SIT student research

American students from the latest semester of the School for International Training (SIT) Study Abroad programme in ecology and conservation handed in their independent study project papers last week, after spending several months in Ngamiland, some of them supervised by HOORC researchers. Stribling Stuber worked with Mike Murray-Hudson on the relationship between fire history and reed beds in the lower Boro River, Elizabeth Thomas, supervised by Gagiotseope Mmopelwa, carried out a survey of tourists' willingness to pay for elephant relocation, and Linnea Malm looked at vegetation once grazing is removed with Casper Bonyongo. Natasha Sadoff was supervised by Larry Swatuk in her study of resource use conflict along the Boteti River, Emily Roth looked at traditional uses of the Thamalakane River with the guidance of Lars Ramberg, and Kelvin Turner worked with Wellington Masamba and Phillipa Huntsman-Mapila on a study of organochlorine pesticides in the Okavango Delta. Two students worked with Ketlhatlogile Mosepele on topics related to the silver catfish: Valerie Johnson studied variations in the feeding ecology and Ben Johnston the fish’s migratory behaviour while Tera Levine learned about aquatic beetles in the Delta with Belda Mospele.