Trustee Jon Polledri visits Sophia Point
And other February 2024 updates…
Indigenous perspectives on COP28
Melena Pollard is the elected leader, or Toshao, of our neighbouring Amerindian community River’s View. She attended the international climate conference, COP28, held in Dubai in December. On her return, we sat down with her to find out what she took away from the negotiations, what climate change means for indigenous people in Guyana and beyond, and the vital role she feels education has to play in any future solutions to our climate crisis. You can read the full interview via the link below.
Progress update: Centre construction
We are delighted with the developments of our new research centre. Workers have been on site throughout the months of December and January making excellent progress. The main structure is complete, all internal walls have been set, and the roof will be finished in the coming weeks. We are particularly happy with the central column made from local greenheart wood which anchors the roof and resembles the traditional benab design found in Amerindian communities across Guyana.
After years of consultation and design work, led by Co-founder Nicola Green and Centre Director Sam Airey, it is rewarding to see design become reality. We look forward to opening the doors and welcoming students and researchers to use this space. Until then, we have lots more work to complete to add the finishing touches, so keep following our Instagram and Facebook accounts for weekly updates!
Witnessing community conservation in action
The South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS) is an indigenous-led community conservation organisation that has been working in the south of Guyana’s savannahs for 20 years. When SRCS invited us to learn from some of the incredible work they are facilitating across communities in the Rupununi, and to witness their end of term exhibitions, we jumped at the opportunity. Director Sam and Education Officer Miranda visited two of the villages involved in both the environmental education program led by SRCS and traditional knowledge classes run by the Amazon Conservation Team.
We were blown away by the passion of young conservationists in Maruranau and Karaudarnau. It was wonderful to see such a vibrant community effort to spread ideas about sustainability and environmental awareness. The sessions ended with a celebration of traditional Amerindian crafts, language, and arrow making which are being passed on to the younger generations. A big thank you to the villages for hosting us and to Neal and the SRCS team for inviting us!
Trustees visit Sophia Point
In December and January, two trustees visited Sophia Point to check in on the team and to observe the progress made on site: Jon Polledri from the UK and René Edwards from Guyana.
Jon, who has extensive experience in construction, returned to check on the progress of the build accompanied by his son Luke. Jon and Sam met with contractor Indar Ramllal, supervising engineer Warren Elliot and workers on site to assess the developments and to make a plan for delivering the final stages. Jon left impressed by the progress and is looking forward to returning later in the year.
René visited with his wife Tina and family to check in on the team. During their visit they had a tour of the construction site, discussed the practicalities of the next phase in running the centre, and considered how the site can be landscaped once the building work is complete. The group found time to explore the trails and check a camera trap before the rain chased them back to the site. René’s extensive experience in conservation across Guyana is a huge asset to the Sophia Point team.
Researchers return to Sophia Point
Despite construction dominating the site we have continued to host individual researchers. Eric Stoll, a biology Master’s student from the University of Guyana returned for his second phase of insect collection at Sophia Point. This represented his dry period data collection and will allow him to compare activity and species composition across the seasons. We are excited to read his thesis once complete.
We also enjoyed a return visit from Louis Henderson. Louis is working on a project to celebrate the Guyanese-British author Sir Wilson Harris. He spent time exploring the river with local guide Alwayne Crichton, experiencing the water and creeks much like Wilson Harris would have decades earlier. As the centre approaches completion we look forward to hosting many more students and researchers in our new facilities.
Boat painted by local artist
Thank you to the wonderful local artist, Rixon Williams, for the new paint job on our boat. Rixon is a popular boat painter in the Bartica area and, with little direction, was able to freehand paint our logo on the bow of the boat as well as adding our social media tags to the seats. We are very pleased with the result. You cannot miss us now when the boat is out on the Essequibo river!
Spotted at Sophia Point!
What’s better than one puma? Two pumas!
Snapped just 500m from the trail entrance, this pair of pumas, known locally as deer tiger, were seen passing through our forest. We are not sure whether this is a mating pair or mother and cub, but this is the first time we have spotted two moving together at Sophia Point.
We are thrilled that with just a few camera traps we are able to capture these amazing animals. Stay tuned as we plan to expand the camera trap program in the year ahead. If you would like to donate funds towards camera traps, you can do so via the link below. We are excited to discover and learn more about the wildlife in this incredible area!
