An overdue catalyst: Limitations imposed by COVID-19 improved capacity building in community-led environmental education in Madagascar.
COVID-19
Madagascar
community-based conservation
education
local knowledge
primates
Journal
American journal of primatology
ISSN: 1098-2345
Titre abrégé: Am J Primatol
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 8108949
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
05 2023
05 2023
Historique:
revised:
08
04
2023
received:
22
02
2022
accepted:
15
04
2023
medline:
17
5
2023
pubmed:
25
4
2023
entrez:
25
04
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus brought many primatology research programs and conservation efforts to a halt. After Madagascar closed its borders during March 2020, many on-site international project leaders and researchers returned to their home countries when their programs were delayed or canceled. Madagascar remained closed to travelers until November 2021, when it reopened to international flights. The 20-month absence of international researchers allowed many local Malagasy program staff, wildlife professionals, and community leaders to step into new leadership roles and responsibilities. Many programs that already had strong Malagasy leadership and meaningful collaborations with local communities flourished, while others either swiftly strengthened these attributes or faced challenges from pandemic-related travel restrictions. Here, we describe how the coronavirus pandemic events of 2020-2021 initiated long-overdue shifts in outdated models of internationally led primate research and education projects in communities living alongside primates at risk of extinction. We discuss the benefits and challenges of pandemic-induced changes within five primatological outreach projects, as well as how we can use these experiences to improve community-led environmental education and conservation awareness in the future.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
e23497Informations de copyright
© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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