From Plant Press, Vol. 4, No. 4 from October 2001.
A recent symposium on the biodiversity of Guyana was generously supported by an anonymous donation received through the Office of the Associate Director for Research and Collections (ADRC) in the National Museum of Natural History, and by the Biological Diversity of the Guianas (BDG) Program. Instrumental in the success of the undertaking were Carol Kelloff, assistant director of BDG who organized the meeting, and Tom Hollowell, data manager of BDG who coordinated the informative poster sessions. Kelloff provided the following report.
“The University of Guyana and the Smithsonian Institution’s Biological Diversity of the Guianas Program hosted a symposium entitled ‘The Biodiversity of Guyana: A Global Perspective for the Future’ in Georgetown, Guyana from 7–10 October. At the opening Reception, James Rose, Vice-Chancellor, University of Guyana, Vicki Funk, Director, Biological Diversity of the Guianas Program, and Ronald Godard, American Ambassador, welcomed over 200 guests.
“Funk announced the completion of the publication Preliminary Checklist of the Plants of the Guiana Shield, Volume 1: Acanthaceae - Lythraceae by T. Hollowell, P. Berry, V. Funk and C. Kelloff. The Shield encompasses Venezuela (Amazonas, Bolívar, Delta Amacuro) and the three Guianas. Complimentary copies are available upon request. The Symposium was dedicated to Dr. George L. Walcott (1928-2001), former Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, who was instrumental in establishment of the University’s Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity.
“Plenary speakers of the symposium were Major General (ret’d.) Joseph Singh, of Conservation International – Guyana; Dr. John Terborgh, Duke University; Dr. Godfrey Bourne, University of Missouri – St. Louis; Dr. Andre Chanderbali, University of Guyana; Dr. I. Ramdass, National Wildlife Survey, EPA – Guyana; and Dr. Kathryn Monk, Executive Director, Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development.
“Invited speakers presented 26 papers on a variety of topics, including taxonomy and geographical distributions, conservation and ecotourism, sustainable development, and biochemical prospecting. Speakers includedHollowell on the mangroves of Shell Beach, Guyana; Funk on estimating biodiversity in Guyana; and Kelloff on balancing conservation and ecotourism in Kaieteur National Park. The approximately 100 participants who attended each session included members from Conservation International – Washington, D.C. and Guyana, Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development, Guiana Shield Initiative – Surinam, students from the University of Guyana and Queen’s College (high school), non-governmental organizations, embassies, and various agencies of the Government of Guyana.
“More than 30 posters were prepared by scientists from the Smithsonian Institution, Guiana Shield Initiative, and students from the University of Guyana, Iwokrama, and others. Subjects of the posters included research on butterflies, frogs, spiders, avian and other vertebrate diversity, phylogeny of Bignoniaceae, Cannaceae and Zingiberaceae, the river otter, mosquito bacteria (Bacillus), and primates of the Essequibo River region. The posters remain on display at the Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity, University of Guyana, and will be available as teaching aids to the University and surrounding schools. This was the first scientific meeting held in Guyana and all deemed it a success.”
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