Experimental Bioacoustics & Communication Exchange (EBCE 2025)
 

17-24 September 2025, The Gambia, Gunjur Project

First summer school on animal bioacoustics and conservation for undergraduate students at the University of The Gambia

An enthusiastic group of 10 students spent an exciting week in the summer of 2025, learning how to record, analyze, and interpret animal sounds through hands-on workshops in the field.
With generous support from the Bridging Minds Max Planck Africa Initiative, this flagship program helped build local expertise, foster collaboration, and open new dialogues around wildlife conservation and acoustic research in the Gambia.

Read about the programme here.

Understanding animal communication in natural environments is key to advancing our knowledge of biodiversity and animal behavior. While birds are widely studied globally, most knowledge on avian communication comes from the Northern Hemisphere. This gap offers an exciting opportunity for aspiring African scientists to make important discoveries in their own regions.

With over 600 bird species, The Gambia provides an ideal setting for the Experimental Bioacoustics & Communication Exchange workshop, a hands-on introduction to avian bioacoustics for undergraduate students.

The program welcomes Gambian students interested in biology and computational analysis of animal sounds, fostering an inclusive environment regardless of participants' scientific and educational background.

Over one week, participants gain both theoretical and practical experience: designing experiments, recording in the field, and learning data management and analysis.

Emphasizing collaboration and cultural exchange, the workshop encourages group projects and dialogue between organizers and students, combining scientific training, thematic round-table discussions and local knowledge of biodiversity.