Caleb Ofori Boateng
- Project name: Population size and population genetics of the Critically Endangered Togo slippery frog.
- Project site: Volta Region, Ghana
- EDGE species: Togo slippery frog Conraua derooi
- Active: 2012 - 2014
Biography
Caleb is one of Ghana’s very few trained herpetologists. With a PhD from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology looking at the impacts of anthropogenic activities on amphibian biodiversity, he is a leader in herpetological conservation in West Africa.
Caleb has used his EDGE Fellowship as an opportunity to develop international collaborations and continues to be committed to sharing the skills he learns as an EDGE Fellow with his colleagues so as to strengthen capacity for amphibian conservation in Ghana. He founded the NGO Herp-Ghana and continues to work on his EDGE species. In 2017 Caleb became one of the first EDGE Affiliates.
EDGE Project
Caleb’s EDGE Fellowship project aimed to identify and address the conservation needs of the Togo-Volta hills population of Togo slippery frog. His objectives were to:
- Determine the population size of the Togo slippery frog in the Togo-Volta Hills along the Ghana-Togo border;
- Determine if the known Togo slippery frog populations represent different species, through genetic analysis;
- Create a blueprint for survival to inform national and international policy decisions and local conservation action;
- Implement a novel, church-based conservation education approach to engender local support;
- Provide field training in amphibian conservation for local conservation professionals.
Achievements
- Founded the NGO Herp-Ghana
- Discovered a new species of endangered amphibian during his project
- Awarded the Future for Nature Award in 2014
- With the support of the community~100ha of the species habitat has been protected as a community resource management area