University of Arizona
Wild Cat Research & Conservation Center
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Melanie Culver, one of our project’s founders. Mel was a remarkable scientist, colleague, mentor, and friend. Her passion for science and her determination to advance wildlife conservation and protect biodiversity will live on through the many scientists she trained and inspired and through the work we continue every day at the Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center. In lieu of flowers, Mel’s family suggests donations in her name to the Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center to help carry forward the work she began and cared about so deeply.
The independently funded Wild Cat Research and Conservation Center (Wild Cat Center) at the University of Arizona is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization conducting science-driven research and wildlife monitoring to promote wild cat conservation worldwide.
The Wild Cat Center (WCC) accomplishes its mission/vision through five areas of focus:
Wildlife Monitoring - systematic, non-invasive data collection.
Citizen Science - local participants trained in camera monitoring, eDNA sampling, tracking and data analysis.
Data Science - Scientific Photo Analyses for Research and Conservation database (SPARCd).
Genetics - genes extracted from scat and environmental DNA (eDNA).
Education and Outreach - graduate programs and the arts.
