Dr. Laurie Marker, Founder of Cheetah Conservation Fund is in Portland, Oregon Sunday, October 6, 2013 at the Oregon Zoo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Liz Georges, Communications Coordinator, liz@cheetah.org
Teresa Delaney, CCF Trustee Emeritus, teresa@cheetah.org, (503)- 515-6061

Dr. Laurie Marker, Founder of Cheetah Conservation Fund is in Portland, Oregon Sunday, October 6, 2013 at the Oregon Zoo
Dr. Marker, a TEDxPortland speaker, is Keynote Speaker at Big Cat. Big Party. Fundraiser

Dr. Marker will be accompanied by Khayam, a live Cheetah Ambassador From Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon September 16, 2013(PORTLAND, OR) — Please mark your calendars and join Dr. Laurie Marker on Sunday, October 6, 2013 at the Oregon Zoo for the 13th annual “Big Cat. Big Party.” dinner and auction.

Khayam, a beautiful cheetah ambassador from Wildlife Safari, located in Winston, Oregon, will accompany Dr. Marker. Marker began her career working with cheetahs in Oregon in the mid 1970s, and still considers Oregon her home in the United States. Dr. Marker was a popular speaker from the TEDxPortland event earlier this year in April. Tickets are still available at the special rate of $125 prior to September 20th $150 if purchased afterwards subject to availability.

To arrange an interview with Dr. Marker, contact Teresa Delaney: Teresa@cheetah.org, 503-515-6061

Marker founded Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Namibia (southern Africa) in 1990. CCF is the global leader in research and conservation of cheetahs. CCF is dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. Marker, an American biologist, is considered the global expert on cheetah biology, ecology and conservation. Marker spent her early years working with cheetahs at Wildlife Safari, in Winston, Oregon. It was there that Laurie decided to dedicate her life to saving the world’s fastest land animal.

Dr. Marker’s innovative approach to endangered species’ conservation addresses all parts of the cheetah’s ecosystem, including human populations, and challenges traditional ideas about the interplay between conservation and economic development. “Cheetahs generally don’t live in protected areas. They live side by side with human communities. If you work to secure the livelihoods of the farmers living alongside the cheetah, you can secure a future for the cheetah as a species as well. Humans and large predators can live and thrive together, and our programming demonstrates that,” says Dr. Marker.

Dr. Marker pioneered the use of livestock guarding dogs in Africa, breeding and training Anatolian shepherd and Kangal dogs to protect local herds so that farmers are not threatened by the presence of cheetahs on their land. CCF has placed over 450 dogs since 1994, with about 150 dogs in service at any given time. Farmers who use a CCF dog to guard their livestock report a drop in predation rate of anywhere between 80 to 100 percent, and these farmers now are far less likely to kill or trap cheetah on their lands.

Dr. Marker also created Bushblok, a low-emission, high-efficiency fuel log made from processed thornbush. Namibia’s farmlands are choked with thornbush, which not only reduces the available range lands for cheetahs, but the potential farmlands for Namibians. Dr. Marker’s work with Bushblok received the Tech Museum’s Intel Prize for the Environment in 2008. This short video was produced for the winners of the 2008 Tech Award, and gives a great overview of this program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGLpRXUMhKc.

From humble beginnings interviewing local farmers for field research, Dr. Marker has built an impressive International Field Research and Education Centre that comprises 100,000 acres, a vet clinic, genetics lab, model farm with goats, sheep and cows, livestock guarding dogs, and approximately 50 orphaned or injured cheetahs.

Dr. Laurie Marker is a recipient of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, The Tech Museum’s Intel Environmental Prize, is a two-time finalist for the prestigious Indianapolis Prize and has been renominated this year. She was named a Hero for the Planet by Time magazine and has been featured in Smithsonian magazine as well as on numerous television shows, including The Tonight Show, Good Morning America and the Today Show.

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.