Mountain Gorilla Exhibit Highlights Libraries’ Wildlife Conservation Manuscripts

Faculty rePortS MoUntaIn goRIlla exHIbIt HIgHlIgHts lIbRaRIes’ wIlDlIfe conseRvatIon ManUscRIPts Daniel reboussin dr. heather Campbell donated the Mist premiered in 171 countries and 45 the bob Campbell Papers to the languages on December 6, 2017. george A. Smathers libraries in Also on December 6th, Smathers 2015. Campbell’s best-known images Libraries with UF co-sponsors the brought international recognition to Dian Biodiversity Institute, Wildlife Ecology Fossey and her mountain gorilla research & Conservation, Department of at Rwanda’s Karisoke Research Center in Anthropology, Florida Museum of a January, 1970 National Geographic cover Natural History, Tropical Conservation story. To commemorate Karisoke’s 50th & Development program, Land Use and anniversary in September 2017, co-curators Environmental Change Institute, Center for Dan Reboussin and Richard Freeman, with African Studies, and International Center graduate student Riley Ravary, teamed up hosted Dr. Tara Stoinski, current President, to exhibit “Bob Campbell’s Photographs of CEO and Chief Scientific Officer for the Dian Fossey’s Karisoke Research Center, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, and David 1968-1972.” The exhibit is also available Watts, Professor of Anthropology at Yale online. University to present on conservation While bringing awareness to Campbell’s efforts at Karisoke since Fossey’s death in beautiful and historic photographs, the 1985. Watts was Karisoke Research Center exhibit also highlights one of the largest director 1986-1987. collections of primary resources on 20th These preeminent primatologists’ century African wildlife conservation in perspectives on mountain gorilla the US. These primary resources include conservation since the early days of gifts from Brian Child (Geography), a Sunbird from the audio, explaining “I Fossey’s research highlighted innovative Larry D. Harris (Wildlife Ecology and can find no song recordings of Nectarinia programs to benefit Rwandan communities. Conservation), and others unaffiliated with stuhlmanni graueri in the three main online Incorporating Campbell’s materials into UF such as the East African Professional catalogs of bird sound recordings (British the Libraries’ outreach program supports Hunters’ Association, Alistair Graham, and Museum, Macaulay Library at Cornell, and collection accessibility, their use for Ian Parker. They focus on applied projects xeno-canto.org).” Campbell’s recording teaching, research, and ultimately may and document the history of community now represents this bird’s song in an open support improvements in community participation in wildlife conservation access database used by field biologists, conservation efforts that are our best efforts, so they are appropriately curated at while citing the full-length recording in UF chance to secure the survival of the UF’s Libraries. Since the 1970s, UF wildlife Digital Collections. critically endangered mountain gorillas of conservation projects have integrated social Online access to such extraordinary Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains. research into their design, contributing resources has attracted unusual attention. to the now widely-understood principle Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International Daniel Reboussin is the African Studies curator that sustainable conservation depends on staff sought a recording of “The Mountain at the George A. Smathers Libraries. African local community participation in managing Gorilla,” Fossey’s 1973 lecture to the Studies material collections and digital projects natural resources. National Geographic Society. Editors at are supported by the CAS Title VI grant in Campbell’s recordings of sound National Geographic Magazine contacted collaboration with the UF Libraries. and video from the Virunga Mountains our Special and Area Studies Collections are integrated with the visual elements. Department to arrange publication of Visitors hear ambient birdsong, gorilla several Campbell photographs for their barks, and chest beats as they view the September 2017 issue. We also permitted images. Recently, Dr. Jay McEntee sought British producer Tigress to feature me out, asking “when and where was this Campbell’s images in a 3-part National audio recorded?” Luckily, Campbell was Geographic Channel special produced by meticulous in documenting such important James Marsh (Man on Wire) and narrated details. The post-doc biologist identified by Sigourney Weaver. Dian Fossey: Secrets in Center for AfriCAn StudieS Research Report 2017–2018 23.

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