The Dry Season team is back into the swing of things! Dr Chima Nwaogu began data collection for his fellowship project on breeding phenology, focusing on tchagras and dark-capped bulbuls in addition to historical egg collection records from the Choma area. Collins Moya and Silky Hamama are taking the lead to continue data collection on this project over the coming months. Jess Lund has been studying greater and lesser honeyguides, as well as their hosts. Meanwhile, Mairenn Attwood has been conducting playback experiments on fork-tailed drongos. After missing the 2021 season due to the pandemic, it was great to return to the site, see everyone again, and get back to field work!
Evolutionary Biology Crash Course
Tanmay Dixit was a member of a team organising and lecturing in the inaugural Evolutionary Biology Crash Course. This course, aimed at undergraduate or early-postgraduate students, teaches evolutionary principles to students who have had limited opportunities to be exposed to evolutionary ideas. The course is funded by the Equal Opportunities Initiative Fund of the European Society of Evolutionary Biology (ESEB). Tanmay presented lectures on behavioural ecology and evolution, focussing on kin selection, coevolution, and parasitism. Over 700 students, with the vast majority from the global South, attended the course, which was a resounding success!