Paleo-Primate Project Gorongosa Newsletter - April 2020

Paleo-Primate Project Gorongosa Newsletter - April 2020

Welcome to the April 2020 edition of our monthly newsletter for the Paleo-Primate Project Gorongosa. We hope that all of our team members across the globe are keeping well and we want to reassure you that, as we all adjust to the unprecedented times faced in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we remain as committed as ever to the main research goals of the Paleo-Primate Project Gorongosa. We hope our newsletter can provide some much-needed good news as we continue to distribute our monthly updates. Now, as ever, we send our warmest wishes to all our team members and encourage you to share any news that we may feature in future issues and help us to spread some welcome positivity.

News and Updates
Jacinto to study a DPhil at the University of Oxford
Jacinto teaching

We are overjoyed to share that Jacinto Mathe has been awarded the Boise Trust Scholarship to complete a DPhil in Anthropology at the University of Oxford starting this October. We extend our warmest congratulations to Jacinto for this fantastic achievement and look forward to following his research as he begins his DPhil and continues his work in Gorongosa National Park, inspiring a new generation of young Mozambican scientists.

Image: Jacinto pictured teaching during the Oxford-Gorongosa Paleo-Primate Field School 2019

Rassina awarded grant from PAST Africa
Rassina PAST

In other student news, we are thrilled to report that Rassina Assane Farassi has been awarded £7500 of funding by PAST Africa to assist with the completion of her Masters in Primatology at the University of Girona. We are extremely proud of Rassina for winning this funding and look forward to hearing more updates as she continues her research.

Image: Rassina pictured during her postgraduate studies in Spain

PPPG and the Gorongosa Restoration Project
EFP-PSGB September 2019

Susana Carvalho and René Bobe have submitted a document to the Gorongosa Restoration Project describing the Paleo-Primate Project Gorongosa - this is part of Park management plans and seeks to have an overall view of all key projects and prepare documents that can be tailored to donors.

Image: Susana and René alongside some of our PPPG members back in September 2019 - when we are once more reunited, we really do need a team photo!

Reminder to please submit your annual reports
PPPG team reports

Thank you to senior team members who have already submitted their annual reports. If you are yet to submit yours, we would really appreciate if you could please do so as soon as possible, in order to help facilitate our continued research as part of the PPPG.

Image: The compilation of PPPG field reports from 2018

Progress on the new Paleo-Primate building continues
Paleo-Primate lab progress

We are very happy to be able to share further updates on the progress which has been made with the construction of the new Paleo-Primate building in Chitengo Camp of Gorongosa National Park. We are delighted with the work carried out and cannot wait until we can be there in the new building for ourselves!

Image: The Paleo-Primate building as of 29th April  2020 - photo taken by Jason Denlinger

WildCam Gorongosa citizen science
WildCam

If, like us, you are missing the wildlife of Gorongosa National Park, why not check out WildCam Gorongosa and help identify the animals captured by camera trap photos to assist active research and conservation projects? The perfect activity to take part in whilst we are all staying at home - please visit the website for more details and share widely with friends and family.

Image: Two baboons spotted on WildCam Gorongosa

Website

To notify us of anything you would like to be included in the next newsletter, please email Megan at megan.beardmore-herd@anthro.ox.ac.uk.