Archive for the ‘community-based conservation’ Category

May
17

Wildlife Heroes Profiles: Painted Dog Conservation

Posted by in Africa,Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Carnivores,community-based conservation,Conservation,Doubt and Xmas,Endangered Species,Featured,Field Research

Join us on May 19th and 20th for wildlife Heroes weekend.  On May 20th we welcome Jeff Flocken, co-author of Wildlife Heroes: 40 Leading Conservationists and the Animals they are Committed to Saving for a book-signing and presentations by zoo staff on the focus species of the book. Wildlife Heroes will be available for sale at the zoo on May 20th, quantities are limited!  Books are also available for  pre-order on the Houston Zoo website at: http://www.houstonzoo.org/wildlife-heroes/for a dicounted price until May 17th.

To give you an idea of the projects covered in the book, we thought we would highlight a few of the projects the Houston Zoo supports throughout the week:

Dr. Greg Rasmussen: Painted Dog Conservation

Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) was originally established as Painted Dog Research in 1992 by Dr. Gregory Rasmussen. During the first two years the human-induced incidents from snares, shootings and road kills accounted for 95% of all Painted dog (aka African wild dog) mortalities. Early public presentations showed prejudice and ignorance and it was clear that unless this situation was addressed, the species could become extinct. The initial emphasis was to identify the critical issues and develop a strategy that would make a substantial, lasting contribution to Painted Dogs, nature conservation and, very importantly, to the lives of the local people.

Today, PDC employs over 60 people from the local communities to run programs that ensure the survival of the Painted dogs and improvement the livelihoods of the local people.

PDC is a leading model for community-based predator conservation. By combining the most advanced modern technology with traditional knowledge of local communities, PDC has experienced great success – Zimbabwe’s wild dog population has increased from 400 to 700 individuals since the project’s inception. PDC’s model also brings direct benefit to local people with increased employment and unparalleled education opportunities.

Painted Dog in rehabilitation facility just before release back into the wild

Residents of PDC’s neighboring communities not only benefit from its programs but also actively contribute to them.  For example, community members are employed in anti-poaching units and produce beautiful and unique art from the confiscated snare wire.  They assist in systematic monitoring of the painted dog population and teach environmental educational.  The active engagement of local residents empowers communities, strengthens conservation, and raises environmental awareness. 

When you come to the Houston Zoo on May 19th and 20th for our Wildlife Heroes weekend visit the Painted dog exibit area, and try your hand at building your own snare wire sculptures.  Wire sculpture building will take place at 10am until 12 pm on both days .  Hope to see you there!

You can meet Dr. Greg Rasmussen at the 2012 Wildlife Conservation Expo on October 13th in San Francisco, CA

 

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May
16

Wildlife Heroes Profiles: Okapi

Posted by in Africa,Animal Origins & Fun Facts,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Featured,Field Research,Okapi,Uncategorized

Join us on May 19th and 20th for wildlife Heroes weekend.  On May 20th we welcome Jeff Flocken, co-author of Wildlife Heroes: 40 Leading Conservationists and the Animals they are Committed to Saving for a book-signing and presentations by zoo staff on the focus species of the book. Wildlife Heroes will be available for sale at the zoo on May 20th, quantities are limited!  Books are also available for  pre-order on the Houston Zoo website at: http://www.houstonzoo.org/wildlife-heroes/for a dicounted price until May 17th.

To give you an idea of the projects covered in the book, we thought we would highlight a few of the projects the Houston Zoo supports throughout the week:

Okapi Conservation Project, Democratic Republic of Congo – John Lukas

This not John Lukas but this is an Okapi in Epulu Conservation Station, DRC

John Lukas is the Executive Director of the White Oak Conservation Center in Yule, Florida and the founder of the Okapi Conservation Project.

Striped hindquarters of a OkapiThere is very little that is not amazing about the Okapi. Perfectly colored to blend into the deep forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this distant relative of the Giraffe looks like more like a relative of the Zebra from their striped hindquarters and legs. Currently believed to  exist exclusively in the Ituri Forest of the DRC, a country that is struggling with civil strife, illegal mining operations and illegal logging,  it is a flagship and iconic species for a region which is one of the most biologically diverse in the world.

The species was not discovered by scientists until 1901 which is even more amazing for a mammal the size of a horse

The Okapi is a conservation success story, in a very difficult region, all due to the workd of the Okapi Conservation Project. You can view the Houston Zoo’s Okapi right next to our Elephant exhibit.

John Lukas will be a presenter at the Wildlife Conservation Network Expo on October 13, 2012 in San Francisco, CA

Come and visit the Okapi exhibit at the Zoo on May 19th and 20th for our Wildlife Heroes weekend to learn about the alternate protein source effort the Okapi project is attempting to reduce the need for poaching.

 

 

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May
15

Wildlife Heroes Profiles: Cotton-top Tamarins

Posted by in Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Central America,community-based conservation,Conservation,Cotton-top Tamarin,Endangered Species,Featured,Field Research

Join us on May 19th and 20th for wildlife Heroes weekend.  On May 20th we welcome Jeff Flocken, co-author of Wildlife Heroes: 40 Leading Conservationists and the Animals they are Committed to Saving for a book-signing and presentations by zoo staff on the focus species of the book. Wildlife Heroes will be available for sale at the zoo on May 20th, quantities are limited!  Books are also available for  pre-order on the Houston Zoo website at: http://www.houstonzoo.org/wildlife-heroes/for a dicounted price until May 17th.

To give you an idea of the projects covered in the book, we thought we would highlight a few of the projects the Houston Zoo supports throughout the week:

 

Rosamira Guillen, Director of Proyecto Titi: Cotton-top Tamarins.

That monkey has one bad hairdo.

Cotton-top Tamarin, Colombia. Proyecto Titi

This should make it easy to promote, or hard to promote – who wants an endangered species of primate roaming around the forest if they cannot manage their hair? Well, we do!

Cotton-top tamarins are an endangered species of primate found only in the tropical forests of Colombia. Weighing about 1 pound, this tiny monkey needs our help in order to survive. Proyecto Tití is a conservation program that works to study cotton-top tamarins in their tropical forest habitat  as well as educating local communities about the need to protect the biodiversity of Colombia. But, to make conservation economically feasible  for many local communities, they have developed some innovative strategies to empower local people to get involved and benefit from conservation activities.

Rosamira Guillen has worked tirelessly to protect this species. Over 90% of the cotton-top tamarins forest has been lost to development and other activities. Proyecto Titi began in 1985 and is committed to raising public awareness to the plight of the cotton-top tamarin through a variety of projects involving numerous individuals and organizations.

From community education programs to alternative uses for heating and cooking, Proyecto Titi is making a difference in protecting this very important primate within a limited habitat. Learn more at http://proyectotiti.com

If you are on the West Coast and would like to meet Rosamira Guillen, she will be presenting in Losa Altos, California on June 2nd and then at the Wildlife Conservation Network Expo in San Francisco, CA on October 13th, 2012.

Join us for the Wildlife Heroes weekend here at the Houston Zoo on May 19th and 20th and learn about the community commerce effort this project has created to offer new ways to generate income for the poor surrounding communities.  During the keeper chats on this special weekend you will also hear about various research techniques this project uses for this unique species.

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May
11

Wildlife Heroes Profiles: Rhinos

Posted by in Africa,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Featured,Field Research,Rhino

Join us on May 19th and 20th for wildlife Heroes weekend.  On May 20th we welcome Jeff Flocken, co-author of Wildlife Heroes: 40 Leading Conservationists and the Animals they are Committed to Saving for a book-signing and presentations by zoo staff on the focus species of the book. Wildlife Heroes will be available for sale at the zoo on May 20th, quantities are limited!  Books are also available for  pre-order on the Houston Zoo website at: http://www.houstonzoo.org/wildlife-heroes/for a dicounted price until May 17th.

To give you an idea of the projects covered in the book, we thought we would highlight a few of the projects the Houston Zoo supports throughout the week:

 

Raoul Du Toit: African Rhinoceros

Raoul Du Toit truly is a Rhino Hero. Raoul is the International Rhino Foundations African Rhino Program Advisor and the Director of the Lowveld Rhino Trust in Zimbabwe. He has worked for over 25 years to protect the Black Rhino and White Rhinos of Africa, two species whose populations sturggle due to habitat loss and immense poaching pressures.

The Rhinoceros has survived on our planet for millions of years and once occurred not only in Africa and Asia but in Europe andNorth Americaas well. But today, only five species of rhino survive. Four of these five species sit on the verge of extinction and the fifth, the White rhino, holds a population of less than 18,000 individuals across the African continent.

The Rhino is truly a species on the edge. Zoos, conservation organizations, and field researchers have worked together for many years to help fight for their survival. It is difficult to protect a species whose numbers have plummeted so quickly but when you consider the 25,000 rhinos worldwide are spilt between 5 species, it makes the challenge of recovery all that more daunting.

To learn more about the Houston Zoo’s work with Rhino Conservation or to support our efforts, follow the link.

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May
10

Wildlife Heroes Profiles: Tapir Conservation

Posted by in Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Central America,community-based conservation,Conservation,Field Research,South America

Join us on May 19th and 20th for wildlife Heroes weekend.  On May 20th we welcome Jeff Flocken, co-author of Wildlife Heroes: 40 Leading Conservationists and the Animals they are Committed to Saving for a book-signing and presentations by zoo staff on the focus species of the book. Wildlife Heroes will be available for sale at the zoo on May 20th, quantities are limited!  Books are also available for  pre-order on the Houston Zoo website at: http://www.houstonzoo.org/wildlife-heroes/for a dicounted price until May 17th.

To give you an idea of the projects covered in the book, we thought we would highlight a few of the projects the Houston Zoo supports throughout the week:

Dr. Patricia Medici, Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative

The Houston Zoo has been a fan of Pati Medici’s going back nearly a dozen years.  Chair of the IUCN (World Conservation Union) Tapir Specialist Group, Dr. Medici assists in directing conservation activities for all four species of  Tapir – 3 from Latin America and 1 from Malaysia.

Tapirs are what we would call “landscape architects”. They not only create trails through the thick underbrush of the forest for other animals, but they also manage the forest because of the plants they eat and the seeds they disperse.

The Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative aims to establish a long-term Tapir Research and Conservation Programs in all key Brazilian biomes. Specifically, basic ecology, population demography, habitat use and animal movement, genetic profile, and health status will be evaluated in each biome. The main goals of this project are to use the data collected to assess the conservation status and viability of the lowland tapir populations in the Brazilian biomes, and to design specific set of recommendations for the conservation of the species in each one of them.

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May
09

Wildlife Heroes is an awesome book, and we have the author coming to the Zoo!

Posted by in Africa,amphibians,Bats,Birds,Borneo,Bumblebees,Carnivores,Central America,Chimpanzee,community-based conservation,Conservation,Cotton-top Tamarin,Elephant,Endangered Species,Field Research,Going Green,Gorilla,Okapi,orangutan,Painted Dog,Panama,Rhino,Sea Turtles,South America,What You Can Do

Join us on May 19th and 20th for Wildlife Heroes weekend at the Houston Zoo.  On May 20th we welcome Jeff Flocken, co-author of Wildlife Heroes: 40 Leading Conservationists and the Animals they are Committed to Saving for a book-signing and presentations by zoo staff on the focus species of the book. Wildlife Heroes will be available for sale at the zoo on May 20th, quantities are limited!  Books are also available for  pre-order on the Houston Zoo website at: http://www.houstonzoo.org/wildlife-heroes/for a dicounted price until May 17th.

My first heroes were animal people.  When I went to zoos my heroes were the zoo keepers and when I watched animal documentaries the researchers were my heroes.  We all need amazing people to inspire us and that is why the new book Wildlife Heroes is so wonderful. 

The book includes 40 people overcoming impossible odds to save endangered species all over the world.  If you are looking for real heroes for your children to look up to look now further! 

The unique stories in this book of local communities becoming involved in anti-poaching, education and research efforts for wildlife in their own back yard are immeasurably inspiring!  In one story a young boy, Thia grew up in Northern Vietnam watching his village hunt the very species he fights to save today.  His passion to help a unique species called the pangolin will warm your heart!
 
I have had the honor of meeting many of the heroes in this book (including the authors) over the years and they inspire me to move forward in my own wildlife conservation work.  These are real people making a real difference! 

This book introduces readers to pollinator and amphibian decline and other environment issues that continue to threaten our world.  But it also offers great messages of hope.  In the last chapter Jack Hannah suggests ways the reader can help, and the good news is that by purchasing the Wildlife Heroes book you are already helping- 100 % of the proceeds go to the projects featured in the book.  A win for everyone!

Hope to see you at the Houston Zoo for our Wildlife Heroes weekend May 19th and 20th!

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Mar
31

Human-Wildlife Conflict Collaboration (HWCC)

Posted by in Africa,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Painted Dog

Last year, I had the opportunity to participate in a Human-Wildlife Conflict Collaboration (HWCC) course.  It was an intense four day training that packed a punch!  It provided essential tools enabling me to handle conflict in any setting, but specifically focus around human-wildlife conflict.  The term ”human-wildlife conflict” is a bit misleading. You may be picturing students in a room with a wild tiger, being told to “work things out”, but let me be clear: people have conflicts with other people about wildlife.

Participants hailed from all over the US.  Many of them were from organizations having the same goal of conserving wolves, but not having a history of working well together.  The dissonance between the group was so palpable, that at first we were asked not to reveal where we worked.  By the end of the training, all of the organizations were working together in harmony and happily revealed who they were during the last case study.  It was a testament to the HWCC course itself to see these groups working together and watch a history of conflicts resolved by the end of the training.
The course focused on providing tools to maintain peace for continued progress in wildlife conservation efforts. It prepares participants to recognize the potential signs of conflict and handle them in the earliest stages. In the world of conservation, time is of the essence. Endangered species often don’t have time for humans to fight amongst themselves. Conflict can bring species protection efforts to a complete halt, which is why this training is so valuable in wildlife conservation.

We are always looking for practical ways to assist our wildlife conservation partners in the field.  HWCC held a training last week in Kenya, and we were able to fund a park guard from the Niassa lion preserve in Mozambique, the lead conservation biologist of the Niassa Lion project in Mozambique, the lead education officer of Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe, and a researcher from the Senegal chimp project.

Niassa Lion Project in Mazambique, Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe and Senegal chimps representitives sent to HWCC training in Kenya

These are a few of the responses we received from the participants after the training:

“Today we finished the training on Human Wildlife Conflict Collaboration at Ol Pejeta in Kenya. I would like to express my gratitude to you for every thing you have done to give to me the opportunity to participate in this training.
I will take this course seriously. I have learned as much I could to improve my contribution for conservation in Niassa National Reserve inMozambique. This course exceeded my expectation and I’m very happy to have this opportunity.”
Mbumba, Niassa National Reserve

“Well, I can honestly say that was the best and most useful workshop I have ever attended. Thank you and the Houston Zoo so much for not only introducing us to HWCC but also for sponsoring Mbumba and I and paying for the travel costs. We very much appreciate it. Both of us walked away  with lots of new ideas and tools to help us deal with conflicts and also make sure that we don’t inadvertently create more conflict  as we move forward. My head is buzzing!  The timing was perfect as NLP moves into engaging community guardians, finding solutions to bush meat snaring  and developing  the Environmental and Skills training centre. It was an amazing group of people that attended from Kenya, Uganda,Tanzania mainly with Kelly from Senegal and a few others from other projects. Peter from the Grevy’s Zebra Trust was there and it was good to see him again and speak about their Guardian programs, and I had a long talk to Wilton from PDC about the bush school program which he runs. So it was so productive on all fronts.
So thank you, it made a big difference. Already I am thinking of other people I need to encourage to do the course as I think it should be essential for anyone working in conservation.  
Kind regards, and many thanks again.”
Colleen Begg
Niassa Lion Conservation

We are very excited to announce that we are hosting the HWCC training at the Houston Zoo in November for our local partners.  Conflict has collapsed conservation efforts in the past, but this training is equipping armies of conservationists with the tools to advance in the battle to save wildlife.

 

 

 

 

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Mar
30

Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL)

Posted by in Africa,Carnivores,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research

Co-founder of EWCL, Jeff Flocken teaching about the importance of networking

Last week, I got to attend and assist with a unique training course called Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders.  The course was developed to provide support and inspiration to conservation professionals around the world.   There were participants from Ethiopia, Mongolia, Brazil, Europe and the US.  In this two year long program, participants come together for one week each year for workshops, training, and mentoring. The rest of the time is spent focusing on assigned conservation projects that they receive at the beginning of the course.  Participants put themselves into groups and are assigned to a species(one they don’t already work with) conservation effort.  The group then creates, implements and evaluates projects designed to enhance existing wildlife conservation efforts.

One group this year worked with a lion program in Africa.  The EWCL team found funding to purchase devices that park staff could carry to enable them to identify and mark individual lion’s locations while they are out on game drives with tourists.  They also designed a program to allow tourists to log onto a website to identify the lions they photographed while on safari.  The team had posters made for all of the safari lodges to advertise this ID program. This sustainable project benefits both the researchers and lions tremendously.  More eyes on the lions improves the ability to monitor the populations, and engaging the tourists fosters an ownership in the battle to save the species.

Bradford works to protect the St. Vincent's parrot.

The support this program offers to its participants is tangible.  Many of them are transitioning in their own careers and the network this program provides ensures these eager and skilled conservationists don’t slip though the cracks.  Some of the participants were a girl working in Snow Leopard conservation in Mongolia, a man working with St Vincent parrots on St Vincent island, a man working with bats and wind turbines in the US, and a girl lobbying for endangered species in the White house.  This is a dream team of conservationists training for the race to save endangered species!

 

 

 

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Mar
23

International Veterinary Students

Posted by in Africa,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Featured,Gorilla

The Houston Zoo welcomed a friend from Rwanda his week as part of our Veterinary Externship. Methode Bahizi recently completed his studies in veterinary medicine in Rwanda where he designed and implemented a project for our partners at the  Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project to investigate the presence of disease vectors and the potential for disease transmission between livestock and wildlife.

In the summer of 2009, he led a University study team through countless rural communities in Rwanda working with 40 different sector veterinarians to visit over 450 families in Rwanda. The families that were visited had received cows from the Rwandan government in an effort to combat childhood malnutrition. In the “One Cow Per Poor Family” program, the cow is to provide milk and fertilizer in an attempt to increase the overall plane of nutrition for rural poor families in Rwanda. The concern is that the families were not experienced with animal husbandry and the project was designed identify areas of education that would help the families to better care for their livestock. The project was successful and Methode was recognized for his achievements.

Methode’s trip to the US is sponsored by Step One Foundation from Houston whose goal is to develop models for technology on farms that will improve animal welfare, farm productivity, and address environmental issues. This is Methode’s first trip to the US.

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Mar
21

Houston Aeros Cell Phone Drive

Posted by in Animal Origins & Fun Facts,Central America,Chimpanzee,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Gorilla,What You Can Do

Spring Break is probably the busiest week of the year for many of us. The zoo is full of visiting guests, families are traveling and the Houston Aeros Hockey Team played 6 home games in 8 nights.

Not only did the Houston Aeros win 5 of those 6 home games, they also assisted the Houston Zoo in our most successful recycled cell phone collection drive ever! Just for general reference, the zoo collected nearly 1,200 phones in 2011. During the week of March 10-18 of this year – the Houston Aeros collected 758 phones before their games at the Toyota Center!

Looks like someone just recycled Edward from Twilight. Score one for Team Jacob

Help Wildlife in the Congo:

Why recycle your cell phone? First, it can help the environment by recycling hazardous waste but it also may help animals in the wild. Columbite-tantalite, or Coltan for short, is a dull metallic ore found in major quantities in the eastern areas of the African Congo. It is used in cell phones, laptops, pagers and other electronic devices. When refined, coltan becomes metallic tantalum, a heat resistant powder that can hold a high electrical charge.  Some types of Coltan mining may occur illegally in protected lands all across the Congo which in turn put wildlife such as Elephants and Gorillas of the Congo region at risk. Eighty percent of the world’s known coltan supply is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There, it is mined by hand by groups of men digging basins in streams, scraping away dirt to get to the muddy coltan underneath. Recycling unused cell phones can help protect the wildlife, since reuse of the phones results in the need for fewer new ones, which reduces the need for coltan mining.
 
Donate your cell phone to the Houston Zoo and the Zoo will have it recycled ensuring that most of these cell phones and their accessories will be reused or properly disposed of.
 
A big thank you to the Houston Aeros and Aeros staff for all their help and support for the Houston Zoo. There are 7 more home games before the season ends on April 15th and the Houston Aeros start their playoff run to the Calder Cup Trophy. Check out their schedule and support Aeros hockey.

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