Associate Professor of Philosophy Dr. Michael Atherton, in partnership with professors from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and Saint Vincent College, made a presentation on “Campus Watershed Projects: Conservation Literacy Across the Curriculum” at the Society for Conservation Biology’s 21st Annual Meeting. The meeting, held in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, took place over five days in early July 2007 and attracted over 1800 participants from 88 countries.

After the conference Dr. Atherton spent a month traveling extensively in Africa with his family. “In one day,” he says, “we saw snow, giraffes, surfers, and Harry Potter.”

While in Africa Dr. Atherton visited his daughter, Jessica, who is currently serving in the Peace Corps. teaching English at Mt. Carmel High School in Lesotho. He also took a trip to Zombodze, Swaziland, where he himself served in the Peace Corps. at the Zombodze National School.

“It was good to see some improvements,” he said. “They now have a road, and electricity.” “I introduced volleyball while I was there,” he added, “and I was thrilled to see they’re still playing it.”

In addition to partnering on the presentation, Dr. Atherton says that he and his colleagues at Saint Vincent and Pitt – Greensburg hope to someday take students from all three schools to Lesotho to help with a project to conserve the river banks there, in addition to helping with literacy initiatives.

“In order to save the rhino,” he says, “you have to save the community around the rhino. And vice versa.”