Edgar Pollard
Other projects
We hope to achieve a forest inventory from which we will be able to produce education material of forest resources that will not only be beneficial to the tribe but will also be a resource for surrounding communities and especially the younger generation.
We hope through this program to achieve more engaged landowners/rangers/young people in the vision of our conservation area. We also want to achieve tangible outputs in the production of a forest inventory list and the documentation and publication of our key plants and animals such as palms, vines, trees and frogs. This program will also enable us to achieve the maintenance of our bush tracks and research hut.
The key activities for this program will be the documentation of plants and animals and also the maintenance of bush tracks and the research hut.
Organization of Ranger Teams and community talk - 1 month/July
During the first month of the program a total of 12 rangers will be selected to participate and there will be a community talk to outline the aims and plans of the program. The 12 rangers will be divided into 4 teams with our 4 focus areas (1. Palms, 2. Vines, 3. Vitex trees, 4. Frogs).
Documenting and Maintenance – 1 week every month for 10 months/August – May
Vitex cofassus is a regional endemic wood tree that is commonly used for building, it is locally protected and is therefore not allowed to be exported as round logs. However, some logging companies still smuggle this unique hardwood out and also many locals will sell this timber to local timber yards for money. Very little is known about the abundance of this species so this study will help us understand that further.
The Litoria sp. from is still an undescribed species that was found in our conservation area during a past visit from students from Kansas University. Very little is known about the frog as it is rare, there this work will be important in identifying areas that are important to this frog and an updated population information.
Vines and palms are of a local conservation concern as they are not only important plants in the forest but they also have important uses for the local people. There is a general understanding that these plants are diminishing due to increasing population demands but also through habitat destruction by logging.