Educational Outreach Activities Undertaken by CRES in Cameroon
The San Diego Zoo's CRES established a research station in the small village of Nyasoso, in Bakossiland, Cameroon, in 2000. Although several educational outreach activities have been undertaken since then, of particular note is the training in research activities of some of our local staff.
Jacqueline Engongwie was recruited to the CRES drill program to spearhead a study of the bushmeat trade in surrounding villages. She developed skills in mammal species identification, quatitative measurements of carcasses, report writing, and the social skills necessary to conduct such sensitive work. Jacqueline has completed a bachelor's degree at the Univeristy of Buea in Cameroon and now intends to progress to a master's program with support from CRES.
Assistance continues to be given to the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, by collecting plant specimens throughout Bakossiland. The drill program has supported the training of a botanist, Martin Etuge, who has spent time working at Kew and acted as an ambassador for Bakossiland. Several new plant species have been named in his honor, including a new genus of Triuridaceae found nowhere else in the world.
The program is also involved with international educational initiatives and supports the biannual research visits of the international nongovernmental organization EARTHWATCH, which engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education. Thanks in part to this collaboration, over 50 new endemic plant and fungi species have been discovered in Bakossiland. Such studies have raised awareness of the biological importance of this area, and these collaborations have been instrumental in the government of Cameroon's efforts to gazette Bakossiland as one of the largest and most important Protected Areas Systems in the country.
