Mark Elbroch (2011)

Fellowship Year: 2011
Academic Background: UC Davis - Ph.D. - (Ecology)
Currently Working On: Project Leader, Teton Cougar Project, PI, Garfield-Mesa Lion Project, Western CO
Mark Elbroch is a PhD candidate in Ecology at the University of California, Davis. Within conservation, Mark focuses on four areas: 1) Re-establishing an appreciation for natural history training as the foundation for conservation efforts, 2) Improving observer reliability in field work utilizing sign counts, 3) Increasing the involvement of local communities in conservation work, especially those with expert knowledge relevant to projects, and 4) Mitigating human-carnivore conflict through research and education, with the goal of providing the data needed to fight old mythology that perpetuates fear of large carnivores. Mark’s dissertation work in Patagonia and new field research in Colorado focuses on exploring the ecological role of pumas (cougars, mountain lions) and mitigating human-puma/livestock-puma conflicts. Mark also collaborates with CyberTracker Conservation in South Africa to provide field evaluations for those with wildlife tracking skills, as a means of testing observer reliability, teaching and preserving tracking skills, and sifting out competent trackers for employment (http://wildlifetrackers.com/). Mark has authored and coauthored several field guides to wildlife tracking, animal skulls and mammal behavior.
Expertise: Conservation Science & Biology