Training with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks

The Botswana research team at UT’s Department of Geography and the Environment has developed a training program for Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP). The program aims to link academic ‘boots on the ground’ research with DWNP’s various units, e.g. the research unit, anti-poaching unit and others. During the courses our faculty update Wildlife Officers on new technologies and approaches, such as Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems and other related fields. This time we thought it might be a good experience for all to combine our Study Abroad Course with a training session in ecological sampling design, vegetation species identification and structural measurement and data analysis as well as the effective use of GPS technology in the field. The course consisted of various lectures, fieldwork and practical exercises where we calculated carrying capacities for various animal species for a given surveyed area. Students and DWNP staff partnered in these exercises, with our students sharing with DWNP staff what they have been learning over the last several weeks, and DWNP staff sharing what experiences they have had in the important field of environmental management.

Thoralf explaining the process of calculating carrying capacities.

Our lecturing facility (tent) was packed with people this time.

While GPS technology is a commonly used technology today, using field GPS units, combined with actual coordinates, distance units, angles etc. is a different story. Here, our students and DWNP staff members are getting ready to have a ‘race’ through the bush.

Derry and Phale getting ready to hit the ‘road’.    

Mary, Josie and Choto entering a variety of different coordinates, provided in different formats.

Dineo getting her bearings right.

The location of the vegetation plots were randomly chosen, so as usual, we ended up in the most dense acacia thicket around.

 We ended the course with some seriously competitive volleyball.

 We even had a highly qualified referee, Dr. Kelley Crews.

The course was successful from an academic point of view and served as an excellent cross-cultural experience for everybody involved. We should do that again.