SCI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that funds and directs worldwide programs dedicated to wildlife conservation and outdoor education. SCI Foundation ensures that the best available science is used in wildlife policy and management and demonstrates the constructive role that hunting and hunters play in the conservation of biodiversity around the world. The organization is First For Wildlife, investing millions of dollars into wildlife conservation and education every year.
The Conservation Department at SCI Foundation partners with academic institutions, community-based support organizations, and conservation non-governmental organizations to complete wildlife research and management projects all over the world. Since 2000, we have put over $70 million in hunter dollars to work on over 100 conservation projects in 30 countries. Some of our programs include:
- North America: SCI Foundation is a strong supporter of the North American Model of Wildlife Management and firmly believes that the hunter-conservationist is the key to future conservation efforts in North America. We have supported projects in 23 states and provinces involving a range of species. Recent foci have been on the interactions between hunted species and expanding predator populations, grizzly and black bear populations, and declining mule deer populations in the West and white-tailed deer in the upper Midwest.
- Africa: SCI Foundation has a long history of success in Africa. We work to support African states in managing their wildlife resources sustainably for the long-term benefit of their land, their people, and wildlife communities. We are currently supporting research to identify the most accurate and efficient methods to survey African lions and leopards so that these iconic species will continue to be conserved through sustainable use.
- Asia: Many central Asian countries are in the early stages of developing a sustainable use conservation model, but SCI Foundation has been present with our partners in the region since 2010. We support building capacity for local community-based conservation throughout the region, including projects in Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.
- Antipoaching: Illegal harvest for meat or body parts is a primary threat to many wildlife species worldwide, especially rhinoceros and elephant in Africa. SCI Foundation has supported antipoaching efforts all over the world through grants, partnerships, and capacity-building efforts.
- Matching Grants: The SCI Foundation supports SCI Chapters in their efforts to contribute toward conservation projects in their local areas. If a Chapter supports a research or management project, they can apply for matching funds from the Foundation to increase their impact. In 2018, the Foundation contributed over $30,000 to local conservation efforts through matching grants to the chapters.
The annual African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF) is SCI Foundation's premier activity in Africa, bringing together a diverse group of international stakeholders, senior government delegates, professional hunting associations, policy experts and wildlife biologists. Discussions at this forum center on African wildlife issues and coordinating responses to current events.
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Recent Conservation Articles
Understanding Botswana’s New Hunting Program
This article first appeared in The Daily Caller As the COVID-19 crisis dominants the world’s attention and media headlines, the global response needs to consider the impact of a tourism shutdown to wildlife conservation. Closed borders and travel restrictions are jeopardizing millions of acres of habitat managed by safari operators
Read MoreBlack Rhinos Continue Growth Despite Ongoing Management Challenges
Featured photo: A white rhino marked safe on the Sango wildlife ranch as part of the conservancy’s monitoring program. Photo credit: SCI Foundation. Experts at the Southern African Development Community’s Rhino Management Group (SADC RMG) have compiled a new status report on the region’s black rhino populations, funded by Safari
Read MoreSafari Club Helps Shape Conservation Efforts In Michigan
Hunting is part of the cultural fabric and history of Michigan, so it’s no surprise that the state is a stronghold for Safari Club International – with 11 chapters scattered across the upper and lower peninsulas. These chapters are a prime example of the positive impact that SCI members, along
Read MoreSCI Foundation And Department Of Interior Focus On Reducing Human-Grizzly Bear Conflict
With grizzly bear populations expanding across Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho in recent years, conflicts with humans are becoming more and more common. In order to ensure the safety of both bears and people, improved mitigation strategies are needed to reduce the likelihood of inevitable encounters turning into fatal incidents. Safari
Read MoreResearch Funded by SCIF Explores Declining Buffalo Numbers in Tanzania
The African buffalo population in and around Tanzania’s Ruaha National Park (RNP) has reportedly been on the decline for decades and researchers funded in part by the Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) went to work to figure out why. Prior to this series of projects, little was known about the habits and health of
Read MoreSCIF Funded Research Helps Shape Vermont Moose Hunting Regulations
Research funded in major part by the Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) has provided breakthrough information that is now helping shape the state of Vermont’s management plan for the world’s largest species of deer. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department (VFWD) recently proposed a limited moose hunt in the northeastern corner of
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