Memories of a Scientist. The Carp Expedition to the Save River in Zimbabwe and Mozambique
- Language: English
- 70 pages
- Illustrations, map, DVD
Memories of a Scientist. The Carp Expedition to the Save River in Zimbabwe and Mozambique
In this memoir, a Swiss natural scientist looks back at his first expedition to a remote corner of south-eastern Zimbabwe and the adjacent area in Mozambique. In 1950, William Büttiker-Otto, a parasitologist, participated in one of the so-called Carp scientific expeditions that surveyed plant and animal life for museums and botanical gardens in various southern African colonies. The expeditions also documented aspects of rural African life such as food production and local handcrafts.
This booklet brings together William Büttiker-Otto’s recollections and a selection of his materials, including photographs and a short DVD film of the expedition. His reminiscences are complemented by those of his wife Sonya Büttiker-Otto on family life as Swiss emigrants in Harare between 1949 and 1952.
From 1949, William Büttiker-Otto worked as a research biologist in various African countries before becoming head of research for an agrochemical company in Basel. He is the founding editor of Fauna of (Saudi) Arabia. He and his wife live in Magden (Switzerland).
Foreword
Salisbury
Preparations
The expedition members
Route of the expedition
Camp life
Local life
Collections and observations (Zoology, Botany)
Photographic and film documentation
The expedition artist
Emigrating to Southern Rhodesia (by Sonya Büttiker Otto)
Film Commentary
Appendix