1. CERCO‐NEWS
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 1
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Adapt and Survive!
Adapt and 1
Survive! If you’ve read about belief that reducing We trained a
Climate Change, you will household poverty and Surveillance Team in the use
From the 2 know that there are two improving the environment of GPS and they exceeded
Director responses: Mitigation (how is achievable through our expectations by
to stop it getting worse) and sustainable management of gathering the data that has
Adaptation (how to cope forests, new forms of allowed them for the first
Green light for 2
with its impacts). Both are income, and improving time to map the boundaries
REDD
vital. Yet there are few signs farming systems. This of all existing farms (see
Mona, mona on 2
of adaptation around the approach is supported by Page 3). A Land Use
the wall... world, and in developing research, and goes against Management plan that
nations that is rapidly the grain of thinking that restricts farming to zoned
becoming a problem. The believes that a subsistence areas can now be enforced
Know your limits 3
Canadian International existence offers no hope for for the first time.
Development Agency (CIDA) the environment. Cocoa farming training
have sought to develop Following a large‐scale was equally successful. Both
The Cleveland 4 momentum in Nigeria by climate change awareness Iko Esai and Agoi farmers
Greens funding pilot projects to programme (that saw take‐ reported average increases
‘Build Nigeria’s Response to up beyond the villages of in earnings in excess of 50%
Never too young 4 Climate Change’ (BNRCC). Agoi and Iko Esai which we for the 2010 season. 160
to learn CERCOPAN was selected targeted), we moved on to women were trained in fuel‐
to pilot adaptation strategies grow an understanding that efficient woodstoves.
Sad news from 5 for the Rainforest zone, and the best response is Finally, on Climate
Rhoko we have just completed the sustainable management of Change awareness we
18‐month project. We forests. Maintain the developed the complete text
exceeded all of our original resource that provides the of a 9‐Lecture curriculum
Doctor, Doctor! 5 objectives, and have many backbone of subsistence and ‘Introduction to Climate
learnings that will benefit it will still be there when Change’ for use at the
our host village Iko Esai, and times are harsh. University of Calabar. This
Want to be a part 6 indeed all of the rainforest The results are very will be used to provide a
of it ? communities of Nigeria. encouraging for the future. rapid upgrade of knowledge
The approach of using Under the alternative for the Cross River
alternative livelihoods livelihoods initiative we now conservationists of the
options as an adaptation have active programmes in future at undergraduate
strategy is based on the pig farming, poultry farming, level, and will also be
Climate Change bee keeping, baking, disseminated throughout
and snail farming. the Forestry and
awareness
While the poultry Environment professionals
improved farming effort has within State Government.
dramatically. proved less If you want to get
Read our primer successful to date, yourself up to speed on
for similar the other options Mitigation, Adaptation and
have done well, and the other key concepts in
results!
in particular we have the science of Climate
been encouraged by Change, there’s no better
the high take‐up primer. Watch our web
amongst hunters. space!
2. PAGE 2
From the Director
In a moment of satisfying our founding no chin‐guard. Our
reflection when Clyde, the goal of life‐time care. visitors, such as the group
patriarch of our Red‐ Every time I visit Rhoko from Day Waterman
capped mangabeys, came in future Clyde’s absence College, always remember
to the end of his long life will show, but over 50 the Mangabeys! And with
recently, it seemed to me other Mangabeys there it they remember the
that this was a moment for are living just as full a life conservation message that
celebration rather than as he did. And some of they carry: if the forests
one of mourning. them will have a chance go, they go, and that’s
CERCOPAN’s role as a that even Clyde never had. clearly too much of value
sanctuary allows monkeys With the return of Sagan to lose.
like Clyde to enjoy the full‐ Friant to Rhoko (see the The impact of that
term of their lives that final article), our plans for message offers the hope
Claire Coulson would otherwise be short a r e i n t r o d u c t i o n that Mangabeys in the
CERCOPAN and brutal as someone’s programme for the wild at Rhoko will be able
Director pet, or worse. To have Mangabeys take another to lead a life even more
provided sanctuary so that important step forward. complete than Clyde did,
primates have been able I sometimes think that and I can celebrate that!
to live for up to 20 years in Mangabeys look like they
a rich environment, and are wearing a red crash
fulfilling their natural helmet of the kind worn
roles, means we are by bikers in the 60’s, with
“...conserved
forests, which are
Green light for REDD
carbon sinks, can In September 2010 we which are carbon sinks, and secondly at specific
reduce the global‐ reported on the hopes in can reduce the global‐ site locations for expected
time of Nigeria moving warming impact of the implementation.
warming impact
from being a Partner polluters that generate Of greatest importance
of the polluters (Observer) country in the greenhouse gases. to us is that the latter are
that generate United Nations Reducing The Nigerian initiative all in Cross River State,
greenhouse Emissions f r o m is continuing to gain including an area that is
gases” Deforestation and forest momentum. The current centred on Iko Esai’s
Degredation (REDD) status is that a proposal to community forests. Our
scheme to becoming a demonstrate R E D D continuing work to expand
Pilot country. readiness is actively under our conservation influence
REDD is a process that development. into n e i g h b o u r i n g
transfers money from The proposal will communities could not be
polluters to forest owners address requirements more appropriate and
so that conserved forests, firstly at the Federal level, timely.
Time for a snack
in transit! Mona, mona on the wall...
Looking at the picture owner to give him a was ready for the next
you might well ask better life by taking him stage in the journey.
what is a Mona into care in Calabar. That involved a one‐
monkey d o i n g A day’s drive brought hour flight down to Calabar
admiring itself in the him to Lagos , and it was and then a short drive to
mirror in someone’s clear that he needed a Headquarters.
bedroom! little freedom for a while, There will surely be
This little monkey has so we allowed him to further adventures ahead
had quite an roam the room, and the for this one, but for now it’s
adventure. Originally mirror immediately a spell in quarantine so that
purchased as a pet in entranced him. we can give him a clean bill
Sapele, in the south‐ A quick check up from of health before he meets
west of Nigeria, we CERCOPAN’s vet, and he his new Mona partners in
were asked by his life.
3. VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 PAGE 3
Know your limits Forest‐Farm boundaries in
In the Oct 2010 edition establishing the principle of see the current state of the northern half of the
of CERCO_NEWS we zoning, but it was vital to play. mapped area
reported on training we had provide the means of
given members of Iko Esai’s monitoring actual practice,
Surveillance Team in GPS and determining if any
technology. We’ve been corrective action is needed.
amazed at how useful this Finding the limits of
has proven to be. farming is actually quite
The group worked difficult in practice. Former
extremely hard over the farmland b e c o m e s
following months, and they overgrown and it can be
have now completed hard to find a way through
surveying all of the the regrowth a n d
boundaries to existing farms understory vegetation.
that border forest. The In the North of the area
importance of this cannot farms lie mainly off forest
be overstated. trails, and the boundaries of
Realistic environmental each farm can be estimated It shows that one farm
conservation focuses on visually when walking the alone has strayed beyond
sustainable management. trails. The final map of these the acceptable boundaries.
The village’s Land Use boundaries is shown to the However, the pattern of “To date the
Management Plan (LUMP) ‐ upper right. encroachment at the
see map below ‐ restricts To the South the farming southern end could lead to LUMP has been
farming to the periphery of has encroached along a concerns in the future, while successful in
the forest, so that the continuous line from the there is still plenty of
protected zones are West, so this limit can be available acreage further
establishing the
unspoilt. Prior to the plan mapped by walking along its west. This might be principle of
being accepted, there was entire extent ‐ an arduous addressable by providing zoning, but it was
even an incentive to farming exercise. new access routes.
deep in the forest as this Using Geographical The new farming season vital to provide
established claims to large I n f o r m a t i on S y s te m s is now underway, and the the means of
tracts of acreage according technology we were able to Surveillance Team’s role is
to established custom. place the LUMP into its true to ensure that any new monitoring actual
To date the LUMP has geodetic space. By adding farms are sited strictly practice, and
been successful in the GPS points we can now within the Farm Extension
Zone through dialogue
determining if any
with each of the farmers, corrective action
and further regular is needed”
monitoring.
Land Use zones are
shown in different
colours. The Farm
Extension Zone is in
orange. GPS Tracks and
Way‐Points are the small
squares
4. PAGE 4
The Cleveland Greens
We were delighted to Our p r i m a t e Education Centre’s decaying
discover this month, that rehabilitation centre in infrastructure, but also to
we had been awarded a Calabar provides the replace our ageing
grant from Cleveland perfect backdrop for our laminated posters with high
Metroparks Zoo as part of educational message about visibility durable Dibond
their ‘Zoo Futures’ protection of Cross River boards.
programme. State’s unique habitat and The new, colourful look
its wildlife inhabitants. and feel to the centre will
That message can have provide maximum visual
a direct impact on the life‐ impact, and ensure that a
styles of the 20,000 visitors visit to CERCOPAN and the
we receive each year, for lessons learnt are not
example resulting in their forgotten!
giving up the consumption The is the first time we
Cleveland of bush‐meat or the have applied for a grant
Metroparks Zoo is The grant will allow keeping of monkeys as from Cleveland Metroparks
a new and very CERCOPAN to entirely pets. Zoo, and we welcome them
welcome ally to redesign our Headquarters’ The support given by as a new partner to the
Education Centre, which Cleveland Metroparks will cause of conservation in
our cause
was in urgent need of an be used not only to replace Cross River State.
upgrade. parts of the Headquarters
Never too young to learn
A group of twelve environmental highlights conservation and eco‐
schoolchild ren aged within Cross River State friendly attitude.
between 12 and 14 which of course included Between the walk on
accompanied by 3 teachers Rhoko. the nature trail, the night
from Day Waterman Attracted by the walk where they learnt the
College, an impressive exceptional wildlife, the different n o c t u r n a l
modern school near students (6 boys and 6 primates present in Rhoko,
Thomas’ Galago, a Abeokuta in south‐western girls) spent three days in and the enjoyment of
Rhoko night walk Nigeria, has just visited Rhoko and Iko Esai, Rhoko River, the students
spectacle Rhoko camp. learning about our appreciated the two
This year for their partnership efforts to species of monkeys that we
(Photo: Simon
annual school excursion conserve the forest, host.
Bearder) they chose to see the including our monkey They were very
r e h a b i l i t a t i o n interested and enthusiastic
programme. to learn about the
C o m b i n i n g t h e primates, and they all felt
discovery of Nigerian so lucky that their country
wildlife with the possesses such beautiful
learning of adult nature.
responsibilities, the They completed their
students had to journey by visiting Iko Esai
prepare and organize community where they
themselves for their were introduced to the
journey and they were different alternative
asked to fulfil daily livelihoods p r o j e c t s
tasks in turns, always implemented b y
keeping in mind a CERCOPAN.
5. VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 PAGE 5
Sad news from Rhoko
One of our founding, appearance, but also because
and oldest Red‐capped he constantly patrolled the
mangabeys, Clyde, passed perimeter fence threatening
away peacefully in his sleep any stranger who dared to
last month. It was a very sad approach his group!
day for CERCOPAN as Clyde Clyde originally came to us
had been with us since from Lagos. He was
December 1993 and was surrendered into the care of
possibly the most well CERCOPAN when he was
known character of all of about two and half years old,
the Rhoko monkeys. making him around twenty
In his early years at when he died.
CERCOPAN, Clyde was He was in the first group to
involved in a fight for be moved out to Rhoko forest
dominance, and sustained a in November 2003 and was
nasty laceration to his lip the alpha male for many Farewell
which left his front teeth on years. He was an excellent Clyde
full display. It was not the father and leader and
most attractive look, but it although he is gone, he has
certainly didn’t affect his left a conservation legacy
ability to lead the group….or behind as some of his
his popularity with the offspring will no doubt be part “...he has left
ladies! of the first Mangabey his enclosure, and kai kai (local
a conservation
Every visitor to the open reintroduction into Iko Esai firewater) was poured to the
topped e n c l o s u r e community forest. ancestors, as is the tradition in legacy behind as
remembers Clyde, not only A formal burial was Iko Esai. He will be sadly missed some of his
f o r his d ist inc tive attended by all the staff near by all at CERCOPAN. offspring will no
doubt be part of
Doctor, Doctor! the first Mangabey
reintroduction into
Iko Esai community
Two PhD students who aspects of the design, she changes in environment alter
have worked before at will interview and survey behavior and impact health. forest”
separate times in Rhoko are the hunters and chiefs in 4 She will use non‐invasive
back ,as luck would have it, villages (Esai, Ekperem, techniques to look at faecal
at the same time to further Owai, Agoi) to understand parasites and bacteria, and to
their research studies. their attitudes, values, and relate these to behaviour. This
Carrie (left) and
Carrie Vath, a PhD beliefs about the information will help us to
student from the University community forest. understand the health risks Sagan (right) happy
of Florida has just begun her Sagan Friant, from the with re‐introducing species into to be back in Rhoko
12 months field season. She University of Wisconsin the wild. camp
is interested in the (Nelson Institute for
effectiveness of the Environmental Studies;
community forest in socio‐ Environment a n d
ecological terms. To Resources Program) has
investigate her ecological come back to CERCOPAN’s
questions, she will use line‐ Rhoko research station to
transects to census the study the behaviour and
large vertebrates in the health of Red‐capped
Core Area, Research Area mangabeys before they are
and conservation zones. released into the wild.
She is particularly The re‐introduction of
interested in primate species provides a unique
abundance and distribution. opportunity to understand
In order to assess the social how sudden and dramatic