JRS Grantee the National Herbarium of Benin, located at the University of Abomey-Calavi successfully kicked off their project Mobilizing data for Identification, Taxonomy, Socioeconomic Importance and Conservation Assessment of Bryophytes in Benin at the Polytechnique School in June 2023.  Project PI Dr. Hospice Dassou welcomed over 70 attendees and introduced guest speakers from across the university campus to stress the importance and direct impact this project will have on the local community.

Dr. Dassou also introduced associate Bryophyte experts for the project, Dr Lova Marline of Madagascar and Univ. of Capetown Professor Terry Hedderson, who emphasized how building capacity in the study of Bryophytes in Benin would be essential for informed decision-making.

Dr. Dassou coordinated the first project activity in September which included training, a field demonstration of Bryophyte sample collection and processing as well as lab training on specimen identification.  Dr. Marline and Prof. Hedderson headed the field training sessions in the protected forest of Lama in Southern Benin.

Read more about the Mobilizing data for Identification, Taxonomy, Socioeconomic Importance and Conservation Assessment of Bryophytes in Benin at the Conference of Polytechnique here.