Current Dragonfly students Maegan Leavendusky (at right) of Mayetta, Kansas, and Rachel Medley of Lexington, Kentucky, recently traveled to Cameroon, West Africa, where they worked on The Great Ape Conservation Film Project (GACFP), a partnership between GLOBIO, a media conservation organization, and Ape Action Africa, a local non-governmental organization.

For two weeks, the GLOBIO team trained local community members to administer teacher questionnaires in nearby schools to assess the knowledge and awareness of great apes. The data collected from the teacher questionnaires will aid in the creation of a follow-up questionnaire for students, and the combined data from both questionnaires will drive the creation of both primate- and region-specific films.

This project builds and expands upon previous community film conservation initiatives in Africa and Southeast Asia. GACFP utilizes the uniqueness and power of film to raise and amplify awareness, improve knowledge of and attitudes toward great apes, address conservation education research gaps, and inspire impactful conservation action in communities living near great apes and threatened habitat.

Leavendusky, who is a GFP student in Miami's Biology Department, will earn a Master of Arts next month. She holds bachelor degrees in nursing and anthropology and works as the Outreach Education Coordinator for GLOBIO. Leavendusky is also GACFP's Project Coordinator and focused her graduate work on creating connections and lasting impacts for primate conservation.

Medley is working on her biology master's degree through the AIP with experiential learning at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. She has been an elementary teacher for over 20 years and is transitioning into a new role as a clinical educator for a local university. Read more