Students in the Gorongosa Master's in Conservation Biology program taught local children about the value of forests when the team planted a reforestation experiment. They invited kids for an environmental education day and got them involved in planting some of the seedlings.
Tara Massad is an instructor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, where she teaches tropical ecology, conservation and restoration ecology. She also spends several months of the year in Mozambique. Here she shares about her work there.
Where were you working?
I work in Gorongosa National Park in central Mozambique, in southeastern Africa.
What languages are spoken there?
Mozambique is home to around 20 local languages, and the national language is Portuguese.
What is the focus of your work?
Prior to coming to OSU, I was the director of the Gorongosa Master’s in Conservation Biology program from 2018-2023, and I continue to teach and advise students in the program. We research the effects of fire and large mammal herbivores on the savanna ecosystem. While many studies look at fire and herbivores individually, few look at the interactions between these two variables in regard to their impact on the ecosystem. We are taking a very holistic look at the effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. My master's students and technicians have quantified changes in the soil, plant life, insects and animals.
We are also researching reforestation on a mountain in the park. I am a chemical ecologist, so I am interested in how plant chemistry may limit insect and pathogen damage and promote sapling growth. The best part of this project is that it has created jobs for seven people on the mountain who would otherwise be living off of subsistence agriculture alone.
How much time have you spent there?
I lived and worked full-time in the park for six years, and I still spend about four months of the year there. I also lived in Mozambique for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer after college. My most recent trip was August this year; I will be there next in December.
Tara Massad with master's students and members of the controlled burn crew in Gorongosa after conducting a controlled burn as part of their conservation research.
What’s the best Mozambican food you’ve eaten?
One of Mozambique’s national dishes is called matapa, which is coconut milk, ground peanuts and cassava leaves, often served over xima, which is like a very thick polenta. It is a perfect comfort food.
What’s the coolest thing a local has shown you?
I love working with the community on Mt. Gorongosa. It is part of the national park, although many people still live there. They speak a dialect of a local language which is endemic to the mountain, and they are very marginalized because the opposition party was headquartered on the mountain during the country’s civil war (from 1977-1992) and subsequent flare-ups. Trying to understand how to support the people of the mountain while protecting and restoring the forest there is one of the park’s greatest challenges, and I feel lucky to be able to help work on this project.
What’s one thing you’ll take home with you?
Mozambique is definitely my second home. When I am in the U.S., I try to maintain their culture of generosity, and I am always in touch with my Mozambican colleagues.
Who are your closest local colleagues?
I am lucky to work with an amazing team of Mozambican colleagues in the park — we have very dedicated technicians in the science department who get an impressive amount of work done, and we have fantastic collaborations with the park’s other departments to really approach conservation holistically. I admire them all.
Crews help control an experimental burn in a fenced plot as part of conservation and reforestation research in Gorongosa.
What’s the biggest challenge of working there?
Broadly, Mozambique is among the 10 least-developed countries in the world (see this report from the U.N.), and weaknesses in the basic education system and corruption unfortunately limit the country’s potential. In addition, conservation is inherently challenging, especially where people’s basic needs aren’t met. Our solution to this is to be an outward-facing park; we call ourselves a “park for the people” because we try to lift up people living around the park, both in terms of education and sustainable livelihoods.
Besides family, what do you most miss from home?
I guess I miss having options…Options for things to do, places to go, things to eat. Living in the park is an absolute privilege — there is nothing better than watching the sunset on the floodplain, just you and the waterbuck — but it is very isolated, so sometimes one starts to long for variety.
What piece of advice would you give others who might travel there?
Patience is key. Things do not happen at the pace they do in the U.S. And be ready to be amazed by both the people and the landscape.
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