Citizen Science for Conservation in India

Posted on December 7, 2012 by lathamsa

This post was written by Krithi Karanth, a 33-year-old conservation biologist based in Bangalore, India. Krithi is the recipient of National Geographic’s 10,000th grant since the first one awarded in 1890. Learn more about Krithi in her interview with National Geographic here.

One of the best ways to understand what people do as scientists is to volunteer in research projects. Over the last twenty years, the Centre for Wildlife Studies, an Indian NGO that I work with has sent over 3,000 people to the field to help with data collection on a wide range of projects. Since 2009 I have been able to train and take over 200 people with me on my research projects across India.

My volunteers have learned to map land use, ground truth satellite imagery, walk transects and conduct interviews with people on conservation issues such as human-wildlife conflicts and tourists perceptions of parks. Involving citizen scientists has huge benefits.

First, most Indian citizens who care about nature or wildlife are largely disconnected from the realities of what it takes to do conservation in the real world. When they interact with park officials or villagers facing conflicts with the animals such as leopards or elephants they begin to understand complexities that exist. These experiences give them a whole new appreciation about the difficult challenges of conservation and the reality of people who live in these landscapes. One student noted that “Volunteering on this project made me understand the pain and difficulties experienced by people and appreciate the richness of wildlife in India. I also got to interact with other people and contribute to conservation efforts”.

Second, many young people considering a career in ecology or conservation get a sense of what it takes to do a research project. A significant number of youngsters volunteering for me have gone on to pursue formal graduate education in ecology and conservation or careers in India and across the world.This post was written by conservation biologist Krithi Karanth, a 32-year-old conservation biologist based in Bangalore, India, the recipient of National Geographic’s 10,000th grant (since the first in 1890).

Third, scientific publications and papers from my projects have been used in policy and decision-making. For example in 2009, over 70 people volunteered and collected information on more than 300 tourist resorts and facilities in proximity to ten parks in India. Results from these papers were used as evidence in the Supreme Court of India in a landmark case during 2012. Therefore, doing science that impacts policy is very gratifying for all involved.

Lastly, using a volunteer army allows us to collect very large amounts of information quickly and we are able to cover much larger areas and scale up the questions being examined. This is especially important when you trying to understand issues like human-wildlife conflicts that affect a large number of people and occur in many places. In 2012, I was able to involve 65 volunteers and conduct over 5,000 surveys that collected information on conflict around five tiger reserves in Karnataka as well as what animals people were seeing outside our reserves.

Involving citizen scientists is

an important and exciting part of research, and an amazing experience for the participants. As one volunteer noted, “Going around villages and talking to people was a great experience. Village hospitality was truly amazing and I found farmers to be a very dignified lot who deserve more recognition and respect – especially from city dwellers. I wonder how farmers and people living on the fringes of national parks are going to cope in the future, especially since the whole conservation movement seems to have been hijacked by animal welfare organizations.”

This entry reflects the author’s personal judgments and does not represent the views of the

United States Government or the Department of State.

Protecting Orangutan Forests

Posted on November 28, 2012 by lathamsa

This is the second post is a series of guest blogs by Greenpeace, an international environmental organization. It was written by Rolf Skar, Greenpeace’s forests campaigner.

Sumatran Orangutan

“Orangutan” may sound like a strange word to English speakers, but in the Malay language it means “person of the forest.” That is a very fitting name for the orange apes that spend their lives high in the trees of rainforests in Southeast Asia. Not only do orangutans depend on rainforests for daily life, but they are also very similar to humans.

In fact, orangutans and humans share 97 percent of our DNA, the genetic code that makes us, well, us. As a great ape, orangutans are one of our closest biological relatives. It is not hard to see the family resemblance.

Orangutan with her baby on Kaja Island

Young orangutans stay with their mothers for up to ten years, giving orangutans one of the longest “childhoods” on the planet, second only to humans. Nicknamed by some “thinkers of the jungle,” orangutans are very intelligent, and have been observed making and using tools. There is also evidence orangutans have primitive cultures that pass learned behaviors, like making “gloves” to handle spiky fruit, from generation to generation.

Though orangutans have mastered life among the trees, they need our help to survive. That is because their human

relatives have been destroying their rainforest homes at an alarming rate. Without the forest, there will be no orangutans, and scientists tell us we need to act now to save them.

Three baby orangutans in Malaysian Borneo.

Why are orangutan forests being destroyed? Mostly for expanding plantations to make palm oil and paper, raw materials that end up in everyday products. What products? Greenpeace research has shown that things like soap, candy bars and toy packaging have been linked to this forest destruction. But, it does not have to be this way. Companies can, and should, make sure things like fast food packaging and toilet paper are not pushing orangutans to extinction.

The good news is that people are speaking up, and companies are taking action. More and more companies are setting standards to ensure the products they sell are not destroying rainforests. If you want to get involved to help save orangutans, go to www.greenpeace.org/forests to find out more.

This entry reflects the author’s personal judgments and does not represent the views of the United States Government or the Department of State.

My Horn Belongs on My Head! World Rhino Day

Posted on September 21, 2012 by lathamsa

The third annual World Rhino Day is today, September 22, 2012. It is currently co-organized by Lisa Jane Campbell of Chishakwe Ranch in Zimbabwe and Rhishja Cota-Larson of Saving Rhinos in the United States. It was first announced by World Wildlife Fund South Africa in 2010 and became an international event in 2012, seeking to raise awareness for the conservation and preservation of all five species of African and Asian rhinos.

What is the main message of World Rhino Day? The official website describes it thusly: “At the root of the rhino crisis is the myth that rhino horn contains curative properties. World Rhino Day highlights efforts to debunk the myths and diminish the demand for rhino horn.”

Learn more about World Wildlife Fund South Africa’s new national program to “strengthen and support rhino conservation efforts in South Africa.” They have created a five-point plan in response to the severe increase in rhino poaching in recent years. The plan focuses heavily on working with local communities living near key rhino populations, to provide “tangible benefits” for their safeguarding efforts. In addition, the plan’s goal of breaking the illegal rhino horn trade chain looks into the demand side of the operation, in markets such as Vietnam,

as well as other countries that are on the trade route between where rhinos are poached and where they are being sold.

Jo Shaw, World Wildlife Fund South Africa’s Rhino Coordinator has a message for South Africa’s residents that is important for all people to read: “Rhinos have ranged far and wide across Africa and formed a magnificent part of our cultural

and natural heritage for thousands of years – we urge all South Africans to play a part in their protection at this pivotal point in their future.”

International Day of Biological Diversity

Posted on May 21, 2012 by lathamsa

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r Biological Diversity is May 22, 2012. This year’s theme is Marine Biodiversity.” width=”440″ height=”130″ />Tomorrow, May 22, 2012 is International Day for Biological Diversity! This year’s theme is Marine Biodiversity. How is biodiversity related to sustainability? If we over fish the seas, species will disappear, affecting not only the marine ecosystems but also the availability of food for billions of people. If we pollute the seas, marine life including coral, different types of fish and marine mammals, even tiny microorganisms you need a microscope to see, will disappear. The same is true for all of the different habitats, from rainforests to plains, even the frozen tundra. Protecting different species and their habitats is imperative to keep ecosystems functioning- and humans are a big part of those ecosystems.

To learn more about this year’s theme, check out the website. This list tells you about different celebrations all over the world; find one in your country today. To learn more about the themes for the past 10 years, including Biodiversity and Climate Change and Forest Biodiversity, check out this page.

For more information on some of the many different components of marine biodiversity, click on any of

the themes on this page. From the Problem of Over Fishing to the Human Impact to a Warmer Ocean, there is an incredible wealth of information on the site.

And if you want to learn more about oceans in general, whether it is species of fish or acidification, download the free Amazing Ocean App! It’s available for iPhone, Android, and HTML, so you can view the app on your phone or computer!

National Elephant Day

Posted on April 30, 2012 by lathamsa

U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, Kristie Kenney, with an elephant at the National Zoo to celebrate Thailand's "National Elephant Day."

To celebrate Thailand’s National Elephant Day, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, Kristie Kenney, and Thai Deputy Chief of Mission Nantana Sivakua visited the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. to get a tour of the “Elephant Trails” exhibit. It is here that we met Kandula, Shanthi, and Ambika, the zoo’s resident elephants. On the trip, it was great to hear Ambassador Kenney’s reflections during our tour. Her face lit up while she told stories of her past visits, with her emphasis on the “extraordinary opportunities for learning that are free.”

What struck me as most interesting about this trip to the zoo was learning that a lot of research about elephants shows the incredible similarity in their cognitive functioning to humans – that is to say the way we think, and react, is very much the same for a variety of emotions including joy, jealousy, grief, and even socialization! During the tour, Ambassador Kenney asked a zoo official if the elephants were bothered by all of the attention they received from visitors. His reply? Not at all- they actually look sad when there are not as many visitors!

Some Asian elephants are becoming endangered, largely due to poaching. Thankfully, there are organizations working to conserve the remaining wild population and breed more in captivity. The Smithsonian Institute is doing research on elephants and, after hearing about this research, the Ambassador emphasized the “importance of protecting animals and doing so before it is too late.” Other research conducted by the Smithsonian and their partners focuses on population control and led to the discovery of a disease that kills one-third of baby elephants. By making discoveries such as these, scientists can take positive steps towards protecting elephants and keeping their populations up. Without this research and current conservation efforts, Asian elephants could be gone in as little as 20 years.

Elephants in the wild are still at risk for poaching and those in conservancies are not necessarily self-sustaining because of sickness, injury, etc. Part of the National Zoo’s initiative is creating an “insurance population” of elephants, a process that takes about 6-7 years to create one whole replacement generation. Why does it take this long?

An elephant’s pregnancy lasts 22 months, for which only one baby is born
Additional pregnancies do not usually occur until after the first calf is weaned, about 4-5 years.

So why is this elephant research so important? Elephants’ place in the ecosystem is imperative and, as Ambassador Kenney pointed out, “These are not just animals that sit in a zoo, they are part of the greater infrastructure.” She added, “There is uniqueness in the Thai culture for the role and importance of the elephant.” Do you have elephants in your country? Can you imagine a world without them?

This post was written by Jen Dougherty of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Information Programs. She attended the event to celebrate Thailand’s National Elephant Day at the National Zoo with the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, Kristie Kenney. Jen works on eJournal USA Facebook page and @AmericaGov Twitter.

Wildlife and Wild Habitat Conservation

Posted on April 13, 2012 by lathamsa

Conservation of wild animals and their habitats is incredibly important, and people all over the world have recognized this and are taking action. Earlier this month, we learned about some large international conservation organizations you might be familiar with. Now let’s explore some organizations specifically focused on wildlife conservation: protecting animals and their habitats.

Peacock at the Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park, Gibraltar Botanic Gardens (Wikimedia/Gibmetal77)

The Wildlife Conservation Society was founded in 1895 with the mission “to save wildlife and wild places across the globe.” Today, they “protect many of the world’s iconic creatures here [in the United States] and abroad, including gorillas in the Congo, tigers in India, wolverines in the Yellowstone Rockies, and ocean giants in our world’s amazing seascapes.” They are committed to protecting 25% of the world’s biodiversity, and they work to accomplish this by focusing on four main areas of conservation: climate change, natural resource exploitation, the connection between wildlife health and human health, and the sustainable development of human livelihoods. Explore their website for more information about where they work, saving wildlife, saving wild places, and videos discussing survival and migration among other things.

The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), “together with the people of Africa, works to ensure the wildlife and wild lands of Africa will endure forever.” AWF says “we believe that protecting Africa’s wildlife and wiled landscapes is the key to the future prosperity of Africa and its people – and for over 50 years, we have made it our work to help ensure that Africa’s wild resources endure.” They focus on empowering Africans “living on the land [they] strive to protect” primarily because the people living on the land are “in touch with both its potential and its challenges.” AWF works in 9 areas across the continent, including the Congo, Limpopo and Virunga. For a full list and more information about their mission and methods, check out this page. Their website is divided into three main conservation themes: Conserving Wildlife, Protecting Land, Empowering People. Explore each section for more information and resources about how you can become involved.

The Wildlife Conservation Network puts “the spirit of innovation in conservation.” They are “dedicated to protecting endangered species and preserving their natural habitats…” and they “support innovative strategies for people and wildlife to co-exist and thrive.” Their approach is unique in its emphasis on fostering the “entrepreneurial spirit” in conservation, which they work on by “partner[ing] with independent, community-based conservationists around the world and provid[ing] them with the capital and tools they need to develop solutions for human wildlife coexistence.” Learn more about where they work and what species they are focusing their efforts on here. Explore their special initiatives such as a scholarship program and a solar project that provides solar power to projects in the bush.

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