The Switzer Fellowship Program supports highly talented graduate students working towards environmental improvement and who demonstrate the potential for leadership in their fields. This year two of the 20 new 2011 Fellows are from UC Davis and join the Switzer Network of nearly 500 Fellows. Newest Switzer Fellows, Mark Elbroch and Tavis Forrester, are doctoral candidates in the Ecology graduate group.

Mark Elbroch focuses on four areas of conservation: 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. Elbroch'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. He 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). Elbroch is a Ph.D. candidate in Ecology and has authored and coauthored several field guides to wildlife tracking, animal skulls and mammal behavior.

Tavis Forrester's projects include the community ecology of large mammal predator-prey interactions and citizen science in conservation, and he works to combine ecology theory and natural history to contribute to applied conservation. Forrester is a Ph.D. candidate in Ecology and he is also pursuing a degree certificate in Conservation Management. His dissertation research focuses on the interactions between habitat and predation in black-tailed deer, and integrates the effects of ecosystem processes, community ecology, and individual behavioral responses to predation risk. Forrester's conservation research is focused on developing a local citizen science initiative with UC Davis and Audubon California to gather data on the conservation value of private working landscapes, focusing on blue oak woodlands, one of the richest habitats in California. He enjoys using his knowledge of natural history and experience teaching outdoor education to engage people with nature and bridge the gap between theoretical ecology and applied conservation. In the future he hopes to continue research on large mammal community ecology and use citizen science as a tool to engage people with the natural world and inspire support for conservation.

For more information, go to http://switzernetwork.org/grant-programs/fellowship-program/awards.