Women in Conservation research project - female candidates in the Lowveld?

[Elma Marais]

Dear members,

 

See the request below. Are there any female members in the Lowveld who are interested or willing to participate in a research project on “ Women in Conservation: Narratives of Place and Practice in the Lowveld region, South Africa, under the supervision of Dr. Vanessa Masterson (visiting researcher at Rhodes University) and Dr. Simon West?

 

All details are supplied below. Please respond to Laura-Bethia Campbell, copied here.

 

Kind regards,

Elma

From: Laura-Bethia Campbell <lc...@cornell.edu>
Sent: 25 January 2021 14:28
To: Elma Marais <el...@sawma.co.za>
Subject: Re: Women in Conservation - request for contact details

 

Dear Ms. Marais, 

I hope this finds you very well, and that you are having a great start to the new year!

I had just wanted to follow up on our previous email regarding our Women in Conservation research project. We are still finalising participant recruitment and were wondering whether you may know any women conservationists (whether involved in designing, managing or monitoring conservation projects in the Lowveld), who may be interested in participating in our research project? 

Just to reiterate what engagement will involve: 

Time Frame: A commitment of 3hrs over 3wks, between January-February 2021

 

Week 1: Introductory interview (1hr), first photo assignment (gathering archived photographs and/or taking photos during your daily work routines)

• The interview will cover topics such as (a) personal connections to landscapes in the Lowveld, (b) conservation in the Lowveld, (c) working in conservation (d) women in conservation. In the interview, participants will be given a photography assignment to gather archived photographs and/or to take photographs during their daily work routines. 

Week 2: Photo dialogue (1hr), second photo assignment (gathering archived photographs and/or taking photos during daily work routines)

• In the photo dialogue we will discuss the photos participants’ have gathered from personal archives and/or taken and collaboratively develop captions for them. Participants will be given their second photography directive for the final photo dialogue.

Week 3: Photo dialogue and wrap-up (1hr)

• In the photo dialogue we will discuss the photos each participant has gathered/taken and collaboratively develop captions for them. We will also discuss opportunities to co-design an online exhibition or printed photo-book to present participants’ images and captions to a wider audience (taking into account the feasibility of this, the dissemination of photographs/narratives will be discussed with affiliated organisations, and may be created upon completion of the thesis). 

Do kindly let me know if anyone comes to mind, or whether you have any questions about the project. We would be grateful for your suggestions! 

Warm regards, 
Laura-Bethia 

 

On Thu, Dec 10, 2020 at 9:13 PM Laura-Bethia Campbell <lc...@cornell.edu> wrote:

Dear Ms. Marais, 

I am a Master's student at Stockholm Resilience Centre, and am conducting my thesis project titled Women in Conservation: Narratives of Place and Practice in the Lowveld region, South Africa, under the supervision of Dr. Vanessa Masterson (visiting researcher at Rhodes University) and Dr. Simon West. 

 

We would like to work with and interview women conservation professionals in Mpumalanga and Limpopo in order to understand their experiences and perspectives of working in conservation.

 

Through interviews and participatory photography (to be conducted in January-February 2021), we are hoping to engage with personal experiences of women conservationists in order to understand how they navigate traditionally male-dominated conservation spaces, and how their relationships to protected areas in the region inform their individual approaches to conservation practice.

We have been reaching out to various contacts in the Lowveld, in hopes of getting in touch with potential participants. 

Vivienne Williams has kindly provided your contact information, and suggested that we reach out to you, in case you might have suggestions about conservation professionals at SAWMA who may be interested in getting involved with the project. 

 

Kindly find attached further details about the project, and what it will involve, and do let me know if you, or anyone you know might be willing to engage! 

 

Thank you so much for your time!
Warm regards, 
Laura-Bethia 

 

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Laura-Bethia Campbell

 

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Laura-Bethia Campbell
MSc Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University (present)
B.F.A Cornell University | Rhode Island School of Design