Rock is absolutely privileged to call Borderlands Research Institute one of its clients, for among BRI's many other inspirational endeavors is their committment to furthering wildlife restoration. The following article tells how BRI was one of the coordinators for the Trans-Pecos pronghorn release. How excited we are to be working with such great folks in Texas, and to be along for the ride as this event was taking place!
|
|
|
SCI and SCI Foundation to Represent Hunters at CITES
International Conference Will Influence Wildlife Conservation
For Immediate Release: February 26, 2013 Washington, DC – Safari Club International (SCI) and Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation) and will represent hunter-conservationists during the 16th Conference of the Parties (CoP) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The 16th CoP takes place in Bangkok, Thailand March 3-14, and may be the most influential event that will shape international wildlife conservation objectives for the next 3 years. “Our organizations are leaders in wildlife conservation who represent the hunter-conservationist at the world level,” said Joe Hosmer, President and SCI Foundation delegate. “For decades now, SCI and SCI Foundation have been working with countries to develop science-based wildlife management goals that benefit overall wildlife population health and sustainability of rural economies.” CITES is a treaty among 177 countries that ensures cross-border trade in animals and plants does not harm individual species. SCI Foundation and SCI attend as international non-governmental organizations, and work with delegates from various countries to ensure that major trade decisions are based on sound science rather than politics and emotion. “High profile policy issues such as the potential up-listing of polar bear will be exploited by animal-welfare organizations that ignore substantive science in their lobbying,” stated John Whipple, President of Safari Club International. “The range nations for polar bear — Canada, Norway, and Denmark which represents Greenland — and the CITES secretariat oppose the proposal for up-listing because it lacks a scientific justification. The animal welfare organizations have little interest in science; choosing to only advocate for their parochial political motivations.” “SCI Foundation, in cooperation with Safari Club International, developed a comprehensive voting guide on all the policy recommendations being considered at the 16th CoP. We hope that every international conservationist will seek the counsel of the accomplished advisors who developed our materials for this incredibly important conference on wildlife conservation,” concluded Hosmer. Find SCI Foundations positions on issues at www.safariclubfoundation.org/CITES. Like SCI Foundation on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SCIFOUNDATIONCONSERVATION Join SCI Foundation on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SCIFoundation Learn more today at http://FirstForWildlife.wordpress.com
Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that funds and manages worldwide programs dedicated to wildlife conservation, and outdoor education. Since 2000, SCIF has provided over $50 million to these causes around the world. Visit the SCI Foundation’s new website at www.safariclubfoundation.org for more information on how you can contribute to international conservation. Contact: Nelson Freeman, Media@safariclub.org |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 10, 2013
Tucson, Ariz. – Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation) will recognize the amazing achievements of Doug Bermel and Brad Garfield on Jan. 25, 2013 in Reno, Nev. These inspirational sportsmen will be honored as the 2013 SCI Foundation Pathfinders in recognition of their outstanding achievements.
“It is an honor and a privilege for SCI Foundation to confer this recognition upon extraordinary sportsmen like Doug and Brad,” said SCI Foundation President Joe Hosmer. “All sportsmen and women should be proud of these two men for their outstanding personal achievements in the face of such daunting life-challenges.”
SCI Foundation coordinates world-class hunting safaris for the annual recipients of this recognition. The Pathfinder is presented to individuals who are faced with overcoming a physical challenge or disability that is otherwise capable of interfering with a routine way through life; he or she must discover previously unexplored regions of self-esteem, self-worth, courage, persistence, and determination. The recipient is someone who has a “never quit” attitude and who is recognized as an ambassador for other “pathfinders” seeking leadership when faced with similar challenges.
“Please join us in Reno, Nevada on January 25th where we will recognize both Doug and Brad,” concluded Hosmer.
Doug and Brad will be recognized at SCI’s 41st Annual Hunters’ Convention in Reno, Nevada on January 25, 2013. If you are interested in attending the convention, please visit ww.showsci.org.
More about Doug Bermel:
At the age of 27, Doug Bermel was diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy [ALD] which is a progressive heredity disease with symptoms similar to Multiple Sclerosis. As the disease progressed, Doug switched to using a crossbow and adapted his hunting style to accommodate the disability and weather conditions. Doug became the 2001 NRA Beeman Shooting Champion after a 14-city tour in the US and Canada, acquiring 10 gold medals and qualifying for the World Championship in Korea. He is the former Disabled Shooting Coordinator for the Archery Trade Association and a retired United States Paralympics Shooting Team Member, competing in Germany, France, Holland, Italy and Canada. Doug represented the US in two World Championships: Korea 2002 and Switzerland 2006. Doug’s current activities include writing a monthly column for Bowhunter.net, serving as President of TIP (Turn in Poachers), a board member with Minnesota Bowhunters Incorporated, a Disabled Coordinator with the International Bowfishing Association, and serving as the President and co-founder of Minnesota Broken Wing since 1992. Doug remains active with Physically Challenged Bowhunter of America and has been a Minnesota Firearm Safety Instructor for 31 years. He is also the Past President of Capable Partners (CP), an organization that matches a disabled person with an abled body person in specialized hunting and fishing events.
More about Brad Garfield:
In May of 2005, Brad Garfield was medevac’d from Iraq when an IED he was attempting to neutralize detonated. After a very long recovery period, and numerous surgeries, Brad was able to complete the remainder of his 30 year career in a non-deployable assignment at Quantico, Virginia. He subsequently retired as only the fourth Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CWO5) in the history of the Marine Corps’ Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) field. Brad received the Marine Corps Engineer Association’s EOD Officer of the Year award 5 times. His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Purple Heart, The Navy Marine Corps Commendation medal (with “V” and two gold stars), the Army Commendation medal, the Navy Marine Corps Achievement medal (with gold star), the Army Achievement medal, The Combat Action ribbon (with two gold stars), the Marine Corps Expeditionary medal, the Humanitarian Service medal (with bronze star), the Outstanding Volunteer Service medal (with bronze star), and the Marine Security Guard ribbon. Brad earned a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Webster University. He is involved with many wounded warrior support organizations including Patriots and Heroes Outdoors, Idaho ‘N’ Heroes Outdoors, Hunts for Healing, Safari Club International (Former Co-Chair of the Humanitarian Services Committee, Chesapeake Chapter), Paralyzed Veterans of America, LEEK Hunting and Mountain Preserve, and Chappy’s Outdoors (VP of Operations), to name a few. Brad loves to hunt and has traveled the world harvesting animals with all manner of tackle including, rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, flintlock, compound bow and crossbow. His passion is hunting and giving back to those who have given so much in the service of their country.
MEDIA CONTACT: Nelson Freeman; Nfreeman@safariclub.org
- SCIF -
Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that funds and manages worldwide programs dedicated to wildlife conservation, outdoor education, and humanitarian services including such programs as Sportsmen Against Hunger, Sensory Safari, Safari Care, Disabled Hunter, the American Wilderness Leadership School, Becoming an Outdoors Woman & More and Youth Education Seminars (YES) Outdoors. Since 2000, SCIF has provided over $50 million to these causes around the world. Call 877-877-3265 or visitwww.safariclubfoundation.org for more information.
###
I wanted to share with you a special story, it was unsolicited and unexpected. Below is written by Andrea Nicole Spruill, from San Antonio, Texas.
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ~Anne Frank
My father, Bill Spruill, died tragically of a heart attack in May of 2009, when I was 14 years old.
The Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) and partners are working to advance sound, science-based management of wildlife resources worldwide. SCI Foundation’s Conservation Committee invites you to attend our wildlife conservation-related seminars at the 2013 Safari Club International Convention featuring North American, African and Asian species. Learn about new ways international hunters are contributing to science-based conservation worldwide. Check out the topics below, spread the word and then drop by and join the discussion! See you in Reno!
Catching up with Joe Hosmer wasn’t easy. His e-mail auto message said that he was in the field–that could mean any place in the world. Finally, he texted back that he was “chasing dogs that were chasing pheasants in South Dakota,” but would get back soon. At least he was on the same continent.
When we did connect, Joe first sent me pictures of his Gordon setters, which are almost like extensions of his soul. This is a man who deeply loves hunting dogs and hunting in general, and now, after retiring from a very successful career running an executive search business, he is President of Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation), guiding something very new, special and sorely needed by the hunting community.
He explains the difference between Safari Club International (SCI) and Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation) as: “SCI is ‘First For Hunters,’ while the SCI Foundation is ‘First For Wildlife.’ The Foundation oversees Sustainable Wildlife Conservation and Wildlife Education. The Foundation also is a proud supporter of SCI Humanitarian Services and the Wildlife Museum, in Tucson, Arizona. In all this realignment the Foundation is now guided by its own separate, 15-member Board of Directors, for which I serve as its President. The Foundation funds and manages worldwide programs dedicated to wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian services. It provides the scientific backing of sound wildlife research allowing for pro-hunting regulations and policies to move forward for all sportsmen and women to benefit. We have been charged to independently grow the SCI Foundation and become the foremost wildlife Foundation within the global hunting community. SCI Foundation’s directors are is ready to expand the brand of First For Wildlife to the far corners of the hunting community in support of sustainable use.”
How does one get to do what Joe Hosmer does? Joe Hosmer grew up in rural southern Vermont on a farm that raised standard-bred racehorses and Springer Spaniel grouse hunting dogs. For sure, hunting definitely is in his blood. I asked him about how he got started and Joe spun a good yarn about his first deer.
“Unlike many horse farms in Vermont, ours was not a manicured showplace,” Joe says. “It was simply a well maintained and comfortable piece of ground we all loved. We cut our own hay, maintained a small apple orchard and mucked out our own stalls. The name of our farm was Birchcrest Farm Stables. It was so named for the ridgeline that was covered with white birch trees which served as the backdrop of our house and barns.”
On the farm, hunting was a way of life. “We harvested deer and grouse just as we would pick apples or wild strawberries. Hunting deer, however, was a special event. It was, and probably still is, a social time for hunters that started in early November and culminated on Thanksgiving weekend.
“Our family had a deer camp a couple of towns over in a place called ‘Popple Dungeon’. The area was named for the quaking aspen trees that grew so thickly in the area that the woods always seemed dark, due to the shade from the leaf cover and being in a deep valley. It was, by Vermont standards, big country.
“Our deer camp was an old house trailer with a rough porch and mudroom tacked onto the front. My father was involved in the telephone construction business and would use deer season as an excuse to bring his clients into the social mix as a way of thanking them for using his construction crews. Probably not a politically correct gesture these days, but it the 50s and 60s it was what it was.
“Eventually our deer camp caught the attention of several outdoor writers who were friends of friends. They would even join us for a few days and we would marvel at how our little camp had made the sports section of the New York Times. Lee Wolfe, Jack Carlin and others became family regulars during deer season.
“One year, while I was still in grade school, I was taken out of class on a Thursday so I could be with the ‘men’ in Popple Dungeon for Friday and Saturday. My first deer rifle was an old 44-40 Winchester lever action. The bluing had worn off of it so it almost shined from all the wear. I proudly carried my .44-40 while sneaking through the woods and spending hours atop huge boulders, just waiting for an unsuspecting whitetail buck to pass through my domain. I was always assigned to one of the men so I wouldn’t wander too far astray. I thought this practice was ridiculous since I would travel these woods in the summertime on a regular solo basis, only accompanied by a dog or two.
“My first weekend at deer camp was a rite of passage unto itself. I was now one of the guys. I could spit, drink coffee, hear dirty jokes, and not shower, all without getting ‘spoken-to’! What a wonderful place to be!
“Well, my first weekend came and went and the Vermont deer herd was never bothered by our presence. Mom came on Sunday and dropped off a box of food and supplies for the hunters and picked me up to go home. There is no Sunday hunting in Vermont and it was a day to resupply and say good-bye to some guests and welcome newcomers.
“Monday morning came and I got up early and did my chores of feeding and watering the horses. We kept a few horses in what we called the south pasture, which was a short walk to the gate from the back of the barn. I would fill a couple buckets, one with oats and the other with sweet feed, lug them down to our homemade feeding troths, call in the horses and make sure they were all okay.
“I got about half way down to the gate when I noticed a buck chasing a doe through the orchard, several hundred yards away. I set my feed buckets down and sneaked back to the barn. Once out of sight of the deer, I bolted to the house. I yelled some headlines to my mother as I grabbed my .44-40 and reversed my route. Once in the barn I climbed to the hayloft where I could get a better view of the orchard. I peeked out the loft door and confirmed that the buck was still there.
“Scooting back down the loft ladder and out to the opposite side of the barn from the deer I made a plan. I slipped up along a low spot of land out of sight from the deer. I would occasionally crawl up to a point where I could peer over and see the deer, as I had to reassure myself that they were still there. Finally, when I thought I was close enough, I lined up the open sights on the huge buck and let loose with the old .44-40. I don’t know if I connected with that first shot or not, as I just kept shooting until the deer wasn’t moving anymore. I sure didn’t want to lose him!
“As I approached him he seemed like the biggest deer ever (whereas in hindsight, my monster buck was a rather young and small, eight-pointer).
“Now, as dad would say, ‘the work begins.’ I had never field dressed a deer before, but had seen it done in my young past once. Unsure of myself, I ran home and told mom of my victory and of my dilemma. It was now too late to catch my bus for school and the horses in the south pasture had still not been fed. Mom, unafraid of anything, still knew her limits and field cleaning a deer was not in her basket of skills. Dad was still at deer camp with no telephone and I was willing to try, but there was clearly hesitation. Mom sent me out to finish my chores and give her a chance to come up with a solution. I was done in record time and back in the house awaiting her decision.
“Soon a car arrived in our yard and it was mom’s friend and my school nurse, Cherry Bleakney. Grabbing everything we thought we would need, I led mom and Cherry to the orchard where my deer laid. I remember that I was so relieved to see him still there as I was sure he would regain life somehow and run off. Cherry was a longtime friend of the family and a hardy lady of New Brunswick origin; a hunter in her own right.
“Between the three of us we took care of a very shot-up deer. We hung it in the barn and Cherry drove me to school, after a quick shower and change of clothes. We dealt with getting some tenderloin off the deer and after school mom and I drove to Popple Dungeon to give it to dad. Since there was no phone at deer camp, our arrival was quite a surprise and delight to everyone. We all had a few bites of tenderloin from the cast-iron frying pan and I reveled in my fifteen minutes of fame as a big game hunter. I think mom and dad were pretty proud of their eight-year old grade-schooler, too.
“His hunting buddies, of course, kidded dad, that the women and children of the Hosmer family were the real hunters. That was the only deer taken by our family and friends that year, which made it even more special.”
From his start as an eight-year-old Vermont deer hunter, Joe became the founder and former CEO of Mountain Ltd., a Maine-based global engineering and technical search firm. The business, which boasts over 500 professional specialists, specializes in business staffing, telecommunications engineering solutions, remote area expertise, extensive third world and LDC experience, high-end headhunting, for-profit and not-for-profit business development.
Joe still dabbles in business consulting, when not working with the SCI Foundation (which is like a full-time job), and squeezing in as much hunting as he can. To give you a feel for his schedule,according to Joe’s blog, this has been his schedule for the last couple months: July 17 in Maine for the summer, August 3 in Dallas conducting interviews, August 22 in Jackson Hole for SCI Foundation Board meeting, September 14 in Botswana for African Wildlife Consultative Forum, October 1 in Maine for grouse and woodcock season, October 17 in Texas, and October 24 in South Dakota for pheasant hunting.
Joe assures me that he has plenty of time for other recreation, too. When hunting season ends, and he is home, you may find him riding the backroads of the Texas Hill Country on an Adventure motorcycle or driving a Russian-built sidecar.
When he was recently inducted into the Telephone Hall of Fame, Joe was described as an adventurer, who happens to also be a remote/international/arctic traveler; big game and upland bird hunter; former professional motorcycle road racer and competitive Land Rover enthusiast; published photographer and technical rock climbing instructor; who also happened to build and run corporations and serve on many corporate and public service Boards of Directors, who has no more spare time and is flunking retirement!
As a world-wide ambassador for hunting, I asked Joe what he felt needed to be done to save hunting. Reflecting on the future of hunting, Joe, who recently appeared on a national television show talking about “how green hunting is,” says, “we hunters are often our own worst enemies. The different factions of hunters fighting among ourselves-different groups, different kinds of hunting-is self-destructive.
“We should be uniting to get that positive image of hunting out to that 80% of the population that sits between the anti-hunters and the pro-hunters and votes. We will never change the antis, so why spin our wheels fighting them when we could be building positive alliances and support to keep hunting going and conserve wildlife for future generations?”
As President of the SCI Foundation, Joe Hosmer is in a unique position to make a major contribution to developing educational programs that can help save hunting and the web of life that supports wild game. He said that he’s currently hunting for corporate sponsors and philanthropists to help the SCI Foundation really take off. If you’d like to lend a hand, you can contact him via the Foundation offices.
Written by: James Swan, Ph.D.
Co-Executive Producer, “Wild Justice,” Nat. Geo. Channel
& CEO, Snow Goose Productions
Original post: http://www.outdoorhub.com/stories/joe-hosmer-sci-foundation-president-and-hunting-ambassador-to-the-world/
Bob Benson (right) and Joe Hosmer, SCIF President (left) stand at Jackson Hole, Wyoming at the SCIF American Wilderness Leadership School property.
With experience from a large list of prestigious conservation associations under his belt, Bob Benson is taking on another challenge as the Executive Director for the Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF).
First off, what is the difference between the SCIF and Safari Club International (SCI)? In the words of the new executive director himself, “as SCI advocates, lobbies, and fights to keep hunters afield, the SCI Foundation provides the scientific backing of sound wildlife research allowing for pro-hunting regulations and policies to move forward for all sportsmen and women to benefit.”
Benson was born and raised in Grove City, Pennsylvania where he hunted whitetail deer and ruffed grouse on farms and the “big woods” of the Allegheny National Forest with his father and friends. That laid the foundations of his passion for the hunting lifestyle. In 1993, he moved to Austin, Texas to began his conservation career with Bat Conservation International. He has also spent time in Germantown, Tennessee working for Ducks Unlimited.
Read Outdoor Hub’s exclusive interview with Bob Benson below to find out more about his other hobbies, his partnership initiatives with African conservation organizations and his goal of global sustainable-use programs.
Outdoor Hub: What is your background?
Bob Benson: I have a B.S. in Communication from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, with nearly 20-years of wildlife conservation experience. I’ve had a variety of positions with four well respected conservation organizations with special foci on management, leadership, development and communication work.
OH: Can you elaborate on your experience in wildlife conservation and your role at SCIF?
BB: Throughout my career I have worked to improve a wide array of habitat conservation efforts. With previous conservation organizations I have focused on bats, waterfowl, colonial waterbirds, and game birds. I have been charged to raise the financial resources necessary for all the SCI Foundation’s programs, science-based conservation, wildlife education and humanitarian efforts.
SCI Foundation’s directors are ready to expand the brand of First for Wildlife to the far corners of the hunting community, and with my experience I know I can bring consistent growth to an already large and diverse conservation organization.
OH: Outside of the organization, what are some of your pastimes/hobbies?
BB: I have a serious passion for many, many types of outdoor recreation; hunting and fishing are my true passions and are a serious reason why I moved to Texas for my career. I also enjoy hiking, mountain biking, boating, and kayaking – or as you can tell, nearly anything outdoors. My wife and I also have three golden retrievers, and they seem to enjoy the outdoors about as much as I do!
OH: What are your personal conservation beliefs and goals?
BB: I believe that the U.S.-based North American Model for Wildlife Conservation is the preeminent system for wildlife management in the world. Through the years, the SCI Foundation has worked with partner countries in southern Africa to develop a similar model that builds the conservation funding mechanism jointly with the hunting and sporting community.
The SCI Foundation annually hosts the African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF) and the 2012 AWCF will be held in Botswana. I believe the collaborative approach to bringing together government representatives, the professional hunter associations, the regional leaders, and conservation non-profits opens the doors to improving conservation that otherwise would never exist. SCI Foundation has truly pioneered this model and that is why they are the most respected conservation organization representing hunters in Africa today. Other organizations have never been success with such an ambitious goal of bringing so many “players” to the same meeting.
I tell you this background on the AWCF because I believe SCI Foundation will soon expand the AWCF to embrace more central, western and east African nations in its annual meeting. Secondly, the success of AWCF is not a one-off, flash in the pan. I know that SCI Foundation with our incredible staff can replicate the AWCF in other regions of the world with strong hunting cultures, including Europe, Asia, and South America.
A view of the International Wildlife Museum in Tucson, Arizona, which is operated by the SCI Foundation.
OH: What initiatives will you tackle first?
BB: I will tackle strategic initiatives to continue to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of SCIF. Special focus will be placed on growing global sustainable use conservation programs through a wide array of creative development and communication strategies. I will work in concert with the board and staff to communicate why people should support the mission of SCIF.
OH: Have you participated in anything with SCI Foundation before your role as executive director there?
BB: I have not worked with SCI Foundation or SCI in the past, but with the organization’s strong presence in Texas, and around the country, I was excited to learn that I could possibly work with such a dedicated and focused organization for international conservation.
The Foundation is a 501(c)3 tax-deductible organization that promotes sustainable wildlife conservation and education by focusing on the positive role of the hunter in species management. The Foundation,
Find out more from their website, www.SafariClubFoundation.org.
Or read about its conservation projects at http://FirstForWildlife.wordpress.com.
|
August 13, 2012 – The Embassy of Botswana hosted Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation) and the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) for a reception of international Ambassadors and conservationists. The event highlighted the importance of the upcoming African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF) to be hosted in Botswana September 16th through 21st. AWCF brings together the most influential countries in sub-Saharan Africa for a week-long forum discussing wide ranging wildlife management, conservation, and sustainable-use priorities. AWCF provides the only annual opportunity for each country to compare common approaches to the future management of their wildlife resources. SCI Foundation is proud to be the prime catalyst and support base for this invaluable forum to ensure that sustainable use conservation and hunting remain a management priority within each country. The Honorable Ms. Tebelelo Seretse, Ambassador of Botswana, expressed her gratitude to both SCI Foundation and ICCF for the important roles they play in education of broader audiences on all wildlife conservation challenges. SCI Foundation President Joe Hosmer addressed the nearly 100 attendees highlighting the constant demand for conservation incentives to spur economic stability, and SCI Foundation’s anti-poaching projects in Tanzania. SCI Foundation has worked with regional partners to who operate two microlight aircraft to patrol millions of acres to reduce wildlife poaching; it has been very successful. SCI Foundation presented a framed giclee of two battling elephants by acclaimed wildlife artist Brian Jarvi to Ambassador Seretse.
“We would like to thank the Embassy for hosting us tonight and, more importantly, to thank Botswana for hosting the 2012 African Wildlife Consultative Forum. We look forward to Botswana’s continued involvement with AWCF and to continued collaborations on wildlife conservation projects between SCI Foundation and all the nations of Southern Africa,” concluded Hosmer.
To learn more about the African Wildlife Consultative Forum please visit SCI Foundation’s website:http://www.safariclubfoundation.org/content/index.cfm?action=view&content_id=2380.
Drive train modifications:
6 inch suspension lift
35x12.5 BF Goodrich all terrain tires
Custom bilstein shocks
Air bags
4:56 gears w/posi rear end
Hydraulic steering connected directly into oem steering box W/ selector…
|
All Media: For Immediate Release
SCI Foundation Contributes $537,590 To Worldwide Wildlife Conservation Projects Over Last 6 Months
Washington, DC – Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation) announced today that it has contributed $537,590 in the past six months to fund worldwide wildlife conservation projects. SCI Foundation strategically focuses funding towards research and management of large predators and their prey, including game species, principally throughout North America, Asia, and Southern Africa.
“The research programs selected by SCI Foundation’s professional biologists inform wildlife managers and policy makers on critical wildlife management needs worldwide,” said SCI Foundation President Joe Hosmer. “SCI Foundation strives to ensure management decisions are based on the best available science.”
SCI Foundation donated $350,000 to fund multiple predator/prey projects in the U.S. and Canada. Conservation projects include Predator/Prey studies observing rates of white-tailed deer fawn survival in Michigan and Wisconsin, elk survival in Montana, and caribou survival in Newfoundland. The results of these projects will help properly manage both predators and prey in systems where both exist. Donations were also made to wildlife population research and enhancement programs including mule deer in the Eastern Mojave Desert, brown bears on Kodiak Island, black bears in Missouri, and moose in Alaska, among others.
The most recent project is a partnership with Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Kenai Moose Project. SCI Foundation donated $20,000 to learn productivity and seasonal mortality of moose.
In multiple African nations, SCI Foundation has given over $123,000 to wildlife conservation and human-wildlife conflict programs. Most recently, SCI Foundation donated $30,000 for the upcoming African Wildlife Consultative Forum, which will be held in Botswana.
SCI Foundation also continues to fund lion research in Zambia to improve the accuracy of aging lions in their natural environment. Being able to accurately age lions in the field will assist range states develop appropriate lion harvest regulations to ensure sustainability.
“Throughout the year, SCI Foundation contributes over one million dollars to wildlife research, management, and anti-poaching programs. As an international organization, SCI Foundation continues to increase our financial impact for sustainable-use conservation and we hope more organizations can follow our lead,” concluded Hosmer.
Below is a partial list of contributions to wildlife species made over the last 6 months:
Lion (Southern Africa) — $30,000
Elephant (Zimbabwe) — $25,200
Leopard (Zimbabwe, Namibia) — $18,000
Wildlife Genetics (Africa) — $20,000
Brown Bear (Alaska) — $50,000
Black Bear (Missouri) — $25,000
Elk (Montana. & Ontario)–$69,800
White-tailed deer (Mich. & Wisc.)–$75,000
Mule Deer (Calif. & Colorado)–$40,880
Moose (Alaska) –$33,500
Caribou (Newfoundland) — $8,550
Bighorn Sheep (Mont. & Wyo.) — $31,500
Dall Sheep (Alaska) — $5,000
Predator ID Manual (Intl) — $10,000
Conservation Matching Grants — $8,000
African Wildlife Forum — $30,000
Contact:
Nelson Freeman; media@safariclub.org
# # #
The SCI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that funds and manages worldwide programs dedicated to wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian services, including such programs as Sportsmen Against Hunger, Sensory Safari, Safari Care, Disabled Hunter, the American Wilderness Leadership School, Becoming an Outdoors Woman & More and Youth Education Seminars (YES) Outdoors. Call 877-877-3265 or visit www.sci-foundation.org for more information.
|
