Zerihun Doffana successfully defended his doctoral thesis on March 30th: entitled ‘Dagucho [P. Falcatus] Is Abbo!’ Sacred Groves Of Wonsho-Sidama, Ethiopia: Their Maintenance Motives, Consequences and Conservation Threats. Funded by The Christensen Fund, Zerihun’s research was quintessentially biocultural: he showed how the maintenance of ancestral religious values motivates biocultural diversity conservation, and that some of the principles contained in these religious institutions could serve as useful models for conservation actions: as such, their recognition, protection and promotion require systematic, sustained and better-resourced intervention. Zerihun is now on the lookout for post-doctorate or academic posts.
Anthropology and Conservation