WHAT WE DO
Core Activities
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.
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Projects, activities, & courses
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.
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.
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.
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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