Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) Joins Forces with DNA on a Shirt™: CCF Uses Genetic Art to Help Raise Awareness for Cheetah Conservation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Liz Georges, Communications Coordinator, liz@cheetah.org
Cooper Nelson, Marketing Manager, cooper.dnaonashirt@gmail.com, (480) 323-6453

Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) Joins Forces with DNA on a Shirt™: CCF Uses Genetic Art to Help Raise Awareness for Cheetah Conservation

July 17, 2013 (OTJIWARONGO, Namibia) — The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) has teamed up with Phoenix-based genetic art company DNA on a SHIRT (DOAS) to create art pieces featuring the cheetah’s DNA. The genetic art pieces – including T-shirts and wallable™ art panels – spotlight the cheetah’s unique genetic profile, its race against extinction, and its connection to man and to other cats.

The art pieces will be sold through the DNA on a SHIRT website with a portion of the proceeds going the Cheetah Conservation Fund to aid cheetah conservation. DOAS has also launched an indiegogo campaign to finance its visit to CCF’s International Research and Education Centre to collect the DNA samples.

“We’re very excited to be working with DNA on a SHIRT for their big cat conservation series. The cheetah is in a race against extinction, and every opportunity we get to tell the cheetah’s story is important. Our hope is that the intriguing design of these products will inspire people to learn more about the cheetah and CCF’s research and conservation efforts,” said Dr. Laurie Marker, Founder and Executive Director for the Cheetah Conservation Fund. “It was really important to us to partner with a company that was going to do more than just use our logo. We wanted to work with someone who would tell the cheetah’s story. For us this isn’t just a licensing deal – it’s outreach.”

The shirts will display the iconic DNA fingerprint of the cheetah along with a silhouetted image of the big cat on the front. The back of the shirt features a narrative panel on the middle that tells the story of the cheetah’s plight and highlights the status of the species in the wild. The back of the shirt also features a DNA comparative badge that graphically displays the cheetah’s connection to all life through DNA.

Cheetah Conservation Fund supporters will receive exclusive campaign updates and early access to DNA on a SHIRT products.
Founded in Namibia (Africa) in 1990, Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is the global leader in research and conservation of cheetahs. CCF is dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. CCF’s Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Laurie Marker, an American biologist, is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on cheetah biology, ecology and conservation and has developed CCF’s conservation strategy, which has contributed to increasing the wild cheetah population in Namibia by ~50%.

CCF’s long-term studies analyse and monitor the factors affecting the cheetah’s survival in the wild, and results are used to develop conservation policies and education programmes that have reached over 300,000 people. CCF is a registered non profit in Namibia, Canada, UK and the US, where it is listed as a “Four Star Charity” by Charity Navigator, which recognises sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. People can learn more about CCF or make a donation to the organisation by visiting www.cheetah.org.

DNA on a SHIRT is a Phoenix-based genetic art company specialising in art pieces featuring the DNA fingerprints of people, their pets, plants and zoological animals. The company was created in 2011 by genetic artist and science enthusiast Darrin Grandmason. The mission behind DOAS is to spread education and engagement through the use of visually-appealing artwork that sows life connection through DNA and impacts the way we interact.