Introducing a New Good Guy to the Lomami

Welcome John Hart

Actually he is not new….
John in front of tree buttress
Snap shot of John’s first trip into Central African forests as birdwatcher -freshman in college….

Two of our last posts were from John’s trip in the northern TL2 through the land of the Lengola. And we managed to get his input on earlier posts as well, but John has not had his proper introduction yet. Here it is:
baba holding forth2
John in teaching mode with two team leaders, Dino and Faustin, on his right….

Of the three of us (Ashley, John and me), John has spent the most years trekking through Congo’s forests. When I first came to the Congo (then Zaire) in 1974 as a Peace Corps volunteer, John was already in the Ituri forest. He had a special post-undergraduate grant to study the ecology of the Mbuti pygmies. The grant was to last one year and cover all travel as well as everything else. It was 6000 dollars. He made it last two and a half years.
John with makubasi
A recent photo of John with Mbuti, Pygmy, elders in Epulu village in the Ituri Forest.

We returned to the Ituri together in 1980 for our doctoral research. We came with our first daughter, Sarah, and the second, Rebekah, was born in Epulu.
family in Epulu-1983
A snapshot of us in front of the Epulu River in 1983

While I looked at plants, John’s research was on forest antelope and the Mbuti were his guides and assistants. Having finished our graduate degrees we returned to the Ituri for another ten years.
January putting on radio collar-1983
A truly fuzzy snapshot of John putting a radio collar on a duiker in 1983.

Over the last ten years John has worked in the Salonga forest, the forests of Kahuzi-Biega, the forests of Itombwe and now he is with us in the Tshuapa-Lomami-Lualaba (TL2). He has been with international conservation NGOs and he led the CITES program to study the illegal killing of elephants.
scrutinizing the canopy
Scrutinizing the canopy for primates and birds, binoculars at the ready…

Now – and we are delighted – John will be full time on the TL2 project. As Scientific Director he will hone our forest methods, oversee analysis and follow-through on discoveries. And already the file for the latter is getting thick.

14 Comments

  1. Posted 2008-01-07 at 7:26 pm | Permalink

    This is the most upbeat post I’ve read on WD in days. Welcome to the blog, Mr. Hart.

    s.

  2. Christine C.
    Posted 2008-01-07 at 9:19 pm | Permalink

    Welcome Dr. Hart!! And Sheryl is right, there has been a lot of dark news on the blogs this week, so this is very welcome indeed!

  3. Dipesh Pabari
    Posted 2008-01-07 at 10:20 pm | Permalink

    Hi John Hart,
    Bob Bailey’s little friend here! Great to be able to keep up with you in action…

  4. John
    Posted 2008-01-08 at 3:14 am | Permalink

    I am delighted to be full time in the Lomami. Of course with Terese leading the project, I would not be working anywhere else. We have been collaborators — as well as husband and wife, mama and papa– for over 30 years, so this is just the next step in our great adventure together.

  5. Nick
    Posted 2008-01-09 at 3:01 pm | Permalink

    Great post and pictures Terese!

  6. Somba
    Posted 2008-01-10 at 12:05 pm | Permalink

    Welcome John in Lomami region. Go a head.

  7. THERESA SISKIND
    Posted 2008-01-12 at 12:51 am | Permalink

    Yes, uplifting news indeed and much needed. Take all of us on your adventure, we’re eager to learn!

  8. kim
    Posted 2008-01-23 at 5:46 am | Permalink

    Great collection of old photo. Terese, link to the video where we see John back in the days!

  9. Vicki Ahrens Perri
    Posted 2008-06-13 at 1:28 am | Permalink

    Hey, John, your Morris High School Classmates of 1968 have found you … and we’re so PROUD of you and what you are doing! We’re celebrating our 40th Reunion … check us out at morris68.com!

  10. Marti MacKinnon
    Posted 2008-06-22 at 11:46 am | Permalink

    Hi John and Terry!
    Remember me from 1994, your tutor-nanny for Bekah and Jo Jo? Dennis and I are now back in Myanmar. Looks like you are still up to your adventures. Hugs to the girls!

  11. Posted 2009-01-14 at 9:51 pm | Permalink

    Terese and John ~~ we recently heard of your latest research on Congo conservation on North Country Public Radio and of your lecture planned for Barneveld this weekend. I am a Carleton College graduate and would like to be in touch. We live in Canton, NY, and I am interested in whether you have had the opportunity to present some of your research at St. Lawrence University. If not, perhaps we could assist in linking you with the most appropriate departments / faculty. Your research is fascinating! Yours, Jane

  12. Dan Maloney
    Posted 2009-04-27 at 4:28 am | Permalink

    Hi Terry & John,

    Hope all’s well, please say hi to the girls from Laura and me. I’m serving as Gen Curator for Zoos Victoria in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Our director of conservation, who’s also a mate of mine, will be visiting the Adirondacks this June, and I’d like to provide him with some quality info. Looking fwd to hearing from you. Cheers, Dan

  13. Christine Otieno
    Posted 2010-01-19 at 3:34 pm | Permalink

    Hello, my name is Christine and I work for ZDF-German TV based in Kenya. We are doing a documentary about elephant poaching in the DRC and I wondered John, whether you could help us with this? If you are in the DRC we are very keen to do an interview with you in some of the sites you have identified as having a big problem. If you are not in the DRC I wonder if you could be kind enough to point me in the direction of someone who maybe able to help us and would be willing to talk on camera about this problem? Thanks very much.

  14. Isabel Behncke
    Posted 2011-06-02 at 9:10 am | Permalink

    Hello dear Terese and John, how are you? I am on my way to Wamba again and i will be in Kin the evening of Tues 7th and Weds 8th June, i was wondering if you guys were around to do something? My mobile is 00 44 7916303208, email isabel.beagle@mac.com. Would be great to see you and catch up, last year at IPS Kyoto there was such little time! Warmest, Isabel

6 Trackbacks

  1. […] adult males have a huge bare patch of skin in the buttocks, testicles and perianal area,” said John A. Hart, the researcher who described the coloring. “It’s a brilliant blue, really pretty […]

  2. […] adult males have a huge bare patch of skin in the buttocks, testicles and perianal area,” said John A. Hart, the researcher who described the coloring. “It’s a brilliant blue, really pretty […]

  3. […] have a outrageous unclothed patch of skin in a buttocks, testicles and perianal area,” pronounced John A. Hart, a researcher who described a coloring. “It’s a shining blue, unequivocally flattering […]

  4. […] have a outrageous unclothed patch of skin in a buttocks, testicles and perianal area,” pronounced John A. Hart, a researcher who described a coloring. “It’s a shining blue, unequivocally flattering […]

  5. […] adult males have a huge bare patch of skin in the buttocks, testicles and perianal area,” said John A. Hart, the researcher who described the coloring. “It’s a brilliant blue, really pretty […]

  6. […] have a outrageous unclothed patch of skin in a buttocks, testicles and perianal area,” pronounced John A. Hart, a researcher who described a coloring. “It’s a shining blue, unequivocally flattering […]

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