For three years, Earthwatch volunteers have been supporting Dr. Mauro Lucherini and his colleagues at the Universidad Nacional del Sur in their investigation of little-known carnivores in the Argentinean pampas. Now a prestigious award from leading energy company BP will support Lucherini's complementary research on the Andean mountain cat, one of the world's most endangered and least-known felids.
Mauro Lucherini
ucherini was among the scientists honored at the 2003 BP Conservation Programme Awards, announced on June 24th at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The Earthwatch principal investigator was recognized for his conservation efforts on behalf of the Andean mountain cat in Argentina, for which he received $35,000 in support from BP over the next three years.
"Mauro Lucherini is a promising young scientist making a vital contribution to wildlife conservation in Argentina," said Dr. Marie Studer, chief science officer at Earthwatch (International), who represented Earthwatch at the awards ceremony. "His BP award further validates the caliber of scientists supported by Earthwatch Institute around the globe."
"This award shows that the international conservation community is finally realizing that preserving Argentinean wildlife is of fundamental importance for the conservation of global biodiversity," said Lucherini, principal investigator of the Earthwatch-supported Argentina's Pampas Carnivores project. "Despite the impressive diversity of ecoregions in Argentina, until now this country has received little attention by the main conservation institutions."
Andean mountain cats live exclusively in the remote high-altitude deserts, or puna, of the Andes, a delicate and threatened environment. Lucherini's research on the abundance and habitat requirements of Andean mountain cats stands to improve the understanding of the factors affecting their populations and reduce the potential causes of population decline. The project will lead to a long-term conservation strategy for Andean mountain cats, recognizing their great potential as a focal species for conservation of wildlife in the puna.
Lucherini's Andean mountain cat research complements his work with Earthwatch volunteers at lower elevations in the Argentinean pampas, a rich grassland habitat threatened by ranching and agriculture. Teams are gathering ecological data on four little-known carnivores, Geoffroy's cats, hog-nosed skunks, pampas foxes, and grisons, to improve their conservation. Lucherini suggests that support from Earthwatch equipped his team of young, Argentinean scientists for the responsibility of this BP award.
"Earthwatch support during the last three years has enabled - and forced - our team to grow very fast," said Lucherini. "Its unique funding scheme requires a complex and mature approach to conservation projects. This proved very useful when designing a large conservation effort like the one that led us to win the BP Conservation Programme Award."
For information on volunteering on the Argentina's Pampas Carnivores project, click here.
To learn more about Dr. Lucherini's award winning work with the Andean Mountain Cat, visit http://conservation.bp.com/projects/F200202_proj.asp.
Earthwatch Institute is an international nonprofit organization which supports scientific field research worldwide by offering members of the public unique opportunities to work alongside leading field scientists and researchers. The Institute's mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment.