Bringing the Natural World into Focus

Learning about land, water, and wildlife is the first step to wanting to protect it. That’s the premise of One Cubic Foot, a conservation project celebrating 10 years at the Seneca Park Zoo that looks at how much biodiversity is contained in an area the size of a toaster. 

If you were to study the Genesee River from its banks, you might spot few signs of life with the naked eye: a heron on the wing or the shadow of a fish. Through the One Cubic Foot project, more than 100 different species can be observed crawling, wriggling, or swimming just beneath the surface. 

Through a grant from the David and Grace Strong Family Fund, the Seneca Park Zoo shared One Cubic Foot with 600 students across Monroe County. Zoo educators guided students through hands-on experiments at local R-centers, using the cubes as frames for exploring the variety of life in nearby gardens, tree groves, and city parks. To expand this work further, the zoo trained local teachers to lead classroom projects using methods developed by Smithsonian scientists.

David Strong was a Xerox engineer for 39 years and served as director of the Western New York chapter of the Nature Conservancy in the 1970s. Grace Strong worked in healthcare, led hikes for school children, and had a knack for identifying native wildflowers. They volunteered with organizations that preserve local lands and make Rochester a pleasant place to live. Birding, canoeing, and caring for the environment were joint passions throughout 57 years of marriage.

David and Grace’s love of nature was passed on through family time: canoe trips in the Adirondacks, birdwatching, good-natured cattail battles, and much more. “It was just being outdoors and loving it,” says David.

All three of the Strong children went on to have careers related to the environment. “If you asked them, they’d say we were their role models,” David says plainly. Their eldest child taught environmental science in Vermont. Their middle son is a retired microbiologist for a water treatment facility in Oregon. The youngest works with North Carolina State Parks.

David called his microbiologist son to tell him about the One Cubic Foot project, a conversation alive with mutual enthusiasm. The family’s philanthropy connects to old memories, while also building new ones. With grantmaking entrusted to the Foundation’s staff, the David and Grace Strong Fund will forever celebrate Grace’s caring nature while creating opportunities for others to experience the joy of the outdoors that was so meaningful to their family.

Your values can shape your community for generations. If you’d like to explore what that could look like, we’d love to talk — 585-341-4352 or giving@racf.org.