S.P.E.C.I.E.S. at Safari West

On March 3, S.P.E.C.I.E.S. founder and director Dr. Anthony Giordano was honored to present “Clouded in Mystery: Introducing the enigmatic clouded leopard” at Safari West’s Conservation Dinner Series. His talk focused on S.P.E.C.I.E.S.’s Project Neofelis, which works to conserve the vulnerable clouded leopard and promote it as a flagship species.

Safari West is dedicated to actively promoting conservation and environmental education, while sharing knowledge that empowers individuals to think sustainably about their role in the environment and the world at large.

World Wildlife Day at the U.N.

This World Wildlife Day, S.P.E.C.I.E.S. staff joined the CITES Secretariat at the United Nations in New York City to discuss the theme “Big cats: predators under threat”. S.P.E.C.I.E.S. staff were privileged to hear from panels of speakers that included organizations such as Panthera and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and representatives of nations including Panama, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Thailand. Discussions ranged from snow leopard conservation, regional jaguar project collaboration, and tiger success stories, as well as the expansion of community based conservation.

The event ended with an announcement of the winners of the Jackson Hole WILD Film Festival.

Miss it? You can watch the UN proceedings here

 

S.P.E.C.I.E.S. presents at UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

The Founder, Director, and Chief Conservation Officer of S.P.E.C.I.E.S., Dr. Anthony Giordano, spoke at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability as a Senior Research Fellow of the Center for Tropical Research. Dr. Giordano’s dedication to ecological preservation drove him to establish S.P.E.C.I.E.S., which promotes carnivores as umbrella species, aids in the mitigation of human-wildlife conflict, and supports international capacity building.

For more on Dr. Giordano and his contributions to wildlife conservation, follow the link below:

S.P.E.C.I.E.S. at ZACC

From January 22-26, S.P.E.C.I.E.S. attended the ZACC Conference in Jacksonville, Florida. ZACC, Zoos & Aquariums Committing to Conservation, brings together zoo and aquarium professionals from all departments as well as field conservationists from around the world for a 5-day event. S.P.E.C.I.E.S. held a table and presented a poster on two of our key projects, the Chaco Jaguar Conservation Project, and Project Neofelis. We also got the chance to meet and connect with inspiring individuals from across the zoo and field conservation world.

The conference concluded with a day at the Jacksonville Zoo, where S.P.E.C.I.E.S. team members got the chance to come up close with some of our favorite carnivores!

Behind the scenes at the Jacksonville Zoo to learn how zookeepers care for the endangered Florida panther

To learn more about this year’s ZACC, check out https://zaccjax.weebly.com/

Programa de Conservación del Jaguarete en el Chaco presents at the Green Expo 2017

Under the motto “For a more sustainable education”, the third edition of the Green Expo was held on 4 and 5 October in the city of Luque, Paraguay. S.P.E.C.I.E.S.’s Programa de Conservación del Jaguarete en el Chaco presented a stand along with several other environmentally-focused organizations and institutions. The event was organized by Green Tour Magazine and Rakiura Resort day.

During the event, the S.P.E.C.I.E.S. team was able to share with students, teachers, communicators, colleagues and friends what they are most passionate about: the conservation of the jaguarete.

Diego Gustavo Giménez, the Chief Program Officer for the Chaco Jaguar Conservation Project in Paraguay, also gave a talk discussing the current situation of the jaguar, as well as explaining what the Program is, how it works, and how people can help. The team was also able to talk to several media outlets who were interested in spreading the word about the jaguar and S.P.E.C.I.E.S..

 

The Expo featured presentations from companies, public and private institutions, and artists, who demonstrated through talks, dance, and other interactive activities what they are doing in pursuit of the environment and nature.

S.P.E.C.I.E.S. Presents at Cal Poly

On December 1st, Anthony Giordano, founder and director of S.P.E.C.I.E.S., presented on the Conservation Status of the Jaguar (Panthera onca) in the Dry Chaco and Paraguay at the California Polytechnic State University Biological Sciences Department Seminar. This work is part of the Chaco Jaguar Conservation Project, the only long-term transboundary conservation project committed to resolving human-jaguar conflict, ecological investigations and surveys of jaguars, and jaguar conservation planning and strategy implementation, in the Gran Chaco.

Read more about the Chaco Jaguar Conservation Project here.

S.P.E.C.I.E.S. Supports the III Paraguayan Workshop on Herpetology and Mastozoology

The III Paraguayan Workshop on Herpetology and Mastozoology was held in Asunción, Paraguay on November 29 and 30 and December 1 at the Scientific Society of Paraguay. It brought together professionals who are dedicated to the study, scientific research and conservation of mammals, amphibians and reptiles, and featured a variety of different workshops and courses.

The event was supported by S.P.E.C.I.E.S. and the Chaco Jaguar Conservation Project, demonstrating the special interest that S.P.E.C.I.E.S. has towards the development and strengthening of science in Paraguay.

 

The event had three main objectives:

1. Disseminate knowledge about mammals, amphibians and reptiles in particular from Paraguay and the neotropical region, as well as their ecosystemic roles, in different sectors of society.

2. Encourage and collaborate in the development and theoretical and practical training of interdisciplinary professionals and young researchers in the country.

3. Encourage and promote joint work in interdisciplinary institutions and individuals interested in the study and conservation of mammals, amphibians and reptiles at the national and regional levels.

 

S.P.E.C.I.E.S. Programa de Conservación del Jaguarete en el Chaco presents on the recent update to the IUCN Red List for Paraguay

These conferences are of great importance for science in Paraguay because they allow professionals in this area to learn and get up to date with the work on mammals, amphibians and reptiles that is being done in Paraguay and the region. In addition, it offers a guide to students on careers related to these subjects and specialties, giving them the opportunity to learn about mammalogy and herpetology and providing direction for their futures.

El Programa de Conservación del Jaguarete en el Chaco Featured on La Aventura de Descubrir

This fall,  El Programa de Conservación del Jaguarete en el Chaco (The Chaco Jaguar Conservation Program) was featured on the radio program La Aventura de Descubrir.

Listen to the recording below!

Be sure to connect with  El Programa de Conservación del Jaguarete!

“Cats in the Shadow” Panel at the Jackson Hole Festival & Summit

Earlier this fall, SPECIES attended the Jackson Hole Festival & Summit, where over 650 media professionals came together to celebrate the union of wildlife and film. This year, the festival’s focus was on the world’s wild cats, as advocates, researchers, and the media industry joined together in the goal to conserve wild cats and their habitats.

SPECIES founder and director Anthony Giordano brought his knowledge and expertise to the “Cats in the Shadows” panel, which highlighted stories from the world of small and rare cat conservation and research.

 

Anthony Giordano presents on clouded leopards during the “Cats in the Shadows” panel

Anthony Giordano speaking to cinematographer Derek Joubert

Human-Jaguar Conflict Mitigation Workshop around the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve

This weekend, S.P.E.C.I.E.S. heads to Merida, Mexico for a workshop on human-jaguar conflict mitigation. The workshop, co-sponsored by S.P.E.C.I.E.S., the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, and the Université de Sherbrooke, will focus on strengthening facilitation skills for conservation. Among its objectives, the course aims to cultivate collaboration between actors in order to explore both the issues and possible solutions to jaguar management around the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve.

This workshop is one of many human-jaguar conflict mitigation workshops organized by S.P.E.C.I.E.S. Human-jaguar conflict represents one of the greatest threats to jaguars, as they are routinely killed once they are discovered. By working with the community, S.P.E.C.I.E.S. maintains the most critical conservation program principle: the only sustainable path to realizing the long-term conservation of jaguar populations is by helping local people and businesses solve real problems that pose threats to the jaguars.

For more information on how S.P.E.C.I.E.S. is working to protect jaguars, read about our Chaco Jaguar Conservation Project