Crane in West Africa.