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RWRU
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Rupunini Wildlife Research Unit

WHAT WE DO

Core Activities

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Research
Research is at the core of what we do. What began as focused academic research has grown into a suite of participatory projects that seek to address locally-relevant issues.
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Training
Building capacity is among the most important aspects of our work, as it provides tangible skills that researchers can employ across a variety of sectors.
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Education
Providing a suite of formal and informal learning opportunities allows us to extend our learning to a national and international audience.

Projects, activities, & courses

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Jaguars
Space use, population density, activity
Jaguars use all Rupununi habitat types, though they show a clear preference for forested habitats over savanna. High jaguar population density suggests the Rupununi supports a globally significant jaguar population.
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Camera-trap monitoring
Researchers learn to set and check camera-traps across the region. Building skills and confidence over time, team members earn opportunities to lead research teams independently, increasing the scope of our research.
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Guyana: Local Wisdom & Conservation
Project Dragonfly, Miami University
This graduate course focuses on the traditional ecological knowledge of Makushi people and the potential of local wisdom to guide conservation initiatives. 
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Bush dogs
Filling gaps in knowledge
Camera-trap photos provide evidence, but the rich dataset derived from local natural historians provides key insights that may inform the effective management of this little known species.

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Black caiman
Identifying major drivers of conflict 
As conservation efforts help black caiman populations recover from overharvest for leather, a significant, and often overlooked factor is the effect that the continent's largest aquatic predator has on the communities that coexist with them.
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GPS
Research assistants learn to mark waypoints, create tracks, and navigate using handheld GPS units, as well as downloading and managing data, and creating maps using Google Earth software.  ​

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Habitat assessment
Researchers conduct basic habitat assessments at each camera trap location, measuring forest canopy cover, basal area, canopy height, understory density, human activity, and proximity to key resources.
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Educational Videos
Collaborators across the world
Short, educational videos that highlight Guyana's wildlife & connect to Guyana's Life Science Curriculum so that students can continue learning while they are at home due to COVID-19.

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Wildlife Survey Techniques
University of Guyana
This undergraduate course covered the theoretical foundations of animal taxonomy, evolution, and wildlife ecology and provided practical experience in designing wildlife studies and a variety of data collection techniques.
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