The Species Conservation Toolkit Initiative (SCTI) is a partnership to ensure that the new innovations and tools needed for species risk assessment, evaluating conservation actions, and managing populations are developed, globally available, and used effectively. The initiative’s mission is to maintain and improve the software tools used by conservationists around the world. Download a PowerPoint presentation that gives an overview of SCTI's work.

The past 30 years have seen major advances in the use of computer modeling to address the growing complexity of threatened species conservation. Our software “toolbox” allows us to assess risks to wildlife, evaluate conservation options, and guide active population management with greater efficiency and realism. It is essential that the toolkit of software used by the conservation community be maintained and expanded to meet new needs and respond to new opportunities (including evolving computer technologies).

To ensure lasting support for and innovation of these tools, CPSG has partnered with the Chicago Zoological Society (CZS) and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) to establish the Species Conservation Toolkit Initiative. SCTI will guarantee the longevity of tools that help conservationists make informed, meaningful species management decisions.

Thanks to funding from a number of generous donors, Taylor Callicrate has been hired as a programmer and is now learning the software programs currently within the Species Conservation Toolkit from the original designers (Robert Lacy at CZS and Jonathan Ballou at SCBI) in preparation for adding new features to meet the growing needs of species conservation.

CPSG staff is involved in ongoing software testing and manual development for a number of SCTI tools such as Vortex, PMx, Outbreak, and MetaModel Manager.

We thank the following donors for their support of the development and ongoing work of SCTI: Chicago Zoological Society, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute/National Zoo, Species360, Zoological Society of London, Auckland Zoo, Copenhagen Zoo, SOS Rhino, San Francisco Zoo, Living Desert Zoo, Saint Louis Zoo, San Diego Zoo Global, CPSG, Seattle Aquarium, Raincoast Conservation Foundation, and Oceans Research & Conservation.