Conservation Genomics & Biomonitoring

Organized by: Dr. Pooja Singh 

Funded by: University of Bern

Hosted by: Okavango Research Institute

Lecturer: Dr. Pooja Singh & Dr. Tamara Schenekar

Date & Location: September 2024, Maun, Botswana

An introductory course teaching students various ways in which genetics can be used to inform wildlife and biodiversity conservation. We delved into the methodologies (study design, genetic sample collection, DNA extraction PCR, eDNA, population genetics, molecular ecology, and genomics toolkit), interpretation, and practical applications of genetic analyses in the conservation and biomonitoring of wildlife and threatened species. This course targeted undergraduate, graduate, and professionals with a background in biology/ecology, who are actively working on (or studying) conservation and wildlife related topics in Botswana and more broadly, Southern Africa.

Biodiversity assessments using environmental DNA

Organized by: South African National Biodiversity Institute

Lecturer: Dr. Tamara Schenekar

Hostet by: South African National Biodiversity Institute & University of Pretoria

Date & Location: September 2022 & 2023, Pretoria, South Africa

 

This workshop consistet of two parts: The fist one (September 2022) consisted of lectures introducing the principles, concepts and methodology of eDNA-based biomonitoring and included an eDNA sampling trip to the Faerie Glen Nature Reserve nearby Pretoria. The second part (September 2023) was abioinformatics workshop in which we analysed metabarcoding data that was generated from the samples that we collected in 2022.