The Indonesian Embassy, 30 Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2BU.In person and via zoom.
In a change to the advertised programme, the Anglo-Indonesian Society is delighted to welcome Oxford University’s Dr James Kempton. Last summer he led Expedition Cyclops, a four-week scientific research expedition to the Cyclops Mountains of Papua.
The team rediscovered Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, a species of egg-laying mammal not seen by science for 62 years. From the thousands of specimens collected they have discovered two species of frog new to science, and dozens of new insect species – even new genera. A great surprise is that Dr Kempton and his colleagues have discovered a new genus of d terrestrial shrimp, as it is so moist in the Cyclops Mountains.
By collaborating with geologists that work on the island’s tectonic history, Dr Kempton is trying to understand how the Cyclops formed and how this has influenced its modern-day biodiversity.
The long-term aim of Expedition Cyclops is to formulate a case for increased protection of the Cyclops Mountains. With 83% of Papua’s old-growth forest still intact, we are at a critical moment to ensure the preservation of the world’s most biodiverse island.
To learn more about Expedition Cyclops, check out the expedition website here and subscribe for updates here.
James Kempton is a biologist at the University of Oxford. He has a diverse research background, having previously worked in the fields of bird flight biomechanics and epidemiology, with a current focus on biodiversity and conservation studies. Expedition Cyclops was a collaboration between BRIN, Papua BBKSDA, Universitas Cenderawasih, the Papuan NGO Yappenda, indigenous Papuans, and the University of Oxford, to uncover the biodiversity of Papua’s Cyclops Mountains and train a new generation of Indonesian conservation scientists.