“My BAPTISM OF FIRE TRIP AT IBiNS”

I am Grace Niba, a trainee at ERuDeF Institute of Biodiversity and Nonprofit Studies (IBiNS) mile 18 Buea, specialized in Biodiversity Conservation. My first field expedition to the Proposed Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, January 9 to 16 2014 was such an amazing experience.

The expedition began with an orientation meeting at ERuDeF Field Office in Menji, comprising of ERuDeF CEO/President, Louis Nkembi, ERuDeF’s biomonitoring staff and some partners from the USA, Michael, John and Ben. During this meeting the biomonitoring team shared with us their experiences in the field including their failures and successes, which gave us a picture of what we were going to meet in the rainforest also   preparing our minds of the task ahead of us.

 The next day, one of ERuDeF’s partners from Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment, USA, Michael St. Germain, trained us on how to set up camera traps in the forest to capture great apes, and how to analyze photos from the camera traps. This was such an exciting moment for me because I have never known about it before.

On the third day we embarked on the expedition proper; ERuDeF Bio-monitor, Asoh Bedwin, Michael St. Germain form the US and I got on three separate bikes plied through the hilly topography of Lebialem to Besali from where we hiked with the Field Guide, Solomon to the Besali segment of Proposed Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary. We hiked up the hills ascending and descending planting the cameras traps along tracks of gorillas and chimpanzee as we go .On this day we planted 3 cameras and I also saw some gorillas resting and sleeping nests and some plantains destroyed in a farm by. This was really awesome!

After planting the camera traps, we hiked to the camp site where we spent the night. This was really amazing as it was my first time to spend a night in the rainforest and sleeping under a tent. Sincerely it was a frightening but wonderful experience!

The next day, we continue with the camera planting exercise and hiked back to the Besali community. Upon arrival in Menji, “a welcome back from the forest party” was organized by ERuDeF CEO/President for us and all ERuDeF staff. I rested the next day and left Menji for Buea.

Sincerely speaking it was a challenging trip which I called “my baptism of life”. All the same it was such a wonderful, memorable and educative trip.