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
Safari Club Interview with Botswana’s Professor Joseph Mbaiwa
SCI's Marc Watts conducts a conservation conversation with Botwana's leading wildlife and elephant expert. They discuss habitat, elephant population and the role hunting plays in managing wildlife. This interview was conducted in Washington D.C., prior to Mr. Mbaiwa's presentation which he made to the International Wildlife Conservation Council, an advisory
Read MoreSafari Club Interview with Zimbabwe’s Rose Chikerema
SCI's Marc Watts conducts a conservation conversation with Zimbabwe's leading ecologist and wildlife expert Rose Chikerema. They discuss wildlife, the country's successful conservation practices and the role hunters play in preserving survivability of species. This interview was conducted in Washington D.C., prior to Ms. Chikerema's presentation which she made to
Read MoreNebraska Mule Deer Receive Monitoring Devices
A mule deer is released after being processed and fitted with a GPS collar. (Nebraskaland/Julie Geiser) One hundred and twenty mule deer does are wearing GPS monitoring devices for the second year of a research study designed to aid in the management of mule deer populations in high- and low-density
Read MoreSOMETHING TO HOWL ABOUT: Wolf Numbers Up In OR, WA As USFWS Prepares To Delist Gray Wolves In Lower 48
Oregon’s wildlife department recently reported that 137 gray wolves (Canis lupus) were counted in a 2018 winter wolf survey—a 10 percent increase over the prior year. Biologists documented 16 packs and eight smaller groups of wolves. The number of breeding pairs observed increased by 36 percent. Other good news included
Read MoreSafari Club Interview with Tanzania’s Imani Nkuwi
SCI's Marc Watts conducts a conservation conversation with Tanzania's leading wildlife expert, Imani Richard Nkuwi. Mr. Nkuwi, a Director of TAWA, discusses with Watts how the 2014 importation ban on Tanzania lion and elephant trophies into the U.S. has impacted his country, its wildlife populations, the ability for communities to
Read MoreHow Zambia Manages Human Wildlife Conflict
Paul Zyambo, Zambia’s Director of National Parks and Wildlife, explains why it is important to conserve wildlife and how human/wildlife conflicts can be managed for the betterment of African communities.
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