Cheetah Expert Dr. Laurie Marker at the Seymour Marine Center with photographer Frans Lanting, Filmmaker Christine Eckstrom on May 16th at 7pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Liz Georges, Communications Coordinator, liz@cheetah.org

Cheetah Expert Dr. Laurie Marker at the Seymour Marine Center with photographer Frans Lanting, Filmmaker Christine Eckstrom on May 16th at 7pm

April 18, 2013 (Alexandria, VA) – Santa Cruz area residents will have a unique opportunity to meet the leading expert on cheetahs, as well as two of the world’s most noted individuals who commit images of wildlife to film. Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is proud to present its Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Laurie Marker, at a lecture event at the Seymour Marine Center on May 16th at 7pm. Dr. Marker will be joined by National Geographic Photographer-in-Residence, Frans Lanting, and filmmaker Christine Eckstrom, both of whom have shot film at CCF’s facility in Namibia, Africa, and maintain their home base in Santa Cruz. Dr. Marker will also be joined by a Kangal dog named Toulouse, who is attending the event courtesy of Taylor Ranch in Clovis, California. Kangal dogs are one of the breeds used by CCF to help protect livestock herds and save cheetahs.

The event will begin at 7pm at the Seymour Marine Center located at100 Shaffer Rd. Santa Cruz, CA. Tickets are $25 per person. All proceeds from the event will benefit CCF, and $15 of the purchase price will be tax-deductible. Tickets are available through the CCF website at www.cheetah.org.

CCF’s conservation operations are headquartered in Namibia, which has the largest portion of the world’s 10,000 remaining cheetahs. CCF’s programs include its celebrated Livestock Guarding Dog Programme, which reduces human-animal conflict by providing local farmers with Anatolian shepherd and Kangal dogs as an alternative way to protect their livestock and livelihood from predation. Dr. Marker is a frequent visitor to Santa Cruz, as her parents, Ralph and Marline Bushey, have lived in the area for nearly 40 years. CCF USA trustee Robert Ludlow, Jr., also lives and works here.

Dr. Marker will be available for in-person appearances and interviews on May 16th. Phone interviews may be arranged on other dates. Please contact CCF Communications Coordinator, Liz Georges at liz@cheetah.org to schedule an interview.

Dr. Laurie Marker is an American scientist, widely recognized as the leading expert on the cheetah. She moved to Namibia to found Cheetah Conservation Fund over 20 years ago. A graduate of Leland High School in Almaden, CA, she is a recipient of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, the Tech Museum’s Intel Environmental Prize, and a two-time finalist for the Indianapolis Prize. She was named a Hero for the Planet by Time magazine, has been featured in Smithsonian magazine and on numerous television shows, including The Tonight Show, Good Morning America and the Today Show.

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 conservation strategy has contributed to increasing the wild cheetah population in Namibia by ~50%. CCF’s long-term studies analyze and monitor the factors affecting the cheetah’s survival in the wild, and results are used to develop conservation policies and education programs 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 recognizes sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. People can learn more about CCF or make a donation to the organization by visiting www.cheetah.org.