The African tropics are especially vulnerable to climate change. Millions of people in this region depend on the tropical rainfall belt for water to grow their crops. Unfortunately, climate change is shifting this rainfall belt and causing more frequent, and extreme, weather events like floods and droughts. Usually climate models can help predict future changes, but the African tropics lacks the necessary data. Additionally, understanding past climate patterns is crucial to see how rainfall patterns varied naturally (before human activities increased carbon dioxide emissions). This provides critical baseline information to the models to improve their accuracy.

Since 2022, I have been working with researchers from Nigeria, Cameroon, and Gabon to find stalagmites—cave formations that can tell us about rainfall changes over thousands of years. This June, I will return to southern Gabon with my colleagues for another round of fieldwork. We will create outreach materials about climate and cave research with the help of amazing cave photographer Robbie Shone (check out his work here: http://www.shonephotography.com/). We plan to widely share these materials to raise awareness about climate change, climate science, and the importance of conserving caves. Caves are vital time capsules of past climate data and habitats for unique species, yet limestone mining is rapidly destroying them across the region.

At the conclusion of our expedition, we will host a two-day workshop for local stakeholders, including NGOs, community leaders, and policymakers. In this workshop, we will present our findings and learn about the climate change challenges they face. Our goal is to discuss how our research can equip them with the information they need to effectively address these challenges.

Unfortunately, Gabon is one of the most expensive countries in Africa, and the costs of this expedition, workshop, and outreach activities exceed my research budget. My university has declined my request for additional support, and I have only secured a few hundred pounds in travel grants. The entire expedition and workshop will cost over £20K. I still need £7000 to cover the travel expenses (including flights) for my African colleagues, who are essential to our research and capacity-building goals but cannot afford to fund their own travel.

Any contributions, no matter how small, will help us:

**Empower African researchers with the skills and knowledge needed for climate research.

**Raise awareness of climate change impacts and the importance of conserving caves.

**Equip local stakeholders with the information needed to develop effective climate strategies.

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Together, we can make a significant difference in building climate resilience in the African tropics.

Please share this campaign with your friends and family. Let's work together to create a sustainable and resilient future for the African tropics!

Thank you for your support!