Some students belonging to school environmental clubs have accompanied Biologists from the Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF) into the Tofala forest to get a taste of the rainforest expedition. The expedition took place on March 15, 2014 in the Besali forest.
Students together with ERuDeF’s biological team, the Manager for Education Akeh Nug, a German Researcher Sebastian Linarz, and a Volunteer from England began the expedition by hiking the very steep slopes of he Lebialem Highlands rainforest.
With the guide of the head of the bio-monitoring team Asoh Bedwin, students were able to distinguish gorilla feeding signs from chimpanzees’, trace their tracks, listen to and identify their vocalizations. The high point of the expedition came when the team came across four gorilla sleeping nests arranged in a semi circular form. Students had a wonderful time seeing a silverback’s nest which was positioned such that the other nests belonging to the juvenile could be watched and protected. Gorilla hair samples were collected for further analysis by the German Researcher and the students watched with delight. Students asked questions about the ecology of apes in particular and the forest in general and the Biologists responded to them.
The students also saw four banana patches,farm encroachments into the great apes habitat. 8 gorilla feeding signs and 3 chimp nests were also identified. Chimp and gorilla vocalizations were heard and the vocalization of the endangered Bannerman’s turaco bird was equally heard.
Students who took part in this expedition have described it as a day never to forget. “You cannot buy such experiences! I came face to face with nature and it is such a wonderful feeling that I will carry all my life. This is the true meaning of environmental education” a student said.
By Akeh Nug
