TCD Innovation Awardees organize virtual panels on Environmental governance

These panels are being organized by TCD students and alumni as part of their Schmink Innovation Award in collaboration with the IPDRS- Interaprendizaje. These will happen in Spanish and Portuguese and will take place via the IPDRS facebook page. Paneles Virtuales * Gobernanza ambiental en la Amazonia desde la perspectiva de los pueblos indigenas * Pedagogias
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Tropilunch will be back in the Fall!

Fall semester list of Tropilunch presentations will be available in August! If you want to check past semesters’ presentation lists, please go to the Tropilunch page. Tropilunch presentations are recorded weekly when possible, and posted on TCD’s YouTube Channel. Tropilunch is a weekly seminar run by graduate students from the Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD)
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Congratulations to the 2022 Fieldwork Festival Poster Exhibit winners!

Last Friday’s Fieldwork Festival was a success! Students from LAS, TCD, and MDP presented their research projects to judges, shared project advice with the 1st year cohort, and answered questions from the public during the poster exhibit. Congratulations to all! We are really proud that many of the awarded are TCD students that received support
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Congratulations to UF TCD and SNRE alumna Cristina Nuñez Godoy for her new publication “Willingness of private landowners to participate in forest conservation in the Chaco region of Argentina”

Congratulations to UF TCD and SNRE alumna Cristina Nuñez Godoy for her new publication “Willingness of private landowners to participate in forest conservation in the Chaco region of Argentina” in Forest Policy and Economics. This research was part of her PhD dissertation work and is co-authored by Elizabeth Pienaar and Lyn Branch. Great example of
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TCD Students get together for a student only retreat to talk about the Program

On the 24th of February, the TCD Student Group organized its first retreat bringing together students and alumni to discuss the TCD Program and the role of students in shaping it. It was a rich dialogue that recognize the value of the TCD community in the experience of being a graduate student working in the
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UF WEC/TCD faculty and TCD alum work with the Sustainable Wildlife Management Program of Guyana on finding solutions to human-wildlife conflict in the Rupununi region o was featured by the IUCN and FAO for World Wildlife Day.

UF WEC/TCD faculty and TCD alum Matt Hallett’s work with the Sustainable Wildlife Management Program of Guyana on finding solutions to human-wildlife conflict in the Rupununi region of Guyana was featured by the IUCN and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for World Wildlife Day. Part of this solution was engaging local
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Center for Latin American Studies 2022 Conference: Community-driven strategies & action for biocultural conservation

The event will be online and consist of panels and discussions in Spanish and Portuguese and will be live-streamed on YouTube with simultaneous translation to English on Zoom. February 22 and February 241:00 pm to 4:00 pm (EST/Bogota/Quito)2:00 pm – 5:00 pm (La Paz/Manaus)3:00 – 6:00 pm (Asuncion/Brasilia) Event Agenda available HERE February 22, 2022https://ufl.zoom.us/j/91080801075?pwd=U0txRTh4bDJsWkduMzZyY2xuOWRWZz09
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Big THANK YOU from TCD!

From all of us at TCD THANK YOU so very much for your contributions and support on 2022 UF Giving Day!  We cannot do this without you!! A very special thanks to Jennifer Johnson, Omar Hernandez, Vanessa Luna and the TCD Student Group for their amazing behind the scenes support. https://bit.ly/TCDGivingDayhttps://bit.ly/TCDInnovationGivingDay

TCD Alumna Victoria Reyes Garcia interviewed by Marianne Schmink in Latinamericanist Newsletter

“In 1997, Victoria Reyes Garcia was living in Ecuador, working on her master’s thesis, and doing fieldwork in partnership with a newly founded U.S.-based research initiative called MERGE —Managing Ecosystems and Resources with Gender Emphasis. This connection would lead her to MERGE’s founder, Marianne Schmink, and eventually to the University of Florida, where she studied
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Maira Irigaray is the 2021 M. Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Award Recipient!

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Maíra Irigaray is the 2021 winner of the Marianne Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Award from UF’s Tropical Conservation and Development Program. Dr. Irigaray received her PhD in Geography in Fall 2020 under the supervision of Dr. Cynthia Simmons. The outstanding dissertation award was established in 2010 in recognition of
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TCD hosts virtual workshop that brings together NGO, grassroot, academic & government partners from the Governance and Infrastructure in the Amazon (GIA) project.

This week, TCD hosts a virtual workshop across 3 days that brings together NGO, grassroot, academic and government partners from the Governance and Infrastructure in the Amazon (GIA) project.  GIA established a Community of Practice and Learning over the last 2 years with partners from 4  focal mosaics in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru.   The workshop
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TCD Working Group publication on effectiveness of environmental governance in the Amazon

Hot off the Press!  Check out this May 17th publication in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change by TCD working group. This study evaluates effectiveness of environmental governance in the Amazon. By using comparative analysis of case studies and an integrated framework, these authors identify broader lessons learned regarding how to improve governance of natural resources
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TCD Fall 2021 course list is now available!

The list of TCD approved courses for FALL 2021 is now available!!   You can find more information about the TCD certificate on the TCD webpage. If you have any questions, send us an email.

TCD Alum Germain Mavah helping to improve wildlife conservation and food security in the Republic of the Congo

Germain Mavah has long been interested in the inter-relationships between wildlife, protected areas, rural people livelihoods, and natural resource governance in the Congo.  Working with Dr. Brian Child from UF’s Geography Dept. and the Center for African Studies, Germain received his PhD degree in Interdisciplinary Ecology (SNRE) and a TCD graduate certificate in 2015.  His dissertation examined
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UF and TCD alums instrumental in developing regulations to protect urban wetlands in Chile!

UF and TCD alums instrumental in developing regulations to protect urban wetlands in Chile! After passage of an urban wetlands law in January 2020, Ignacio Rodríguez (UF SNRE alumni, Soil and Water Sciences Department) and Marcela Márquez García (UF SNRE alumni, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, TCD) were hired by Chile’s Ministry of Environment to develop
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TCDsg fundraising event Taste of the Tropics is back!!!

The TCD Student Group is organizing the 2022 Taste of the Tropics, a fundraiser cooking competition with great prizes that brings together family and friends to have a good time and share delicious food. The funds go directly to scholarships and other funding sources for TCD students. This year the Taste of the Tropics will
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TCD student group officers participated in a panel on “Women and Girls In Science”

Our TCD sg President and VP, Susana Ruiz Diaz and Vanessa Luna were invited as panelists in an event celebrating the Month of Women and Girls in Science. The discussion panel was hosted by UF SACNAS Chapter and was held virtually and in-person on February 28th, 2022. During the event, panelists and participants from different
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TCD Faculty published article “The number of tree species on Earth” in PNAS

TCD faculty Eben Broadbent (SFRC) and Angelica Almeyda Zambrano (LAS /TCD) are among the authors of the recenter paper The number of tree species on Earth published in PNAS. “One of the most fundamental questions in ecology is how many species inhabit the Earth. However, due to massive logistical and financial challenges and taxonomic difficulties
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The TCD program certainly is looking forward to 2022!! Are you?

The TCD program certainly is looking forward to 2022, despite the challenges that are still in front of us.  Reflecting on 2021, there was much to be excited about including: A full, invigorating, and diverse Tropilunch series organized by TCD Student Group (see most of 2021 Tropilunch presentations on our you-tube channel – check out
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Sad new about the loss of one of the Amazon’s most promising scientist and conservationist – Dennis Lizarro

The Tropical Conservation Development (TCD) Program and the Governance Infrastructure in the Amazon (GIA) Project informs with great sadness the passing of Dennis Lizarro. Dennis died unexpectedly on December 11th, 2021 in Trinidad, Bolivia. He has been a valuable member of GIA’s Community of Practice and Learning in the Upper Madera since 2019. He was
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TCD wishes you and your family the best in this Holiday Season. We will see you in 2022!

TCD student group BINGO fundraiser event

 The TCDsg Bingo   Please join the TCD Student Group for this annual Social and Fundraising Event: Bingo Night! 😀 When: Saturday, December 4th. Where: 3751 NW 23rd Place, Gainesville, FL 32605 (Home of Mariela Pajuelo & Lucas Majure)What time: 7-10 pm We need volunteers! Please sign-up here and join us for a short meeting this Friday, November 19th at 4pm on Zoom (https://ufl.zoom.us/j/93592241297). Volunteers get
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Congratulations to Marliz Arteaga and Meshach Pierre for receiving UF International Student Achievement Awards

Congratulations to Marliz Arteaga and Meshach Pierre for receiving International Student Achievement Awards at 27thAnnual ISA Awards Ceremony in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom on November 16th. Marliz, a PhD candidate in Interdisciplinary Ecology in the School of Natural Resources and Environment, was awarded the Alec Courtelis Award.  Marliz will complete her PhD degree in
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TCD Faculty and alumni contributed to COP26 first-ever comprehensive report on the Amazon

Released this week at #COP26, the first-ever comprehensive report on the Amazon provides an overview of the state of the Amazon, current risks as well as recommendations for public policies and solutions to protect the Amazon and its peoples. Read more here: https://bit.ly/31OANlQ #amazonreport Congratulations to all of the TCD Faculty and alumni who contributed to
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TCD Student Group Halloween Party for the entire TCD community!

People who need a ride and who can give a ride can sign-in and coordinate.  Here is the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WLS6fNF9acIlDZW9qzSZxk7Sy1VjE-05V3Xj_uF0MdY/edit?usp=sharing.

2021 Schmink Innovation Award deadline: Nov. 15, 2021

The Schmink Innovation Award seeks to ensure the long-term impact of the Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD) Program around the world by catalyzing new ideas and innovative approaches and by enabling shared learning throughout the tropics. This new TCD award is funded by an endowment that honors Dr. Marianne Schmink for her extraordinary contributions to
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TCD Alumna Mahi Puri wins Best Talk award at Student Conference on Conservation Science in NY

Congratulations to Mahi Puri for winning the prestigious Best Talk award at the Student Conference on Conservation Science – New York hosted by the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History. The meeting was held virtually from 5-8 October, 2021. Her talk was entitled “An integrated approach to prioritize carnivore conservation in
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TCD alumna interviewed by Forbes about her work in Andean Forests and to support Ecuador’s Women In STEM

TCD and UF Biology aluman María Claudia Segovia Salcedo is “not only helping to create a seed bank of Andean mountain plants, she is also planting the seeds for a more inclusive environment for women in STEM in Ecuador”. Read Claudia’s entire forbes interview on the link below. This Scientist Helps Andean Forests And Ecuador’s
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TCD 2021 Fall Orientation & Gathering

The Tropical Conservation and Development Program (TCD) will hold its Annual Fall Orientation/Gathering virtually again this year. We welcome all our UF faculty, continuing and new UF students, and alumni to join us!  Friday, September 10, 2021 @ 1 to 4 pm    RSVP here by Sept. 5th*so we can pre-organize break out groups for animated discussions
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TCD Student Meshach Pierre talks about his work and how he became a mental health advocate in recent interview

Meshach Pierre, MS Student in Criminology & Law and TCD, gave an interview to Unstoppable Yes You an outlet that highlights stories of Caribbean excellence. The article starts by saying that Meshach “found his passion for nature in the savannah of Pakuri, Guyana but it was in therapy he found his life’s purpose – mental
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Meet the new TCD Student Group officers for 21/22

We are so excited to announce the new TCD student group officers for the 2021-2022 academic year: President- Susana Ruiz Diaz VP- Vanessa Luna Celio Treasurer- Alejandro Sanchez MoralesSecretary- Viviana Rojas Bonzi Communications- Jennifer Johnson Tropilunch Coordinators- Medha Prakash & AJ Hart Regional representatives: Asia- Hermudandato; Africa- Metolo Foyet; Latin America- Omar Hernandez If you
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Center for LAS 69th annual conference – Indigenous Rights, Environmental Change, and Development in South America’s Chaco

The two-day event brings frontline actors and academics to roundtable discussions and presentations on April 15-16, 2021 The UF Center for Latin American Studies will host the 69th Annual Conference, a virtual two-day program titled “Indigenous Rights, Environmental Change, and Development in South America’s Chaco,” on April 15-16, 2021. The conference will bring together frontline
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PhD student in TCD & FFGS awarded prestigious ITTO fellowship for the second time

Felipe Veluk Gutierrez, PhD student in School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatic Sciences, and leader in TCD’s Governance and Infrastructure in the Amazon project awarded prestigious ITTO fellowship for the second time!  Felipe talks about his journey from Brazil through Central America, the Caribbean, and then University of Florida and back to Brazil for his
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MDP & TCD student Ange Asanzi’s defense presentation is now available. Congratulations!

Thank you all for coming together and supporting the TCD program on #GatorNationGivingDay

We so greatly appreciate your kindness.  Your support means the world to the TCD! It is so wonderful to be part of such a great community! #GatorNationGivingDay  #AllForTheGators For more than 30 years TCD has been convening UF students, faculty, alumni and partners in the theoretical and practical advancement of tropical conservation and development through interdisciplinary
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Congratulations to Dr. Karen Kainer for receiving UF CALS Graduate Teacher/Advisor of the Year!

Karen, a professor in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation and TCD core faculty, was nominated by her graduate students [Stephanie Cadaval (SFRC)  Ana Violato Espada (SFRC), Johanna Depenthal (SFRC), Mabel Baez Schon (SFRC), Yeyetsi Maldonado Caballero (MDP)] for CALS prestigious faculty award. For nearly two decades Karen has been advising graduate students and
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Dr. Marianne Schmink Papers archived at UF Smathers Libraries

We are excited to share this link which provides a “Guide to Marianne Schmink Papers” bringing together her scholarly work over the past decades.  Marianne Schmink was one of the founders of the Tropical Conservation and Development Program and instrumental in both the preceding programs, such as the Amazon Research and Training Programs, as well
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TCD Student Group Trivia Night!

Join the TCD Student Group for a Tropical Trivia night! Reconnect with the TCD community while having some fun. Thursday, March 5th @ 7 – 8:30 pmA Zoom link and password will be sent to those registered prior to the event Register HERE

TCD Core Faculty Joel Correia receives UF International Award

Joel Correia received the University of Florida International Educator of the Year Award that recognizes extraordinary contributions in international education especially taking into consideration the impact on student learning and engagement with international issues, and the impact on international partners and the UF community as a whole.  Joel’s research and teaching focuses on the intersection
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Andrea Baudoin (SNRE/TCD) is the 2020 M. Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Award Recipient!

We are pleased to announce that Dr. C. Andrea Baudoin Farah is the 2020 winner of the Marianne Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Award from UF’s Tropical Conservation and Development Program. Dr. Baudoin received her PhD in Interdisciplinary Ecology in 2019 from the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) program under the supervision of Dr. Stephen
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TCD Innovation Award deadline November 16, 2020

For application info, please visit the TCD Innovation Award page The Schmink Innovation Award seeks to ensure the long-term impact of the Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD) Program around the world by catalyzing new ideas and innovative approaches and by enabling shared learning throughout the tropics. This new TCD award is funded by an endowment
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TCD-SFRC’s Ana Violato Espada leads a community exchange in Brazil’s extractive reserves

Ana Violato Espada, a doctoral researcher at the University of Florida, organized a community exchange among users of six Brazilian Amazon extractive reserves to emphasize collective inquiry, experimentation grounded in experience, and the wealth of social learning related to community timber management. The community exchange was part of Ana’s fieldwork (May 2018 to September 2019)
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Congratulations to “Outstanding Colombian Abroad” Diana Alvira (SNRE & TCD Alumna)

UF SNRE and TCD alumna Diana (Tita) Alvira was selected by the Consulate of Colombia in Chicago as an outstanding Colombian working abroad in a ceremony on October 10th.This date coincides with the “National Day of the Colombian Migrant”, which was established in 1999 to recognize the courage and work of Colombians working outside of
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TCD Working Group Grant – Deadline 10.12.20

TCD Working Group Grants are designed to catalyze an interdisciplinary group of students and faculty to meet over the course of a semester or two semesters to address themes that involve the interface between conservation and development, or new connections between disciplines or approaches that have not been or have only been minimally explored. Competitive
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Workshop of the Amazon Dams International Research Network: “Key knowledge gaps for decision-making”

The 5th thematic session of the 3rd International Workshop of the Amazon Dams International Research Network, Panel 5: “Key knowledge gaps for decision-making”, is approaching.  It will be held on October 2, 2020 2:00 – 4:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (USA).  The panelists will be: Amarilis Gallardo, an associate professor in the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering at the Polytechnic
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TCD Student Group Tropical Trivia Night

Join the TCD Student Group for a Tropical Trivia night! Reconnect with the TCD community while having some fun. Thursday, September 24th @ 7 – 8:30 pm A Zoom link and password will be sent to those registered prior to the event Register HERE

2020 TCD Fall Orientation & Gathering on Sept. 11, 2020

Join us to learn about the TCD Program, receive updates on its events and opportunities, meet current and new students, faculty and staff! Friday, September 11, 2020 @ 1 to 4 pm Zoom meeting(Meeting ID: 953 445 3775) RSVP here AGENDA 12:30-1:00: Zoom open for those who wish to login and catch up with others
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Thank you for attending TCD Orientation

We would like to thank all of you that participated in TCD’s annual Orientation/Gathering.  We would also like to acknowledge and thank the exceptional skills of our facilitators – Becky Williams & Jon Dain, as well as the TCD student group.  As we continue on in this exceptional time, building and strengthening our community will
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GIA Webinar “Post-COVID19: a green and inclusive recovery to Latin America”

Post-COVID19: a green and inclusive recovery for Latin America  According to CEPAL, the effects of COVID-19 on Latin America and the Caribbean may include the most severe recession since 1930 and ruthless unemployment, poverty and inequality.  As commodity prices and international trade plummet, the crisis is also revealing vulnerabilities of highly fragmented global trade networks. There
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Gender, Local Communities, and Natural Ecosystems in Tambopata, Peru

The UF Center for Latin American Studies and the Tropical Conservation and Development Program are pleased to announce the release of the sixth MERGE case study, Gender, Local Communities, and Natural Ecosystems in Tambopata, Peru, written by Dr. Avecita Chicchón and Ms. Rosario Lanao. The Managing Ecosystems and Resources with Gender Emphasis (MERGE) Case Studies
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TCD Alumnus Publishes Work on Brazil Nut Productivity in Amazon

Check Eduardo Bongiolo and colleagues’ recent paper from his Masters at UF: Swidden fallow management to increase landscape-level Brazil nut productivity. The journal allowed a 50 days “grace” access period (no fees or registration required). Use the link here until April 29th to have access to the full paper. Highlights • Data confirm higher densities
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TCD alumna Dr. Amy Duchelle is internationally recognized as one of 16 Women Restoring the Earth

Dr. Amy Duchelle, SFRC and TCD alumna, was highlighted as one of 16 Women Restoring the Earth. Congratulations! Learn more about Dr. Duchelle’s work and the work of other remarkable women across many professions as they devote their careers to creating a better and more sustainable future from the Global Landscape Forum.  At CIFOR, Dr.
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Under the Tree of Life Workshop

Registration is Open, Space is Limited! UF/Latam and TCD faculty and students are invited to register until March 6, 2020: Under the Tree of Life: Biocultural Stories, Memories and Connections. Workshop: March 20, 2020, 8:30 am – 5 pm, Terrace Room, Norman Hall – 1221 SW 5th Ave., College of Education, University of Florida. Registration form here.
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TCD students launch Crowdfunding Campaigns!

The TCD Fundraising Class has been hard at work preparing their crowdfunding campaigns… and they are now LIVE! Join them as they carry out some fantastic research or work with partner institutions to advance their conservation and development goals. 9 graduate students in the TCD launched their GoFundMe campaigns to support their summer research or professional
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The Amazon Dams Network is expanding!

An International Workshop Marks the Amazon Dams Network Partnership with Bolivia The Amazon Dams Network (ADN) announced the inclusion of Bolivian partners in the network. The international workshop “Governance and Infrastructure in the Amazon: Dialogue on research opportunities and impact analysis” marks the beginning of this collaborative effort. This event, held from May 14 to
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2019 Marianne Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Award in Tropical Conservation and Development

Our congratulations go to Dr. Myrian Sá Leitão Barboza for being selected the 2019 recipient of the Marianne Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Award from UF’s Tropical Conservation and Development Program in the Center for Latin American Studies.  Dr. Barboza is the 10th recipient of this prestigious dissertation award that honors Dr. Schmink for her significant and
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TCD and WEC alumna Sheherazade Master’s work hit the NYTimes.

Study shows that flying foxes are crucial for durian pollination, demonstrating the economic importance of bats for durian fruit production in Indonesia. Durian is economically important for local livelihoods in Indonesia. The study investigated the identity of pollinators of semi‐wild durian and subsequently estimated the economic contribution of these pollination services. The researches, including a
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GIA Project Webinars

The University of Florida’s Tropical Conservation and Development Program is leading an initiative “Governance Infrastructure in the Amazon” (GIA) to create, strengthen, and expand a Community of Practice within four regions of the Amazon: Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru. Together with our partners in the field, we are examining different tools and strategies used to
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TCDsg Bingo *December 6*

The TCD Bingo is an annual event organized by the TCD Student Group. This is a fundraising event that brings together family and friends to build our community and have a great time. The funds go directly to scholarships and other funding sources for TCD students. This year the Bingo will be on Friday, December
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TCD Alumni lead Gender workshop in Peru and the Women in Conservation Declaration

Click here to read the full Declaration in Spanish. Soon to be translated into English and Portuguese. For more information please contact Antonieta Eguren.

TCD alumna publishes work on bats and durian pollination in Indonesia

Check Sheherazade ‘s recent paper from her Masters at UF: ‘Contributions of bats to the local economy through durian pollination in Sulawesi, Indonesia’. Durian is economically important for local livelihoods in Indonesia. Our study investigated the identity of pollinators of semi‐wild durian and subsequently estimated the economic contribution of these pollination services. We conducted pollination
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TCD students and alumna working together to improve tourism and conservation in the Brazilian Amazon

For a week, TCD students Igor Vianna and Ana Luiza Violato Espada, worked with TCD alumna Paula Pinheiro, to prospect new activities related to canoeing, ecotourism, and naturally protected areas in the Western Brazilian Amazon. Every year, since 2017, Igor Vianna and Ana Luiza organize outrigger paddling expeditions in the Amazonian rivers as a strategy
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TCDsg Conservation & Development Forum on Burning Forests in South America

A recording of the event will be available on the TCD YouTube channel very soon. Thanks to all that contributed to a great event and discussion.

2018 Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Award Presentation

Co-management of natural resources in the Lower Juruá Extractive Reserve, Central-West Brazilian Amazon Recording of this talk will be available soon Presentation Summary: Paula’s dissertation examined different perspectives of natural resource governance in the co-management of the Lower Juruá Extractive Reserve, in the central-western Brazilian Amazon, involving the federal government (ICMBio) and local communities. Through
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It is not only the Amazon that is burning…

The expanding extractive frontier is leading to the rapid deforestation of the Paraguayan Chaco, creating fragmented forests and raising questions about socio-environmental justice. Photo by Joel E. Correia, 2019. TCD & LAS Faculty, Joel Correia recently published the article “South America’s second-largest forest is also burning – and ‘environmentally friendly’ charcoal is subsidizing its destruction” in
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TCD & MDP Forum: Documenting Socio – Economic – Ecological Collapse in Rural Honduras

If you missed Becky William’s talk, click here to watch the recording. Thursday, Oct 10 @9:30 am in Grinter 471 The “migration crisis” in the US has governments, development organizations, and the public in an uproar over what is causing the migration, who is at fault, and what should be done about it. In this
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TCD students co-authors paper in Science about tropical montane rivers

College or Unit Name UF PhD and TCD student Suman Jumani and her co-authors argue that tropical montane rivers serve as sentinels of regional and global change threatened by infrastructure development, pollution, biodiversity loss, conflict over water use, among other human disturbances. Suman is in UF’s Soil and Water Science Department and was part of
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TCD student organizes workshop in Peru on community-based conservation

Last summer with the support of a local grass-root organization, Red AMA, Vanessa Luna organized a 2-day workshop in Chachapoyas, Peru to promote collective discussion on the factors that limit and facilitate the effective management of community-based conservation areas in the northern Peruvian Andes.  She brought together leaders from 10 communities and through use of
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Remembering Dr. Wendy Townsend

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Dr. Wendy Townsend, an alumna of the University of Florida (UF)’s Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and the Center for Latin America’s Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD) Program, passed away on 10 August 2019 after a courageous battle against cancer. For the past
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SNRE & Amazon Dams Network (ADN) joint Seminar on the Grand Inga Dam in the DRC

Please see below the flyer for an upcoming talk on October 14 from 1:55 – 2:45 by UF MDP student Ange Asanzi titled ‘A socio-economic analysis of the world’s largest planned hydropower project: the Grand Inga Dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo’, presented by the Amazon Dams Network and the University of Florida School
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TCD student publishes papers with support from TCD Field Research Grant

Congratulations to Ben Lowe and co-authors for two recently published articles. Ben’s work was supported in part from a TCD Field Research grant! Lowe, B. S., Jacobson, S. K., Anold, H., Mbonde, A. S., & Lorenzen, K. (2019). The neglected role of religion in fisheries management. Fish and Fisheries. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/faf.12388 Lowe, B. S., Jacobson, S. K., Anold, H.,
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TCD Faculty leads publication calling for improved policies to address the impacts of small dams in the Amazon

Improving policies and instruments to address cumulative impacts of small hydropower in the Amazon Authors: Simone Athayde, Carla G. Duarte, Amarilis L. C. F. Gallardo, Evandro M. Moretto, Luisa A. Sangoi, Ana Paula A. Dibo, Juliana Siqueira-Gay, Luis E. Sánchez Summary: In this perspective article, we highlight current policy challenges and options for assessing the
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Give us your feedback! 2019 TCD Orientation & Gathering Survey

We want to thank all of you that attended the TCD Fall Orientation / Gathering last week. We would greatly appreciate your feedback on the activities of the day by completing this short survey by September 20, 2019.

International Workshop: Governance, Sustainability & Infrastructure in the Amazon

As part of the Amazon Dams Network and the Governance and Infrastructure in the Amazon project, the University of Florida in partnership Universidad Amazónica de Pando organized a 3-day workshop in Cobija, Bolivia.  This workshop brought together participants from Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and the US to dialogue about infrastructure development in the region, and
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Winner of the UAP Poster Competition: Jose Alberto Noco Mopi

José Alberto Noco Mopi, born in Guayaramerin, Beni, is a biologist by profession, a lover of nature, and a graduate of the Universidad Amazónica de Pando (UAP). In 2018 he participated in a project which monitored the Brazil nut harvest in the Reserva Nacional de Vida Silvestre Amazónica Manuripi. As a student he also studied
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Public Forum “Women leading change: Human rights & environmental justice in L. A.”

Please register for this event HERE

Thank you to all our sponsors & donors for another successful Taste of Tropics!!

Dear TCDers, In two weeks (March 30) we will have our great Spring Fundraising Event: TASTE OF THE TROPICS!! Yes, start thinking now about a winning dish to cook and participate in our delicious cooking competition. As you may already know we have 6 categories: Appetizers (Veggie and Non-Veggie), Main dish (Veggie and Non-Veggie), Dessert and
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TCD Field Research Grant application deadline: Monday, March 4, 2019

For complete info on how to apply, click here TCD Field Research Grants support field research addressing the issues of biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource use, and human well-being in the tropics at Master’s and preliminary doctoral levels (i.e. Doctoral level funding is intended for initial site visits and preliminary research activities only). Grants will average
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TCD student group weekly TropiCafe comes back in Fall 19

We want to invite you to join us for an afternoon Coffee after Tropilunch where we can connect and strengthen our TCD student community. The idea is to create a space where we can talk about whatever comes up, like continuing Tropilunch discussions, chat about life as a graduate student, plan future events and etc.
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TCD congratulates Dr. Paula Pinheiro on her selection as the 2018 recipient of the M. Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Award!

 We are pleased to announce that Dr. Paula Soares Pinheiro is the 2018 winner of the Marianne Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Award from UF’s Tropical Conservation and Development Program. Dr. Pinheiro received her PhD in Interdisciplinary Ecology in 2018 from the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) program under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Perz.
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TCD members participate in an important Brazilian Grassroots Movement meeting

Includes information from Agência Acre A meeting to remember and reaffirm Chico Mendes’s legacy was organized by the Brazilian Grassroots Movement Conselho Nacional das Populações Extrativistas (CNS), in the hometown of the union leader, Xapuri, Acre State, during December, 15- 17, 2018. More than 500 people participated in the “Meeting Chico Mendes 30 Years: A
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TCD Faculty and collegues published study on cost/benefit of spatial intelligence use and nature restoration

Eben N. Broadbent, SFRC /TCD Faculty, and colleagues had their new study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution “Strategic approaches to restoring ecosystem can triple conservation gains and halve costs”, which presents a novel approach to identify optimal priority areas for restoration, considering multiple criteria such as biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and reduction of
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UF Law 2019 Costa Rica program: Law Policy and Professional Practice

21st Century Agenda for Amazon Conservation Paper

Dr. Cynthia Simmons, UF Geography and Dr. Robert Walker, UF Geography & Center for Latin American Studies, together with colleagues, recently published a 21st Century Agenda for Amazon Conservation in Biotropica.  They call for developing a system of refugia, advancing ability to predict impacts of infrastructure development, collaborative conservation planning, among other things.  This paper
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Confidence in Communication Workshop @ 11/29

Gardening for Graduate Gators Workshop @ 11/30

TCD student group would like to THANK YOU for a fantastic BINGO!

Cartoons as an education tool Mini Workshop @ 12/3

A TCD student, Farah Carrasco Rueda, has graciously agreed to share what she learned in a Workshop provided by Rohan Chakravarty (www.greenhumour.com), at the past 2018 Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation meeting, with the TCD community. Farah will provide the basics of generating cartoons of your study / favorite organism very informally to those
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Coffee & Development Workshop and Tasting

Do you want to know more about how coffee transforms from a humble bean, to a delicious drink in your mug? Do you want to know how to taste coffee? Are you curious about the livelihood of coffee farmers?Then come join us for our panel discussion on coffee production from farm to consumption. Our panel
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Trueke Market Exchange Event

What? A take on a Latin American tradition of alternative exchange markets where vendors are more than sellers, they are participants and community members. Bring goods or offer services to exchange and a willingness to connect with others. When? 3:30-5:30 PM- Friday, November 16 Facebook Event Where? Ethnoecology Garden 2799 SW 7th Pl, Gainesville, FL
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2017 Schmink Innovation Award winners present their work on cross-cultural learning and indigenous pedagogy

Click here to see the video of their Tropilunch’s presentation entitled “Basket of knowledge”: Weaving networks, connecting multiple ways of knowing and technologies through the creation and use of alternative didactic kits in indigenous pedagogy in Amazonas, Brazil 

2017 Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Awardee presenting special Tropilunch on Indigenous mobilization and livelihoods in Brazilian Amazon

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Thaissa Sobreiro, the 2017 winner of the Marianne Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Award will be in Gainesville to present her dissertation “Indigenous mobilization and multi-local livelihood strategies in the Middle Rio Negro, northwestern Brazilian Amazon” during a Special Tropilunch in October. Dr. Sobreiro received her PhD in Interdisciplinary Ecology
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Nature art activity available for TCD community

Would you like to take a break and let nature inspire your creativity in a different way than to study for courses, read papers and write grants? TCD is offering two activities for you to choose from: Mandala coloring (from UF counseling and Wellness Center) and rubber stamp carving for printmaking (see images and descriptions
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TCD alumna publishes research on Evaluating biodiversity workshops & promoting conservation in Chile

Hot off the press! “Evaluating biodiversity workshops in Chile: are farmers responding with conservation action? just published in Environmental Education Research. #MarcelaMarquez received her PhD from UF IFAS Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and is part of the @TCD_UF community – in fact former President of the TCDsg ! Congratulations Marcela, Susan and Olga!  Marcela Marquez,
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TCD co-organizes Workshop “Peoples of the Forest” as part of the Belém+30 Congress

Indigenous and traditional peoples share innovative juridical and technological tools for territorial management in the Belém+30 Congress For more information and access to the Workshop’s report, visit the event’s website or watch the event’s video. Last month, in an unprecedented collective effort, the Workshop Peoples of the Forest: Connections and Self-determination – Juridical and Technological Tools
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TCD students and faculty publish on how biases may influence conservation science

Mongabay has recently highlighted a study by TCD students Johanna Espin, Alyssa Cho & others and TCD Faculty Emilio Bruna on how “implicit gender, racial biases may lead to preventing a diversity of perspectives from being heard, and lessen chances of solving pressing conservation problems.

2018 TCD Annual Orientation & Gathering *New Venue*

Friday, August 31, 12:30 – 4:30 w/ lunch Terrace Room, UF Norman Hall *New venue* WHO * Everyone is welcome to attend! Any student and faculty member with interest in ‘conservation and development’ whether they are pursuing a TCD certificate or not. * If you already consider yourself a TCD student, please invite others that
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TCD Alumni publish paper on Conservation in the Southern Cone

TCD Alumni from Southern Cone Conservation Leadership Initiative just published a paper discussing the challenges and opportunities to advancing conservation in the Southern Cone; reporting out from multi-stakeholder group working together to find solutions.

2017 Amazon Workshop Report

Amazon Workshop Report The workshop on Tools and Strategies for Conservation and Development in the Amazon: Lessons Learned and Future Pathways took place in Gainesville, Florida on October 3-5, 2017. In a collective learning process of reflection and dialogue, the workshop participants analyzed lessons learned from a wide range of experiences and contexts in order 
to
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Have a great summer!

The Center for Latin American Studies and the Tropical Conservation and Development Program wish you a great summer and a successful fieldwork.

Bette Loiselle, TCD Director, was awarded the 2018 Brewster Award!!!

Congratulations to Bette Loiselle!! Dr. Loiselle is the recipient of the 2018 Brewster Award from the American Ornithological Society. The William Brewster Memorial Award is given annually to the author or co-authors of the most meritorious body of work (book, monograph, or series of related papers) on birds of the Western Hemisphere published during the past ten
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Participation as a virtual guest speaker in a K-12 classroom

Participation as a virtual guest speaker in a K-12 classroom The Outreach Office of the Center for Latin American Studies has a special request for your participation as a virtual guest in a K-12 classroom. The Virtual Guest Speaker Initiative through the Center’s Outreach Office is designed to bring an international or national expert into
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Special lectures by our guest speaker: Dr. Carlos Nobre

Lectures by guest speaker, Dr Carlos Nobre The Center for Latin American Studies, the Tropical Conservation and Development Program, Department of Geography, Florida-Brazil Linkage Institute, and UF Biodiversity Institute welcome Dr. Carlos Nobre to the University of Florida from 26-30 March 2018. Dr. Nobre will give two talks and be involved in several informal discussions during the week, and
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TCDsg Officers Nominations

Nominations Open for TCDsg Officers:   President Vice-president Secretary Treasurer Tropilunch Coordinator Regional Representatives (Asia, Africa, Latin America) Nominees should be current UF students who participate in TCD. Nomination Deadline: 23 March, 2018. Email nominations (name and role) to: benlowe@ufl.edu President: – Initiate and preside over TCDsg meetings and events – Serve as an authorized
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Save the date: Taste of the Tropics

Taste of the Tropics Mark your calendars for Saturday March 31st at 6:00 pm. Our famous cooking competition will take place at Bette Loiselle & John Blake’s house (3440 NW 27th Place, Gainesville FL.). The objective of the event is to raise funds that will be used for scholarships for TCD students. Please sign up here
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UF Faculty describe the struggle facing an indigenous tribe living alongside the Tapajos River in the Brazilian Amazon

UF Faculty describe the struggle facing an indigenous tribe living alongside the Tapajos River in the Brazilian Amazon Robert Walker and Cynthia Simmons published in the Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development journal an article entitled “Amazonia threatened: an indigenous tribe fights against the development of the hydroelectric plant in the Tapajós Valley“. Editors selected
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Guyana Capacity Building – Grant Recipients

Research Grant Recipients Three University of Guyana students receive research grants for natural resource management. The University of Guyana in collaboration with the University of Florida and the World Wildlife Fund-Guianas is proud to announce that three students, Ms. Wilda Hungito, Mr. Mark Ram, and Ms. Nadia Hunte, will receive research awards in support of
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2016 Schmink Dissertation Awardee Seminar

TCD and The Center for Latin American Studies would like to invite you to the 2016 Marianne Schmink Dissertation Awardee special seminar Tourism consumption of biodiversity: Thatch huts & tropical forest management By Dr. José Antonio Sierra Huelsz 2016 Marianne Schmink Outstanding Dissertation Awardee* Wednesday, February 28, 2018  11:30 am — 12:30 pm Grinter Hall – Room
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Recordings: Bat Acoustic Workshop

Working with acoustic data is a challenge that can be paralyzing due to the volumes of data generated that needs to be processed. Dr. Bruce Miller, a bat acoustics expert, took us on an exciting journey during the workshop “Bats Equal BIG DATA Challenges” at the University of Florida on 1 February 2018 in collaboration with
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PhD student presents work supported by TCD Program

PhD student presents work supported by TCD Program Ana Luiza Violato Espada, a 2nd-year PhD student of School of Forest Resources and Conservation with concentration in Tropical Conservation and Development at University of Florida (UF) is participating in the 24th Annual International Society of Tropical Foresters Conference at Yale University, New Haven, February 1-3, 2018.
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TCD Spring Party

We are hosting our first party for the semester and Karen Bailey is hosting the party this year, thank you! When: January, Friday 26th Time: 8pm Where: 3709 SW 15th St. We will have beer and wine and request $ 5 for cover charges. This will allow us to cover our costs. Please bring cash
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Fieldwork Festival

The University of Florida Center for Latin American Studies cordially invites you to participate in a Fieldwork Festival. February 9, 2018. ||  1:00 – 4:30pm ||   Reitz Union (rooms 3315 & 3320) The festival begins with an interactive workshop designed to build on and develop fieldwork skills and strategies for research, practicum and internship projects. Following,
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Women’s workshops at the 12th Gender Summit

Women’s workshops at the 12th Gender Summit 2017 After 3 workshops developed in Gainesville (Florida, USA), Quito (Ecuador) and Puerto Iguazú (Argentina), the organizing team of the workshops “Women in Environmental Sciences and Sustainability: Opportunities and Challenges in Latin America” was invited to participate in a round table at the 12th Gender Summit (and the
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TCD members publish PLOS Biology paper

“As science becomes more international, scientific editorial boards lag behind”  UF TCD PhD Candidate Johanna Espin, UF TCD Faculty Emilio Bruna and others report lack of diversity in editors ​of major scientific journals. Read article here. Press Release

Special Seminar – Dr. Fonseca

Global Environment Facility, the International Multilateral Environmental Agreements Architecture, and My Experience in it. by Dr. Gustavo Fonseca, Global Environment Facility. Friday, December 15  |  3:30-4:30 pm  |  112 Newins-Ziegler Hall. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was created at the eve of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio to become the first financial mechanism to assist developing
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Primatology at UF – Dec 5-6, 2017

Two visiting primatologists, Dr. Tara Stoinski & Prof. David Watts, will share their research and conservation efforts on mountain gorillas in a series of events: Primatology researchers speak on Mountain Gorilla Conservation By Dr. Tara Stoinski & Professor David Watts Wednesday, December 6, 2017 | 12:00-3:00 pm Smathers Library (East) Room 100 Informal Workshop: Protecting Mountain Gorillas
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Report – UF Amazon Workshop

Join us to the Report Back and Analysis from TCD students! The event is to present and discuss with the TCD community the class project from LAS 6920: Knowledge, Governance and Land Use Dynamics in the Tropics, where students participated in the Workshop on Tools and Strategies for Conservation and Development in the Amazon: Lessons
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Gender, Race and Sexual Positionality in the field Workshop

Join the TCD student group for a very interesting Workshop! Thursday, December 7, 2017 | From 9:00-12:00pm | CSE E221

Tropilunch by Nicholas Dowhaniuk

Join us for the semester’s last Tropilunch! “The Conflict After the War: Conservation, War, and Post-conflict Regrowth in Northern Uganda” By Nicholas Dowhaniuk on Tuesday-December 5th, 2017 from 12:45-1:45pm in Grintell Hall 376.  

Tropilunch by Dr. Allison

“Snakes, Crocodiles, and Markets: conservation, livelihoods, and wildlife trade on Cambodia’s Tonlé Sap” By Dr. Edward Allison on Tuesday-November 7th, 2017 from 12:45-1:45pm in Grintell Hall 376. Free grad student pizza luncheon with Dr. Allison on Wed, Nov 8, 12-2pm, in 185 Frazier Rogers Hall (just across Museum Road from NZH). RSVP to benlowe@ufl.edu

TCD student group Annual Bingo Fundraiser

The Bingo event is almost here!! The TCD Bingo is an annual fundraiser that brings together family and friends to have a good time. The funds go directly to scholarships and other funding sources for TCD students. This year the Bingo will be on  Friday November 3, 2017 from 6:30 to 10:30 pm at Patricia &
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Welcome to our new website!

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new website We hope you like the fresh new look to the website that will allow you to find the information you need more quickly and easily. Our new site offers simplified menu options and navigation, direct access to the information you need, and color-blinded colors. We
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TCD News

Congratulations to Bette Loiselle!! Dr. Loiselle is the recipient of the 2018 Brewster Award from the American Ornithological Society. The William Brewster Memorial Award is given annually to the author or co-authors of the most meritorious body of work (book, monograph, or series of related papers) on birds of the Western Hemisphere published during the past ten
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