March for Science Kibale

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Sometimes you just let an idea grow and grow, and the next thing you know you have organized a local March for Science...

And March for Science Kibale was a great success! We were joined by field assistants from most of the research projects currently going on in Kibale National Park, about 80 kids from the local primary schools and football team, 13 representatives from the Ugandan Wildlife Authority (federal governing body) and some additional community members who just wanted to participate. Also, the day before the March, I was invited to be on public radio to discuss the event. I went with one of the field assistants that I work with, Saizi, and we were given a 40 minute slot on an environmental talk show where we were able to discuss why we were having the march and about the importance of science and conservation more generally. It was heaps of fun! 
We started the day by making posters with the kids about why science was important to them. Then we took our posters and walked through three of the communities adjacent to our field station - these are communities that boarder Kibale National Park and therefore suffer the consequences of crop raiding by animals in the park and are most likely to participate in poaching. After returning to our field station, we spent some time learning about all of the research projects that are currently being conducted. It was very cool to hear from some of the field assistants who have been working on projects here forms much as 20-30 year. We also had several rather important people from the Uganda Wildlife Authority come and share some wise words about conservation. 
My favourite part of the whole day was when we split up into small groups where students had the chance to talk with the field assistants and UWA representatives and ask them about Kibale, research and conservation. The students blew me away with the questions that they asked. For example, they wanted to know whether chimps could have twins, how long gestation was in the different primate species, how to tell a primate from another animal, and how they could access medicinal plants in the forest. I mostly stepped back on this part of the day - I was thrilled that the kids could get answers to their questions in their local language and from people from their own community. 

I really wanted to help break down the wall between the community and our field station. Our field station is within the (gated) boundary of the park - the community watches researchers and field assistants coming and going into the park all day long but they do not really know what we do here. By the end of the day, it seemed that inviting the students into the field station was a highly successful way to open the ‘black box’ of research that goes on in Kibale National Park.  I was told that this was ’the first event of its kind’ in Uganda and that it won’t be the last!

Have you thought about finding your nearest March for Science? Most places are hosting this saturday. Or if there isn't one around, don't hesitate to host one yourself!



Here we go! I made the banner myself... using house paint because I couldn't find craft paint. haha! Bashir, in green on the right, is one of our KCP field assistants. He used to work for the Science Center in town and is particularly excellent at rounding up the kids!  Photo courtesy of Eric Guzzetta and the Kibale Chimpanzee Project.


Here is Saizi talking with students about science, research and the animals in Kibale National Park.


These are the field assistants that came out to represent their research projects. Some of them have worked on research in Kibale for even 30 years. They are incredibly passionate about their jobs. One guy has studied grey cheeked mangabeys since 1992 and told us that if we EVER wanted to know something about them we'd better ask him, he'll even give us his whatsapp number so we can ask anytime. Do you see the lack of women? Yes. But those who are here are strong! Naomi is the one dressed in green, she was amazing and made a hand painted banner to represent her band in the march, helped me post advertisements in the local villages, and lead the children in 'We love what? SCIENCE!" chants for most of the March. Stella is the woman in red. She works for me transcribing voice files into digitized data using an app and her genius brain. She is brilliant at her job and only 23 years old! 



We had many representatives from the Uganda Wildlife Authority generously spend their day with us!










 Here I am! Photo courtesy of Eric Guzzetta and the Kibale Chimpanzee Project.




Here are Saizi and I on the radio show!



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