University of Toronto Anthropology Colloquium

Nancy Barrickman (University of Waterloo)

Primate Conservation in Tanzania: The Challenge of Specificity, Complexity and Representation

2:00-4:00pm, AP 246, 19 Russell S

The practice of conservation is a delicate balance between the natural and social sciences. Conservation is informed by natural sciences such as ecology, but it is inherently a cultural and political practice. For example, designating protected landscapes, implementing campaigns for sustainable use, and linking conservation with development projects are political acts. I will argue, based on my own experiences crossing fields, that anthropologists can play a key role in bridging the natural and social sciences. This talk reviews the complexities associated with a conservation project in Tanzania that is working in an unprotected closed canopy forest called the Magombera Forest. This forest is part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, one of the top five biodiversity hotspots in the world. It contains many endangered and endemic species such as the Udzungwa red colobus monkey. In addition, for the human residents living in proximity to this fragile ecosystem, it is a critical natural resource. A non-governmental organization is engaged in conservation-related activities at the site, but it is not clear how they can measure impact of their activities to inform future initiatives. This organization’s approach to community engagement must consider that the environment is constructed and represented in different ways by different actors. Large-scale planning projects that attempt to improve human and environmental welfare without close and nuanced examination of multiple actors involved and their motivations have proved to be highly problematic, if not outright failures. A critical community-based approach integrates questions of power, value, knowledge production, cultural practices, and history of a specific site. Conservation practitioners are increasingly aware that panaceas are not realistic, and are now faced with the challenge creating programs specific to their sites while still recognizing lessons from others.

Prof. Nancy Barrickman is a biological anthropologist with interests in the evolution life history, complex behavior, and encephalization.  She has recently initiated a study, in collaboration with Dr. Amy Schreier of Duke University, examining the behavior of juvenile lemurs at the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina.  The study aims to increase our understanding of why some species, such as humans and other primates, have such a prolonged period between infancy and adulthood.

In addition to her interests in primatology and how it informs human evolution, Prof. Barrickman is currently developing a research program investigating the relationship between conservation efforts, community welfare, and processes of globalization.  She was awarded a SSHRC Seed Grant from the University of Waterloo to conduct a pilot study in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania.  In particular, she is interested in how access to health care and education in local communities affect conservation programs.

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