http://www.kasanka.com/images/darwin1.jpgResearch
The Darwin Initiative

 

The Darwin initiative is a program aimed at biodiversity conservation and increasing awareness of conservation issues through research and education in developing countries. The UK government funded initiative came into being following the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro during the early 1992 (see www.darwin.gov.uk for full details of the program).

 

In 2005 a project entitled ‘Conservation of Wetlands and Associated Biodiversity in Northern Zambia’ started in Kasanka National Park. It was the first project funded under the Darwin initiative based in Zambia. The project was partly funded by the UK based Holly Hill trust, and is administered through the University of Aberdeen in the UK.

 

The Darwin Initiative in Kasanka reached its conclusion in March 2008 with the departure of Dr Mike Kennedy and his assistant, Lackson Chama. A final stakeholder’s workshop was held in June with various institutions represented from Serenje and members from the local community.

Activities carried out by the Darwin Initiative in Kasanka focused on:

 

http://www.kasanka.com/images/new-A.jpgPhotograph by Kieran Dodds

 

1.     Hydrology and fire ecology of Kasanka National Park. Water quality sampling activities at up to 35 river, wetland, lake, well and borehole sites (dependent upon seasonal water levels) in and around the park were done. The water was analyzed for conductivity, pH, alkalinity and oxygen isotope ratios. The data collected allows us to look at how different water bodies fluctuate and are maintained through the course of the year, and hopefully allowing us to manage them properly in the future.

 

http://www.kasanka.com/images/new-b.jpg

 2.     Burning trials across woodland, grassland, and seasonally wet grasslands were carried out, with early burning treatments and late burning treatments all being completed by the end of September.  Exclosure cages (to prevent animals grazing from small areas of the plot) were set up to look at which habitat types and burning regime large grazers are likely to benefit from.

 

 

 

http://www.kasanka.com/images/darwin2.jpg3.     Guide training. With assistance provided by the Darwin Initiative local guides were trained in Kasanka and a guiding manual specific to Kasanka was developed.

  

4.     Studentships. The project has identified excellent  Zambian graduates to go onto the M.Sc. in Tourism and Conservation at the internationally renowned Durell Institute, based at the University of Kent in the UK. Two studentships were made available as part of the funding for the Darwin project.