Fieldwork often begins long before the first transect is walked. It starts with conversations, introductions, cups of coffee, and the kindness of people willing to help a stranger with a research project. February turned out to be exactly that kind of month. Unlike January, which was filled with wildlife sightings and long walks in the bush, February was all about people and connections. I spent more time at the University of Venda getting to know Read more
I’ve been in South Africa for a little over a month now. When I arrived in Johannesburg, the sky was clear and sunny. I rented a small car and headed north, stopping in Pretoria to meet Embassy staff for coffee and conversation. From there, I continued on to Thohoyandou. I had barely arrived when the rain began. For the next five days, it poured, and Limpopo began to flood. I used the time to recover Read more
The Chacma Baboon Project is finally becoming a reality, thanks to the support of the William J. Fulbright Scholar Award. After months of preparation, the project officially launches in January—and we’re excited to bring you along from the very beginning. Our first step will be gathering information from the people who know baboons best. We’ll be surveying community members with firsthand experience, collecting baboon photos from known locations, inviting the public to guess the number Read more