David Bircher’s Post

The 12th Oppenheimer Research Conference is underway in Johannesburg. Focused on ‘Science for Impact’, pressing topics on the agenda include biodiversity loss, climate change, the value of wildlife economies, and the reintroduction of critically endangered species. What sets this conference apart is the diversity of scientific research that is presented under one roof and a commitment to amplifying the voices of African scientists. Across the continent, cutting-edge, innovative research projects aim to provide solutions to mitigate environmental and conservation tipping points not just in Africa but globally. Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, through the good work undertaken by the Tswalu Foundation, is well represented at this year's conference. Data and findings on Temminck's pangolin, snakes and butterflies are just a few of the subjects that will be showcased. Find out more about the Tswalu Foundation’s support of research-led conservation, endorsing our vision to restore and conserve natural environments and empower people: https://lnkd.in/dfrXWXS Image of pangolin researchers @Wendy Panaino and @Valery Phakoago taken at Tswalu by @Marcus Westberg. #Tswalu #ORC2023 #OGRC #TswaluKalahariReserve #TswaluFoundation #research #conservation

🚨New Research Alert: The Mystery of Cheetahs in Tanzania's Selous–Nyerere Ecosystem🐆 The findings suggest that Selous-Nyerere may never have had a resident cheetah population. The implications are significant for conservation strategies. Following this study, the IUCN has reclassified Selous–Nyerere from 'possibly extant' to 'recoverable' cheetah range. Read more about this fascinating research and its impact on our understanding of cheetah conservation in Africa. https://ow.ly/4vpT50QkhWE #CheetahConservation #WildlifeResearch #Tanzania #SelousNyerere #Biodiversity #ConservationScience"

Introducing the #EMIGRA Conservation & Cultural Research Fellows! Building on over 15 years of research, the Especies Migratorias y Gobernanza de sus Ambientes (“Equitable Governance of Migratory Species and their Habitats” or EMIGRA) project has entered a phase of research that seeks to better understand the social, environmental and governance interactions related to migratory species in North America. To support this effort, the team has selected 12 fellows to conduct research related to migratory species in ten unique regions across North America. The researchers hope to learn about the various ways local, rural and Indigenous communities may interact with, perceive or value migratory species and the land they all depend on, and the extent to which they have been included in past conservation efforts. Learn more and meet the fellows here: https://lnkd.in/g9mhuXGW

Our final theme of the Conservation Symposium is Social Ecology and Conservation. This broad theme may encompass many elements, including poverty alleviation, land restitution and co-management of Protected Areas, indigenous knowledge and citizen science, community-based conservation and conservancies, and human-wildlife conflict and poaching. An inclusive approach ensuring participation in, and benefits from, the biodiversity economy is critical to realising harmonious conservation goals and targets. Read more about our themes for the #ConservationSymposium on the website at https://lnkd.in/dhk8tKW5 #biodiversity #conservation #africa

🌍🦓🌿 Did you know that African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is the largest and oldest African international conservation organization? We are thrilled to announce that CEO Kaddu Kiwe Sebunya is joining us in this week’s "What on Earth" article. AWF leads African conservation with a clear focus: thriving people and wildlife. AWF integrates science, solutions, and policy across 10 countries and 17 landscapes, driving sustainable development. Learn how they work catalytical on knowledge sharing and advocacy and how they partner with Zimbabwe's Ministry of Environment to quantify the economic value of biodiversity and provide guidelines for integrating nature's contributions into development planning, policy formulation, and investment decisions. In this series of articles from Planetary Responsibility Insights, leaders from major environmental organizations will answer nine vital questions on reshaping business practices for a more harmonious relationship with nature. Read or listen to the full article in Planetary Responsibility Insights and join the conversation. Link in comments 👇 #WhatOnEarth #SustainableAfrica #Wildlife #PlanetaryResponsibilityInsights #PRF

Exciting scientific discovery from the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Oxford Brookes University! Led by Professor Julian Bayliss, a Visiting Professor at Oxford Brookes University and an expert with the National Network for Community Management of Natural Resources (ReGeCom) in Mozambique, a groundbreaking study has documented an incredible array of biodiversity. The research has revealed: 🌿 127 plant species 🦋 90 species of amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, butterflies, and freshwater crabs What's remarkable? All of these species are endemic to this region – found nowhere else on Earth. This discovery underscores the critical importance of conservation efforts to protect these unique ecosystems and their irreplaceable inhabitants. At Oxford Brookes University we celebrate this discovery and continue to support initiatives that preserve our planet's natural wonders! 🌍 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eyA5-NZ9 #Biodiversity #Conservation #Research #Africa #EndemicSpecies #Ecosystem #Wildlife #Nature #Science #HelloBrookes #ReGECom #Mozambique

In these slower times before the holidays, we would like to take the time and introduce some of our externally-funded research projects here at the RCC, starting with Speak4Nature. Speak4Nature is a project funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Staff exchange action of the European Commission for the years 2023–27 with the specific object of transferring both theoretical and empirical knowledge related to the techniques that assert the voice of non-human nature in social and legal instances. To accomplish this task, Speak4Nature finances the intersectoral and international mobility of the researchers within the institutions of the consortium. Through innovative approaches, cutting-edge technology, and citizen science initiatives, Speak4Nature seeks to empower individuals and communities to actively participate in wildlife conservation and habitat restoration efforts. By combining traditional conservation practices with digital solutions, the project aims to create a lasting impact on biodiversity conservation. Speak4Nature will develop new socio-legal instruments and methodologies to provide a theoretical and operational basis in social and environmental sciences to ensure non-human nature participation in legal instances. If you want to learn more about the project, you can follow them on their LinkedIn account Speak4Nature or go to their website https://lnkd.in/gBnr9Vws. #rccprojects #rcc #research #naturerights #innovation #technology #citizens #wildlifeconservation #habitatrestoration

One of the things we are doing in the Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management at University of Rwanda is what I call building taxon expertise. This is important because we need to know what species we have here, we need to know what we have before we lose it, we need to know what we have in order to conserve it and understand its potential values. We are especially interested in species that serve as biological indicators, as well as documenting endemic and threatened and endangered species. We are now in the midst of an ant taxonomy course. 🐜 Ants are good indicators of soil fertility and ecosystem health. The number of ant species being found here, the number of new species, it’s amazing. We are just scratching the surface of biodiversity. The Coeb Rwanda at University of Rwanda, in collaboration with #RoyalBelgianInstituteofNaturalScience (RBINS) are hosting the third Rwanda Ant Course that is happening from 11 to 21 October 2023. African Parks Network UNESCO UNESCO Rwanda National Commission (CNRU) Rwanda Development Board (RDB)

We are thrilled to launch the #DICESpotlight series where we will highlight the fantastic people of DICE and give a glimpse into their expertise and interests. To start off we are featuring two members of our staff this week. Firstly, we have Dr. Mahesh Poudyal Mahesh is a Lecturer in Conservation Social Science at DICE and this is what he had to say about his work. “As my job title suggests, the primary focus of my research is on the social aspects of conservation and environmental issues. I conduct interdisciplinary research in the broad field of political ecology, focusing on socioeconomic and institutional aspects of conservation policies and programmes. The vast majority of conservation projects and research still focus on nature and wildlife and not enough on human dimensions. There is a real need to understand how conservation impacts local communities, especially indigenous peoples, and how we can make conservation just and equitable for all, which is primarily the focus of my own research. In recent years, I’ve studied the costs of forest conservation on local communities in Madagascar, and one of my future research projects will focus on the potential impacts of Convention on Biological Diversity’s 30x30 target on Indigenous peoples and local communities” #Conservation #Ecology #ConservationScience #Environment 

Dakhla Journal Day 2 📝 ENGIE's support continues into Day 2 as we delve deeper into the acoustic signatures of Dakhla Bay's marine life. Today, AQUASEARCH SARL successfully captured and analysed the vocal patterns of local dolphin populations, which play a crucial role in our understanding of their behavioural ecology. These insights are vital for developing targeted conservation strategies. What potential do you see in acoustic research for enhancing marine biodiversity protection? #withENGIE #ENGIEDakhlaBayCollection ENGIE Africa