​Having joined CCB in 2019 to undertake her PhD research, Michelle J. C. Kral has successfully completed and defended her thesis this year after many years of camera trapping, cheetah collaring, farmer engagement, database management, data analysing and seemingly-unending writing. Studying through Wageningen University – a university and research centre in the Netherlands, Michelle’s role as a PhD candidate saw her balancing this scholarly work with being our Conservation Research Coordinator simultaneously. In this role, Michelle exhibited outstanding leadership, guiding the field team and advising on implementation strategies under the guidance of CCB’s Executive Director, Rebecca Klein. 
 
We invite you to watch Michelle’s presentation at Wageningen University and Research Enterprise Video Platform (yuja.com) [https://wur.yuja.com/Library/search/WatchVideo/3912000] to learn more about her PhD research work in Ghanzi that yielded her thesis titled: “Landscapes of Coexistence: Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) behaviour in a livestock-dominated landscape”.
 
Reflecting on her experience, Michelle said: “I am so thankful for everything I have learned and experienced at CCB over the last years. Thanks to CCB, I have been able to expand my knowledge so much - not only related to conservation, but also ecology, community outreach, project management and working with various stakeholders. None of this would have been possible without your support. Thank you for everyone involved over the years!”
 
We are very proud to have had Dr. Kral in our team, and we look forward to all the work she will pursue in the future. 

​As part of our 20th anniversary celebrations, CCB recently hosted two dynamic four-day soccer camps in the villages of Kacgae and West Hanahai. These camps, designed to engage our target communities through fun-filled environmental education, attracted a total of 156 youth and 104 adults, showcasing the potential of sports as a catalyst for conservation awareness.
 
The camps were led by Paul Gibbons, affectionately known as "Gibbo," the founder of Soccer in the Community, a USA-based NGO. With years of experience volunteering with various organizations in Botswana, Gibbo has been instrumental in integrating football with conservation initiatives, including the development of the Coaching for Conservation program run by Wild Entrust. His commitment to using sport as a means of environmental education was evident throughout the camps. He was supported by two dedicated volunteers, Jason Vera and Mac Strong. The camps achieved impressive youth turnout, with participants eagerly engaging in activities led by Gibbo, Jason, Mac and the CCB team.
 
Following the soccer camps, CCB organised an exciting soccer tournament and family fun day in the village of West Hanahai. The tournament - sponsored by the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture, and supported by donations from Mariette Straus and Kagiso Mokotedi - offered attractive cash prizes for the top three teams across the categories U16 Boys, U16 Girls, Women and Men, further incentivizing participation. The tournament drew good attendance, and visiting teams and spectators from West Hanahai and neighbouring villages stayed to enjoy the matches. Soccer, or should we say football as it is known locally, is Botswana’s most popular sport, and the enthusiasm for the camps and tournament was widespread.  
 
The camps and tournament underscored the potential of leveraging sports to promote conservation education. The participation of locals in soccer activities which were linked to environmental education fostered a deeper connection to environmental issues, while also bringing the community together. CCB looks forward to future events that harness the power of sport to engage communities in conservation efforts, driving awareness and action for our precious wildlife.
 
Thank you to everyone who participated, supported, and contributed to the success of these camps! We are excited to continue this journey of community engagement and environmental stewardship together.

​Our Engagement and Awareness (EAA) department may be small, but they definitely do an outstanding job at producing accessible and informative resources for various audiences. We are proud to see partners like Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) — whose mission is to achieve practical solutions to conservation problems through scientific research — using our materials in the field. It is also encouraging to see the Central District branch of our long-running governmental partners, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks tapping into our knowledge pool. While CCB’s operations are primarily concentrated in the Ghanzi district, many of the species that we research are present in other parts of the country, and as such, it is imperative that we produce resources that can translate into experiences of our various stakeholders regardless of where they find themselves. 
 
Resource production is a gruelling task that requires great attention to detail. To ensure that we don’t spread misinformation, and that we produce engaging, evergreen tools for our audiences, the EAA team invests a lot of time in the packaging and presentation of our resources. We are grateful that our peers at the Botswana Carnivore Forum have been proactive with sharing these resources with their membership. We also provide links and free access to digital copies of our resources on our website (on the Resources page), so that they are available to individuals and organisations far and wide to increase awareness of human-wildlife coexistence. 
 
With more research coming out from all our departments, we foresee new and exciting resources making their way into people’s hands (and onto their screens) in the coming year. 

​Marie-Charlotte Gielen is in the final year of her PhD research – looking at human-wildlife interactions in the connected landscape between the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Botswana. Recent findings from Marie’s research explores the Formozov-Malyshev-Pereleshin (FMP) formula, an important tool for estimating wildlife populations in the Kalahari by counting animal tracks (spoor). The final two data chapters of her thesis look at how well the FMP model – which is based on a formula that combines track counts and the average distance animals travel each day – works to accurately estimate wildlife densities. Although this method is praised for its straightforwardness, there are discussions about how to make it more accurate, especially regarding the daily movements of the focal species.
 
A major focus is on how animal’s travel distances influence the estimates created by the FMP formula. By using data from GPS-collared lions, the study aims to improve these calculations. Early results show that conducting more surveys leads to better accuracy in estimating animal populations, highlighting the need for repeated observations to account for differences in animal behaviour, especially seasonally.
 
Marie’s fifth chapter shifts the focus to how wildlife and livestock coexist in the Western Kalahari Conservation Corridor. It uses track counts to estimate how many animals are in the area and how they move, examining how environmental factors and human activities effect these patterns. By comparing current data with past trends, the goal is to help with habitat management and conservation planning.
 
Preliminary results show that gemsbok (a type of antelope) tend to be less common near cattle posts, indicating how human activities and livestock impact wildlife. This chapter aims to involve local communities by combining traditional knowledge, including the art of spoor (footprint) tracking by the Kalahari San, with modern research methods. Overall, these chapters highlight the importance of advanced tracking techniques and community involvement in wildlife conservation. Ongoing research aims to improve these methods and promote strategies for sustainable coexistence, which are vital for protecting biodiversity in the Kalahari region.
 
Marie’s presented her findings at the annual Southern African Wildlife Management Association (SAWMA) conference, held in Windhoek on 6 - 10 October. Her talk was titled "Exploring habitat suitability using track surveys: A case study on large species in Wildlife Management Areas of the Kalahari, Botswana." 
 
The conference was quite ambitious, with presentations spread across 47 universities and research institutions, 32 NGOs and associations, 12 reserves and community areas, nine private professionals and five government representatives. Nine African countries were represented, along with 15 countries outside of Africa. A total of 129 presentations were delivered over the four-day conference to 240 participants. "Preliminary results indicate that distances to cattleposts are strongly associated to track density compared to other variables" shares Marie, adding, "the closer to cattleposts, the lesser track density is expected - at least for gemsbok for now, let’s see for other species."
 
We are very proud of the dedication and resolve that Marie has showcased throughout her time working toward this qualification. We wish Marie the best of luck as she finalises her final chapters for publication and makes plans to defend her PhD in the new year.