From 23–25 May 2026, the African Forestry and Wildlife Society (AFWS), in collaboration with the University of Dschang and the Community Association for Sustainable Development (CASUDeV), successfully organised a 3-day in-person training workshop on GIS Mapping for selected PhD students, Master’s students, and early-career researchers.

Designed as a hands-on capacity-building initiative, the workshop equipped participants with practical GIS skills essential for ecological monitoring and environmental conservation. Throughout the sessions, participants learned how to create shapefiles from GPS waypoints, estimate study site size, produce location maps, develop sampling plans for field surveys, and generate heatmaps to visualise species distribution patterns across habitats and seasons.

Beyond the technical sessions, the workshop also created a valuable space for exchange, collaboration, and mentorship among emerging researchers passionate about conservation science and spatial analysis.

Acknowledgements

We extend our sincere appreciation to AFWS resource expert, Big Fredo, for generously leading the training and sharing his expertise with participants throughout the workshop. We are equally grateful to Professor Nguelefack, Head of the Department of Animal Biology at the University of Dschang, for his continuous support and commitment to academic and professional development initiatives. Special thanks also go to Pascal Koh Dimbot for coordinating the training sessions and ensuring the smooth organisation of the workshop.