To curb the diminishing bird population and create a community of bird lovers, the Avian Conservation Society Uganda (ACUS) is engaging academic institutions in bird conservation.

According to ACUS, creating a network of ardent bird enthusiasts is the first step in initiating ornithology research at a university. University clubs serve as a gathering place for students from diverse disciplines who have an interest in birds.

They believe that diversity in the club’s membership, whether in biology, ecology, environmental science, art, and culture causes interdisciplinary interactions vital for knowledge transfer and knowledge production.

John Kamugisha, a member of ACUS’ advisory board who also doubles as the chairman of Uganda Safari Guides Association (USGA) notes that, "teaching young people about birds and how to conserve them will have a tremendous positive impact on the environment. Bird conservation goes hand in hand with preserving habitat which means our forests, wetlands and other landscapes will thrive as we target birds."

Kamugisha recently authored a book titled ‘Butterflies of Uganda'.

ACUS has birthed a platform for university students to interact with their peers in local and international universities to facilitate cross-cultural interactions, knowledge transfer and knowledge production.

Through webinars & online events, volunteer programs, and conference opportunities; students can network to further their interest and participate in studies on birds.

"We are committed to building a bird-friendly farm which we hope can be a model that fellow farmers will adopt," Peace Kayesu, the managing director of Kaynela Farms Limited said.

She made the remarks recently during a field inspection tour that students of Makerere University and bird researchers made to the Kayunga-based ecological farm that is home to various bird and animal species.

Joshua Mukama Rwakamani, the ACUS general secretary stated that indigenous knowledge is a valuable resource that can help us to understand and protect birds.

He noted that the Avian Conservation Uganda Society (ACUS) is committed to working with local communities to ensure that this knowledge is passed to future generations.

ACUS is conducting bird-friendly farming where the conservationists will recruit farmers to plant indigenous trees on their farms.

Mukama notes that ACUS has already recruited several farms including Kaynela and Farm holdings in Wakiso district.

“We are working with Latitude Chocolate which has a network of 5,000 cocoa farmers,” Mukama told New Vision on Monday, January 15, 2024, in Kampala.

Our mission is all about conserving birds and promoting the protection of their habitat. 

However, in pursuit of its goals, the organisation confronts the problem of a massive gap in research and data availability to inform lean conservation strategy and action.

Strategic relationships with local and international universities

The conservationists said that there are no dedicated ornithology institutions or courses in Uganda. This presents a unique problem for ornithology studies and students; students who might be interested in ornithology have to travel abroad for an opportunity which is only available to a handful of Ugandans.