So, last week I got a call on Thursday afternoon from a new research partner asking if I’d like to take their place on an upcoming trip to Africa. Kenya and South Africa specifically. He didn’t even get to finish his sentence before I said yes. I feel a little guilty because it (a) throws the plant work off schedule and (b) I’m replacing the ecological ethicist who threw out his back. However, it puts me in a position to do some pilot research for a new project that could lead to something else in the conservation/climate research nexus. This new research project, Saving Africa’s Vultures, synthesizes what is known about why vulture populations are declining in eastern and southern Africa to develop tools to improve vulture protection through societal/behavioral and legal means.
I hadn’t intended to instigate a whole new project this summer but that is exactly what is happening. This afternoon I drafted questions for a semi-structured interview with social network questions. My next step is to get feedback from my research partners and write my IRB application. Based on the overarching research goals, my interviews will be aimed at (1) building/strengthening the current vulture conservation network; (2) identifying/ranking known vulture species stressors; and (3) identifying tools for vulture conservation education. This last one will be interesting as vultures are definitely not the first thing people think of in terms of conservation despite their important ecosystem role as scavengers/decomposers. They are not pretty or cute or cuddly. My work will also focus on interviewing conservation experts; learning about their environmental knowledge and networks for sharing knowledge and resources.
I expect the next month or so to be a mad scramble as I read up on vultures and prepare for new interviews with experts. I don’t want to sound like an idiot. At the same time I will forge ahead with my plant data. In all it completes the circle of life – from primary producers to consumers to decomposers.