CICASP | Center for International Collaboration and Advanced Studies in Primatology

In November of 2012, we sat down with Dr. Janet Nackoney, Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Geographical Sciences at the University of Maryland. Check out the interview on this installment of The PrimateCast.

During October and November 2012, Dr. Takeshi Furuichi held a workshop for African primate researchers and conservationists at the Kyoto University Primate Research Institute sponsred financially by the Asia-Africa Platform of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Dr. Nackoney, and expert in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), was invited to give a mini workshop on geospatial mapping and modeling using GIS. In the interview, Dr. Nackoney explains her long-term work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as it falls along two major lines: habitat suitability modeling for endangered species and conservation-based land use planning to promote responsible practices in natural resource utilization among local human populations. We discuss topics such as the critical role of GIS in making informed decisions about habitat that should be prioritized for protection to conserve endangered species such as bonobos and forest elephants and the importance of capacity building and participatory mapping as ways to encourage local inhabitants to get on board with important conservation efforts. You can find out more about Dr. Nackoney and her work on her university profile.

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