As some of you may already know, Zambia is famous for the spectacular straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) migration with estimates of up to 10 million bats to arriving at Kasanka National Park each year. However, Zambia is actually home to over 80 bat species from nine families, and this number is likely to grow. Despite their fantastic diversity and ecological importance, bats have received relatively little attention by local scientists and conservationists since the 1980s. As with the other countries in the region, habitat disturbance, deforestation and persecution have been highlighted as threats to bats due to urbanisation and agricultural expansion, which force people and bats to increasingly share space and resources. In reality with so little current information available, it is difficult to make accurate predictions of the impact of human activities of bats in Zambia; this is all changing thanks to Helen Taylor-Boyd and her Zagribats PhD project, which she is doing at the University of Stirling supervised by Professor Kirsty Park and Dr Elisa Fuentes-Monemayor.
Helen developed the project to specifically investigate how bats may be using commercial farming landscapes, as well as collecting data to improve our knowledge on particular species ecology and conservation priorities. Helen's main focus for her research is to investigate how different bat species are using the agricultural landscapes, which will indicate which species may be affected by agricultural expansion and how we may encourage them on commercial farms. She is just starting her third field season, during her fieldwork she also trains local field assistants and invites people from all over the world to help on the project and diversify the training available to field assistants. If you are interested in volunteering with Helen, please get in touch. As a collaborative project, Helen works with government departments, landowners and educational establishments to conduct the research and to disseminate information about bats in general and the work that she is doing.
Helen developed the project to specifically investigate how bats may be using commercial farming landscapes, as well as collecting data to improve our knowledge on particular species ecology and conservation priorities. Helen's main focus for her research is to investigate how different bat species are using the agricultural landscapes, which will indicate which species may be affected by agricultural expansion and how we may encourage them on commercial farms. She is just starting her third field season, during her fieldwork she also trains local field assistants and invites people from all over the world to help on the project and diversify the training available to field assistants. If you are interested in volunteering with Helen, please get in touch. As a collaborative project, Helen works with government departments, landowners and educational establishments to conduct the research and to disseminate information about bats in general and the work that she is doing.
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Helen is one of our longest standing volunteers! Both in the UK and in Zambia she presents Bats without Borders by giving public talks, attending events and doing personal challenges to generate much needed public engagement and funding in support of bat conservation in southern Africa. Behind the scenes at Bats without Borders. she is also involved in administration, fundraising, developing educational materials and communications. Her passion for bats and her concern for their conservation in her home country is undeniable as is evident from the Zagribats Project.
Helen has developed this project herself and is studying part-time so has been able to fund some fieldwork herself through freelance work. The genetic work needed for this project is particularly costly as it involves dietary analysis - so she really needs our support to fund the genetic work needed. Please help us to support Helen by kindly donating to the Helen's fundraising Zagribats page. |
Don't delay, you can give today ;o)
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