Research activities form the backbone of conservation
programs. Preliminary data is essential for designing
and implementing long-term wildlife and vegetation protection
programs. Research also helps formulate ecotourism and
community centered conservation programs. Successful
conservation program design depends on an intimate knowledge
of regional human and biological interactions. Therefore
an assessment of fauna and flora status, including threats
to species survival, is an essential component of project
development. Once preliminary wildlife, vegetation and
human socio economic information is collected, monitoring
and evaluation activities can help determine the next
step in a project.
A project's commitment to research creates the foundation
for future activities. Preliminary results from a wildlife
and vegetation census coupled with socio-economic surveys
from surrounding villages can determine the feasibility
of protection and provide baseline data from which to
create a management plan for the allocated area and
surrounding communities. The research phase is also
a time to form and maintain strong relationships with
surrounding communities and local government.
As the community's first impression of a conservation
program may impact its future success, it is the responsibility
of researchers to respectfully convey intentions and
provide transparency. It is an important policy of the
Jane Goodall Institute that our programs work to bring
tangible benefits to the local communities, by educating
and employing local staff. In turn, our research programs
also benefit greatly from the invaluable traditional
knowledge and experience brought by the local residents.
Finally, the mere presence of researchers in an area
is believed to influence local human activities. Therefore,
careful placement of researchers in areas of high biodiversity
may reduce destructive human activities, such as the
bushmeat trade that would otherwise lead to the overexploitation
of resources.
Tchimpounga
Reserve
Gombe
Stream Research Center
Uganda
Chimpanzee Census
Kaniyo-Pabidi,
Budongo Forest Reserve, Eco-tourism Project
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