Dr. Mauro Lucherini receives Whitley Associate Award for work with Andean mountain cats
Earthwatch Institute, Maynard, MA, October 2, 2006 - For six 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 Whitley Fund for Nature will support Lucherini's research on the Andean mountain cat, one of the world's most endangered and least-known wild cats.
Lucherini received a Whitley Associate Award in recognition of his project titled "Preserving the Soul of the Andes - Conservation of the Andean Mountain Cat." The award contributes to his team's efforts to conserve the endangered, little-known carnivores of Argentina's wild spaces.
"This award will strengthen the education and community participation activities, led by Maria Jose Merino," said Lucherini, principal investigator of the Earthwatch-supported Argentina's Mysterious Cats project. "Maria Jose and I took this news as the confirmation that we are doing a good job, but also that we may still improve."
Whitley Awards are top nature conservation prizes issued by the UK-based Whitley Fund for Nature, designed to provide winners with international recognition that enhances their credibility and financial support to pursue their ongoing conservation work. Lucherini joins other Earthwatch-supported scientists who have been honored by Whitley Awards, including Josephine Andrews for her work with lemurs in Madagascar and Claudio Ciofi for his work with Komodo dragons in Indonesia.
"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. "His Whitley Award further validates the caliber of scientists supported by Earthwatch Institute around the globe."
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 little-known felids, including Geoffroy's cats, pampas cats, and jaguarundis, to improve their conservation.
Earthwatch Institute is a global volunteer organization that supports scientific field research by offering members of the public unique opportunities to work alongside leading field scientists and researchers. Earthwatch's mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. The year 2006 marks Earthwatch's 35th anniversary.
More information about Argentina's Mysterious Cats (http://www.earthwatch.org/expeditions/lucherini.html)
Mauro Lucherini will speak at the Wildlife Conservation Network Expo in Los Altos Hills, CA on October 7th and at the San Francisco Zoo on October 10th. For more event info see http://www.earthwatch.org/events.html
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