CCF at the IUCN World Conservation Congress

Booth 326

Meet Dr. Laurie Marker and CCF Staff in attendance to learn more about how CCF is saving the cheetah from extinction.

Featured Events and Sessions

Youth and African Visions Driving Conservation Futures

Monday, October 13 | 13:00–13:45 | IUCN Africa Pavilion

An interactive session highlighting youth leadership and African conservation success stories. CCF’s Dr. Laurie Marker and Stijn Verschueren will share lessons from Namibia and Somaliland, showing how Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) empowers rural communities and safeguards biodiversity.

Learning Zone: Tools for Nature

Saturday, October 11 | 17:30–19:00 | Learning Zone Pavilion
Presenter: Stijn Verschueren

A practical session on applying the IUCN SSC Guidelines for Human-Wildlife Conflict using CCF’s on-the-ground approaches in Africa. Participants will explore scalable strategies that strengthen coexistence and resilience in rangeland communities.

E-Poster Showcase: Building Climate Resilience Through Community-Centered Cheetah Conservation

E-Poster Zone (Screens 5 & 6) | October 9–13
Meet-the-author sessions:

• Thursday, October 9 | 16:00–16:45
• Friday, October 10 | 15:00–15:45
• Saturday, October 11 | 14:00–14:45

Presented by Stijn Verschueren, this digital exhibit explores how CCF integrates science, education, and community programs to build adaptive capacity in the face of climate change.

Virtual Forum

CheetahTV – Making a Beautiful Future for Cheetahs: Art and Conservation in Action

Date: 11 October 2025​
Time: 16:30 – 17:30
​
Note: The date/time subject to change by IUCN in the coming weeks

In this special CheetahTV episode created for the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, Brian Badger from the Cheetah Conservation Fund hosts a unique conversation about the power of art in conservation. Through three inspiring interviews, we explore how creativity can shape awareness, inspire empathy, and build a more hopeful future for cheetahs:

• Anne E. London – celebrated wildlife artist, known for soulful paintings and co-founder of Arts for Animals.
• Jennifer Leigh Warner – award-winning conservation photographer and Chair of the NANPA Ethics Committee.
• Giorgio & Italo Fioravanti – founders of Zawadi, blending African artistry with sustainability and wildlife support.

Special Recognition: The Order of the California Condor

Dr. Laurie Marker will be recognized during the Congress with the Order of the California Condor, honoring her lifetime achievement in species conservation.

The award will be presented at the CCF booth in collaboration with the WILD Foundation (date and time to be announced).

Media and Outreach

Voices of the Congress Interview: Dr. Laurie Marker will appear in IUCN’s official “Voices of the Congress” video series, pledging continued action to keep cheetahs living free and in the wild.

CCF’s IUCN Press Conference

World Conservation Conference Abu Dhabi
Monday, 13 October, at 16:15-16:45 (Abu Dhabi time)

The world’s fastest land animal is running out of time. With fewer than 7,500 cheetahs remaining in the wild – and populations increasingly fragmented and vulnerable – their stronghold is southern Africa, where Namibia has demonstrated that long-term, community-driven conservation works. Over the course of 35 years in Namibia, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) has helped lay the groundwork to maintain that stronghold through practical, scalable solutions rooted in wildlife and land management, education, and livelihood programs.

WHO: Dr. Laurie Marker, Founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), and a pioneer in cheetah ecology and community-based conservation, will share the latest developments in cheetah conservation, as well as unveil proven solutions that are successfully protecting cheetahs, restoring ecosystems, and transforming rural livelihoods in Africa. With more than 40 years of field experience, Dr. Marker has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers, advised governments and international agencies, and established the world’s foremost center for cheetah conservation science. She’s been featured by CNN, BBC, PBS Newshour, ABC News, National Geographic, Discovery, and other global media outlets.

WHAT: Dr. Marker will present the solutions that are currently reducing conflict between people and predators, and enhancing livelihoods through Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM). These approaches aren’t theoretical; they’re built on CCF’s decades of experience in Namibia, where scientific research, community trust, and long-term commitment have been effective strategies in sustaining the world’s largest remaining cheetah population.

Building directly on CCF’s model in Namibia, where more than 85 conservancies have been successfully launched and thousands have been trained, CCF is now bringing these proven strategies to Somaliland in the Horn of Africa. This critical region offers a vital opportunity to curb illegal wildlife trafficking and establish sustainable, community-led conservation efforts from the ground up.

Key components of the Somaliland program include:

• Establishing community-run conservancies
• Training wildlife rangers, educators, and land stewards
• Delivering hands-on instruction in livestock-wildlife coexistence, land management, and conservation planning
• Conducting foundational biodiversity research

WHY: These efforts, with growing support from partners across Africa and the Arab world, are creating new opportunities for stability, sustainability, and leadership in regions long impacted by environmental and economic instability.

Dr. Marker will outline how these integrated programs offer a path forward, for both cheetahs and the communities who share their landscapes. This collaborative approach shows that conservation can be effective, inclusive, and driven by shared vision.

Join the Conversation

Visit our booth, attend our sessions, and discover how over 35 years of CCF’s fieldwork is shaping a new era for cheetah conservation in Africa and beyond.

Learn more at: cheetah.org/iucn2025

Follow the journey: #CCFatIUCN #CheetahConservation #IUCN2025

Event Attendees

Dr. Laurie Marker, Founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, has spent over four decades leading groundbreaking research, community-based programs, and international collaborations to save the cheetah from extinction. From pioneering livestock guarding dog programs in Namibia to an expansion into the Horn of Africa, her work blends science, education, and sustainable development. Through initiatives like the Bushblok habitat restoration project, Future Farmers of Africa training, and global policy advocacy, she has transformed attitudes toward predators, empowered rural communities, and inspired conservation efforts worldwide.

Dr. Laurie Marker
Founder and Executive Director
[email protected]
WhatsApp: +264 81 124 7887

Teresia Robitschko
Executive Assistant to Dr. Laurie Marker
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +49 178 2722347

Beth Shair
Director, Grants & Designated Gifts
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +1 917 804 5998

Stijn Verschueren
Ecologist
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +264 81 696 0139

Shira Yashphe
Director of Wildlife Crime and International Policy
[email protected]
WhatsApp: +971 54-570-4959