The Darwin Initiative’s project in The Gambia started in October 2003, and aims to promote and stimulate international and local biodiversity research in The Gambia, and increase the capacity of local people to manage their natural resources sustainably.

On the whole West Africa is very poorly studied with regard to its biodiversity and falls well behind its eastern and southern counterparts. The Gambia, which is the smallest country in West Africa is very rich in biodiversity but very little is known about it. There is also a distinct lack of Gambian biodiversity expertise and equipment to be able to undertake biodiversity research, and a general scarcity of materials to learn about biodiversity locally. 
 
The focus of the project is the Darwin Field Station for biodiversity research, education and training, which is located in Abuko Nature Reserve, the very first protected area to be established in The Gambia in 1968. The field station overlooks a beautiful pool containing crocodiles and many spectacular birds. It is situated in a reserve which contains both gallery forest and guinea savanna habitat, together with the great amounts of biodiversity associated with them. International and local researchers are being encouraged to come and undertake biodiversity research at the reserve. If you think you would be interested in doing biodiversity research in the reserve, click here.
The project is also providing training to local people in biodiversity management and sustainable natural resource use and research skills. At the same time, information about the flora and fauna of The Gambia is being brought together and collated to produce a national species list in order to identify gaps in our knowledge. The project is also producing some easy to use field guides on the common butterflies, mammals, amphibians and flora.

One of the aims of this website is to stimulate interest in the flora and fauna of The Gambia. It can be accessed in country and overseas and will be developed throughout and beyond the end of the project. The Darwin project will also provide sensitization through national TV and radio programmes, newspaper articles and a one day symposium in the second year of the project.
The project is a joint venture between the University of Warwick and a Gambian NGO Makasutu Wildlife Trust.