In May 2019 we were delighted to hold an event at Stills: Centre for Photography in Edinburgh with Kieran Dodds, BSc Zoology alumnus and award-winning photographer.
Members of the alumni family gathered to hear Kieran talk about his journey from Aberdeen to Ethiopia, which also took him via Zambia, Malawi, Shetland and Tibet, amongst other places! Those attending were able view some of Kieran’s extraordinary images from his most recent project ‘Hierotopia’ which is focused on the preservation of the fast-disappearing ancient forest circles that surround the churches of rural Ethiopia. Photos from the exhibition can be viewed in National Geographic and it was also one of the first photo-led stories to feature in the prestigious journal Nature.
Kieran told us how his time in Aberdeen shaped his career ambitions and helped him realise them after leaving:
“I chose to study at the University as the course was highly recommended and I like the idea of a fresh start in a new city. My time in Aberdeen was deeply informative and it was there that I had my first field opportunity studying primates, fish and, of course, trees on a mountain in Malawi as part of my Honours project along with a couple of friends. We received a great deal of support from Professor Paul Racey who encouraged my journalistic aspirations. Upon graduating he helped me to create the World Press-winning story ‘The Bats of Kasanka’. I had been an editor for the Gaudie while writing my honours dissertation and I saw the value of communication science, and the power of photography, to open our eyes (and hearts) to the wonder hidden in the text of a scientific journal.”
Alumni Engagement Co-ordinator Gary Coull said: ‘It was a genuinely fascinating talk and the images are amazing; it was great to share them with some of our alumni in the central belt and to hear suggestions from graduates for future alumni activity in the area.’
During his time in Ethiopia, Kieran also discovered that one of the key figures working on the conservation programme was a fellow graduate of the University, the internationally recognised American ecologist Dr Meg Lowman, with whom Kieran had been in regular email contact prior to his trip. Dr Lowman gained an MSc from Aberdeen in 1978, a full two decades prior to Kieran starting his studies. Discovering this strong mutual connection so far from Scotland was quite a surprise, and the pair are now working together to secure the funds for the future conservation of these rare and ancient forests, as Kieran explains:
"Dr Meg and I met in 2016 on the shores of Lake Tana in northern Ethiopia and during our conversation over dinner regarding our studies we realised that we had both studied at the University of Aberdeen.
Even since Aberdeen, where I studied Zoology, my primary interest has been the layers of the landscape with a focus in environmental conservation. In Ethiopia I found a place where beneficial conservation ideas were clearly seen on the land, rooted in the local indigenous belief system and protected in daily life. However, these ideas are slowly being eroded as the population expands and agriculture presses the forest margins.
Dr Meg was working in Northern Ethiopia with local scientist Dr Alemayehu Wassie on grassroots conservation of ecologically rich forests located around churches. These amazing ecosystems are the last remnants of a once-great canopy and have survived the practice of Tewahedo Orthodox Christians who see the forest as an extension of the church and a miniature garden of Eden.
Dr Meg and Dr Alemayehu helped me gain access to the forests to document their work and I benefited from the additional help of a Royal Photographic Society grant on this first trip. After this I returned to complete the aerial photography aspect of the work that first attracted me to the story. These photographs were exhibited near LA in September 2018 and then moved to New York and Edinburgh. Meg returned from Ethiopia earlier this year and has been helping to train more priests who in turn educate local people.
Meg and I hope to raise the $234,000 required to protect the twenty most diverse forests. Through talks and connecting with development agencies we hope to create simple conservation walls that strengthen the forest and enrich the agricultural land surrounding them. In comparison to the riches of the forest and its impact, this amount of money is miniscule and once one church gets a wall, others will start to build their own. This will only be the beginning as there are thousands of patches that need to be saved."
You can find out more and see some of Kieran’s stunning images at his website: http://www.kierandodds.com/
If you have any suggestions for future alumni activities in the central belt, please contact Gary Coull: g.coull@abdn.ac.uk
[Images reproduced courtesy of Kieran Dodds]
