Two local middle school students are showing their passion for big cats by bringing Cheetah Night to the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies.
Twins Willow and Isabella Poschman are in seventh grade, and they recently learned a fact that shocked Isabella.
“There’s only the same number of cheetahs left in the world as people in Aspen, which is very frightening," she said.
That number is about 7,000, and Isabella and Willow have done their research. They know that the cats are hunted because they are seen as a threat to livestock and that illegal trafficking is also depleting their population.
So the sisters are working to raise money, selling lemonade and handmade cards at the farmer’s market. Their proceeds go to conservation organizations like the Cheetah Conservation Fund.
On Wednesday night, they are hosting that organization's executive director, Dr. Laurie Marker, who has researched and worked with cheetahs since the mid-70s. The night includes a presentation and a silent auction.