A Nigerian scientist's personal experience with a wildfire, which threatened endangered bats she discovered just days before, has won her the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize. Found in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in southeastern Nigeria, Iroro Tanshi shared that seeing the short-tailed roundleaf bat for the first time in almost 50 years should have been a big headliner news. Unfortunately, she faced a serious problem with wildfires in the region.
In Nigeria, where bats are often associated with witchcraft, Tanshi successfully led a community-driven campaign to protect the bats by preventing wildfires in their habitat. How do we convince people to protect the habitat? she reflected on the strategies employed to shift local beliefs regarding bats, emphasizing that the wildfire issue was also a community challenge.
Currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington, Tanshi has identified human-induced wildfires as significant threats faced by the endangered species. Her efforts, in collaboration with community fire brigades, successfully mitigated serious wildfires from breaking out in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, impacting both local agriculture and wildlife preservation.
Despite cultural stigmas, Tanshi's team engages the community through various media, focusing on educating children about bats' critical ecological roles, including seed dispersal and pollination. Your shea butter... is because of bats, which disperse the seeds of the tree, she emphasized about their contribution to ecosystems. Tanshi expressed her pride in receiving the award, recognizing it as a validation of the global importance of local conservation work. She is among six female winners of this year's Goldman Environmental Prize, marking a notable historic achievement.
In Nigeria, where bats are often associated with witchcraft, Tanshi successfully led a community-driven campaign to protect the bats by preventing wildfires in their habitat. How do we convince people to protect the habitat? she reflected on the strategies employed to shift local beliefs regarding bats, emphasizing that the wildfire issue was also a community challenge.
Currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington, Tanshi has identified human-induced wildfires as significant threats faced by the endangered species. Her efforts, in collaboration with community fire brigades, successfully mitigated serious wildfires from breaking out in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, impacting both local agriculture and wildlife preservation.
Despite cultural stigmas, Tanshi's team engages the community through various media, focusing on educating children about bats' critical ecological roles, including seed dispersal and pollination. Your shea butter... is because of bats, which disperse the seeds of the tree, she emphasized about their contribution to ecosystems. Tanshi expressed her pride in receiving the award, recognizing it as a validation of the global importance of local conservation work. She is among six female winners of this year's Goldman Environmental Prize, marking a notable historic achievement.
