Dr Laurie Marker of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Namibia, will be visiting the University of Kent on 10-11 February.<\/p>\n
As co-founder and director of a leading carnivore conservation NGO, she has extensive experience in cheetah ecology, veterinary studies, genetics, human-wildlife conflict, and creating alternative livelihoods that are less damaging towards the cheetah.\u00a0 Dr Marker will be giving an afternoon talk to staff and students at Kent’s School of\u00a0Anthropology and Conservation\u00a0on 10 February (time and location TBC).<\/p>\n
Dr Marker\u00a0won the Tyler Prize for her initiative to make a business out of cutting invasive bush in Namibia and turning it into eco-friendly fuel logs, which not only provides jobs to previously disadvantaged people, but also improves habitat for cheetahs.\u00a0 One particular area of interest\u00a0for\u00a0Dr Marker\u00a0is making predator-friendly farms\u00a0which do not kill cheetahs, and arguing that they\u00a0be paid a price premium through eco-certification.\u00a0 For more info see here<\/a>.\u00a0 She has also\u00a0teamed up with Certified Wildlife Friendly in the US to certify the goat cheese made at CCF.\u00a0 The goats are kept at the facility firstly to teach farmers how to look after goats effectively, especially in areas shared with cheetahs, but also to raise livestock-guarding dogs –\u00a0large dogs kept with small livestock to protect them from predators.\u00a0 For more information see here<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more information, please contact Niki Rust at nr208@kent.ac.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"