Tico McNutt
Good dogs and bad dogs: Challenges of wildlife conservation in developing Africa

Wednesday, April 1 John McNutt, known as Tico McNutt, started the Wild Dog Research Project  in 1989, his research in that field has been supported in part by the National Geographic Society. He received a doctorate in animal behaviour from the University of California in 1995. At the time he founded the Botswana Wild Dog Research Project little was known about the biology of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), though it was believed to be one of the most endangered canine species. Since then, Tico has followed many wild dog packs in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, eventually expanding his studies to include all major predators in the region.

McNutt is co-author of the book Running Wild: Dispelling the Myths of the African Wild Dog. Curriculum Vitae 

Pratik Patel
Understanding Blood Ivory

Wednesday April 15 Pratik Patel, Founder and Chairman of the The African Wildlife Trust (AWT) is a third generation Tanzanian. He grew up running around the Serengeti Plains with Grub, Jane Goodall’s son.  He received a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Dar es Salaam and completed his Honors cum laude at the American College of London. His family has been involved in the safari photo and ecotourism business for over four decades in Tanzania.  Pratik and his family have been directly affected by the poaching crisis, as 60 or more elephants per day are being killed for their ivory.  At this rate elephants in Tanzania will be extinct in 5 years and all of Africa in 8-10 years.

The African Wildlife Trust (AWT) was founded and developed out of Pratik’s love for the African elephant and his strong desire to try and save them.

Rebecca Klein
Cheetah Conservation Botswana – partnering with communities to reduce human carnivore conflict and conserve cheetahs in the Kalahari region of Botswana

Wednesday April 29 The cheetah is Africa’s most endangered large cat, due to habitat loss, human persecution and illegal trade. Botswana contains one of the largest remaining populations of free ranging cheetahs in the world although they are under threat. Cheetah Conservation Botswana works to conserve these threatened cats and improve methods of livestock farming utilized by rural communities, encouraging the use of effective management and non-lethal methods of carnivore control. CCB runs Research, Community Outreach and Education programs to ensure a more sustainable future for the nation’s cheetahs and their Kalahari home.

Rebecca Klein is the Founder and Executive Director of CCB. She became interested in starting up a cheetah program when she moved to Botswana in 2001 to work at Mokolodi Nature Reserve. Upon discovering that there  was no conservation going on for the species, she decided to initiate a program and the organisation came into being in 2003. She has a Masters in Conservation from Rhodes University in South Africa and Bachelors in Wildlife Biology from Leeds University in the UK. Her conservation focus is in developing solutions to reduce human wildlife conflict challenges and enable the coexistence of people and wildlife.

Sven-Olof Lindblad
Exploration, Conservation, Education and Wonder in the 21^st Century

Wednesday May 6 Sven-Olof Lindblad is Founder and President of Lindblad Expeditions. Lindblad was born in Switzerland and traveled extensively with his father, renowned adventure-travel pioneer Lars-Eric Lindblad, who led some of the first non-scientific groups of travelers to Galapagos (1967) and Antarctica (1966). For six years, Sven lived in East Africa photographing elephants and wildlife in Kenya and assisting filmmakers on a documentary on the destruction of African rain forests. Lindblad’s early exposure to nature and wildlife taught him the importance of maintaining natural resources and understanding the cultural background of remote regions of the world.

In 1979, Lindblad launched Special Expeditions (now Lindblad Expeditions), a unique travel company aimed at offering marine-focused expeditions aboard small ships for adventurous travelers. Lindblad Expeditions’ itineraries are staffed with expedition leaders, historians, naturalists, cultural authorities, marine biologists and undersea specialists who help to bring expeditions to life for the active and curious traveler. In 2004, Lindblad formed a multifaceted strategic alliance with National Geographic that combines the strengths of two pioneers in exploration and travel, with the goal of further inspiring the world through expedition travel.

Lindblad’s personal experience led to the company’s long-standing commitment to environmentally responsible travel, which has resulted in numerous travel and environmental awards.