Conservation

Outreach

Conservation goes hand in hand with science. Putting theory in practice requires (1) a strong scientific basis to understand how species respond to environmental factors, and (2) bringing together key stakeholders because it is sociopolitical and economic considerations that eventually allow the protection of natural areas and prevent species extinction. By working in different regions with varying economical contexts and land tenure systems, I came to realize that regardless of the country, ecosystem or species, wildlife conservation is only possible if local communities are integrated.

Baird's Tapir Survival Alliance

The BTSA is an umbrella program that we launched in 2017 with conservation leaders of Central America. Conservation projects are both regional and country specific, and involve close collaboration with governments and Indigenous communities. We especially focus on raising tapir awareness through education, addressing tapir poaching, improving co-existence between tapirs and people, and increasing our collective knowledge on tapir's ecology.

You can get a glimpse of the activities the BTSA conducts in the movie and the story map below.

SMART patrols in Darién

Emberás have a deep connection to their land and are the guardians of the forest they inhabit. Their extensive knowledge on the forest and its creatures was a major contribution to the success of my PhD research. The community of Pijibasal, at the doorstep of the Darién National park, is a key partner of Tapir Panamá. Since 2019, a team patrols the park every month following the SMART protocol. The information collected helps the Ministry of Environment of Panama to target anti-poaching patrols. The patrollers also collect valuable data on species presence that complement those from our camera traps.

Squirrel gliders and the Fern Creek Gully Landcare

The arduous work of the landcare team to restore the rainforest on the coast of New South Wales is vital to improve forest habitat for squirrel gliders. Many large hollow trees that squirrel gliders normally use for nesting, were cut off early 20th century for coal mining. Their disappearance was compensated by installing nest-boxes and by planting food plants. The restoration site in Dudley close to Newcastle, is critical to maintain connectivity between gliders populations in the region. Teaming up with this dedicated group to enhance squirrel gliders conservation has been fantastic.

You can learn about the inspiring work of the Fern Creek Gully Landcare in the movie below.

Baird's Tapir Survival Alliance

The Fern Creek Squirrel Glider Project

Baird's tapirs are hunted throughout their range, sometimes unsustainably. To better address this threat, we wanted to understand the underlying causes of tapir hunting by meeting the hunters in tapir core areas across Central America. We were especially interested in establishing a dialog with local stakeholders, to find community partners with whom to develop effective conservation strategies and enhance the survival of the Baird's tapir. Full access to the story map.

ConFoBi (Conservation of Forest Biodiversity in Multiple-Use Landscapes of Central Europe) is a Research Training Group at the University of Freiburg funded by the German Science Foundation. The novelty of ConFoBi is the combination of multi-scale, ecological studies of forest biodiversity with social and economic studies of biodiversity conservation. This integrated approach is designed to establish a lively exchange of knowledge and expertise between scientific disciplines as well as forestry and conservation practitioners. Such research is especially important to bridge the gap between science and policy, and improve the management of natural resources in Europe.