SCCS Internship Programme 2014 Report 2014_final.pdf · participate in the SCCS and attend a tailor‐made training course followed by an internship at a UK ... Cambridge University

SCCS Internship Programme

2014

Internship Programme 2014

Overview

The Student Conference in Conservation Science (SCCS) is building the capacity of young scientists

across the world. SCCS offers a dynamic and interactive programme of talks, workshops and poster

sessions, and enables students to network with a wide variety of disciplines and organisations in the

Cambridge area (including universities, government and NGOs). In addition to the Cambridge

conference, there are now sister conferences in New York, Brisbane, Bangalore and Beijing. A new

onference will be launched in Hungary in 2015. c

The Miriam Rothschild Travel Bursary Programme enabled 14 students from developing countries to

participate in the SCCS and attend a tailor‐made training course followed by an internship at a UK

conservation organisation. Known as the Internship Programme, it has become a significant

component of the SCCS series and is clearly fulfilling a role of giving young conservation scientists new

kills, significantly boosting their careers in the field of conservation. s

“The internship indeed fulfilled its role of boosting my career in conservation science. ...I am very

fascinated and excited at the amount of work achieved, experiences gathered and friends made within a

ittle more than a month of targeted exposure.” (Josiah Nwaogu, Nigeria) l

SCCS short courses in 2014

We continued our programme of short courses this year for 29 interns and holders of bursaries and

grants. This programme began in 2012 and is funded by a grant from Arcadia. Five short courses

were held after the conference of 1–3 days duration – four of these ran successfully last year and a

new one on camera trapping was added due to the popularity of this current topic. The courses were

Camera traps in animal population sampling; Getting started in R to analyse biological field data;

Conservation GIS in practice; A practical introduction to social survey design for conservation science;

and An introduction to Distance software for analysing transect and point count data. Most students

attended the camera trapping course and one other. All five short courses received extremely positive

eedback and are clearly a valuable addition to the whole SCCS experience. f

The bursary holders and interns all went on a field trip to the RSPB nature reserve at Lakenheath Fen,

hosted by the RSPB warden. This was a hugely successful activity and a fun and informative day was

had by all.

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Internship placements in 2014

The internship programme gives young conservationists the opportunity to work alongside UK

experts for up to four weeks after the conference and short courses to learn new skills and seek advice

on their current work and future plans. The internship projects are selected from a large number of

applications. Good evidence of contact and joint planning between prospective intern and UK host is

n important selection criterion. a

Interns set themselves clear objectives they wish to achieve during their stay in the UK. These are

usually a combination of data analysis, writing draft papers or proposals for further work, reviewing

literature and getting expert advice on specific queries regarding their work at home. It is clear that

the interns benefit enormously from this programme and that they continue to apply their new skills

once back in their home countries. There is also a multiplier effect as interns share their new

nowledge with others after they return. k

One intern wrote, “The SCCS greatly helped indeed to develop a global conservation perspective and

empowered me to take more informed decisions in tackling challenges lying ahead in the field of

onservation.” c

The interns worked on a similarly broad range of topics as in previous years. Several projects were

based on conservation planning for threatened species such as the black rhino in Kenya, cheer

pheasant in India and wood warblers in West Africa. Others worked on community conservation

issues such as the factors influencing the choice of conservancy designs adopted around the Maasai

Mara National Reserve. Several interns learned technical skills that will help in their work back home

such as building GPS collars and attaching satellite tags. One intern learned the methods needed to

assess the species richness and distribution of bats in Nigeria in order to build in‐country expertise

nd a knowledge base to help inform conservation managers. a

he full intern reports are available from the SCCS office. T

All SCCS interns in 2014 will receive Fauna and Flora International membership for one year,

including an online subscription to Oryx – The International Journal of Conservation. In addition, the

interns who produce the three best reports will receive Fauna and Flora International membership for

two years, with an online subscription to Oryx; they will also each win £75 worth of books from

ambridge University Press. Details of the prize winners can be found on page 12. C

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Internship holders 20141

C

“Through the internship, I have been able to finish my Masters data analysis and am now in the process of finalising my thesis and manuscript for publication. I will impart the knowledge I gain to my colleagues at KWS and continue to dedicate my effort towards the conservation of endangered species and habitats in my ountry.”

edric Aduvaga Khayale (Kenya Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 4024, Nairobi 00100, Kenya)

c

Topic: Rhino carrying capacity assessment

Host: Dr Rajan Amin (Zoological

Society of London)

Fernanda Alves Amorin (Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Nazaré, 481, piranga, São Paulo 04263‐000, Brasil) I

“The internship gave me the opportunity to be introduced to a new type of data analysis and to work on ideas to write a paper which we believe will have important impact on the conservation of the Redbilled Curassow nd in my career as a conservation biologist.” a

Topic: Population density and habitat

selection by the red‐billed

curassow

Host: Dr Huw Lloyd (Manchester

Metropolitan University)

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1 Please note that quotes from internship holders have not been edited so that they retain freshness and authenticity.


Sat Pal Dhiman (Wildlife Wing [HQ], Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, Talland, Shimla 171001, dia) In

“Based on my four weeks long deliberations and learning about release principles in the field, I have developed a ‘Cheer Pheasant Reintroduction Plan – basic strategy’. …This plan has been submitted to the epartment back home and is being adopted as an integral part of Species Recovery and Conserva on reeding Programme of Cheer pheasant.” d tiB“My sincere thanks to SCCS Miriam Rothschild Internship Programme for offering this unique opportunity.”

Topic: Conservation breeding of

cheer pheasant (Catreus

wallichi) in Himachal Pradesh

Host: Dr Francis Buner (The Game

and Wildlife Conservation

Trust)

Desamarie Fernandez (Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 031, Phillipines) 4

“Not only did I learn new techniques on how to build GPS collars, set up a camera traps and conduct habitat analysis, but I also further developed my skills in radio telemetry and GIS. It has brought me great joy to have assisted Dr Campbell, and I will continue to do so as a long distance collaborator on the project.”

Topic: Spatial ecology of Scottish

wildcats in Cairngorms

National Park

Host: Dr Ruairidh Campbell

(University of Oxford)

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R

“I believe this was a golden moment in my life and working with these superior people inspired my conservation career in future with efficiently and accurately.”

asanga Gunasekara (Department of Botany, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka)

Topic: Establishment of native tree

islands in man‐made

grasslands at the Knuckles

Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka

Host: Professor David Burslem

(University of Aberdeen)

M

“I have acquired the relevant knowledge and skills to write R codes, to carry out modelling (General Linear Models) and analysing choice experiment data as well as questionnaire data. I am confident that with practice and more data analysis I will gain confidence in doing major analyses.”

ichael Kaelo (University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi 00100, Kenya)

Topic: Discrete choice experiments: A

study of factors influencing

choice of a conservancy model

around Maasai Mara National

Reserve

Host: Dr Aidan Keane (Imperial

College London, Silwood Park)

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Ranjini Murali (Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, IV Cross, Gokulam Park, Mysore 570002, arnataka, India) K

“Interacting with scientists working on ecosystem services was incredibly useful for me. It provided me with a ew perspective, and a better understanding of ecosystem services.” n

Topic: Developing a framework for

measuring resilience of socio‐

ecological systems in snow

leopard habitats

Host: Professor Stephen Redpath

(University of Aberdeen)

J

acob Mueti Ngwava (National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658, Nairobi 00100, Kenya)

“During this time, I got involved in amphibian’s husbandry, swabbing amphibians for the test of chytrid fungus which is a global threat to amphibians, and also was lucky to participate in conservation breeding programmes for critically endangered amphibian species like the Mountain Chicken frogs and Poison Dart frogs.”

Topic: Conservation assessment of

the critically endangered Du

Toit’s torrent frog

(Petropedetes dutoiti) in Mt

Elgon Kenya

Host: Carly Waterman (Zoological

Society of London)

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Nwaogu Chima Josiah (A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, P.O. Box 13404, Laminga, Jos‐East GA, Plateau State, Nigeria) L

“Using mist netting data collected over a decade of constant effort ringing in Nigeria, we assessed differences body mass gain and associated body reserves in intra African migrant birds in relation to their Palearctic igrants and tropical resident counterparts.”

inm“The internship indeed fulfilled its role of boosting my career in conservation science. ...I am very fascinated and excited at the amount of work achieved, experiences gathered and friends made within a little more than a month of targeted exposure.”

Topic: Intra‐African migration:

Assessment of occurrence and

key determinants

Host: Dr Will Cresswell (University

of St Andrews)

Qiaoyi Liang (School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‐sen University, 135 Xingangxilu Road, Guangzhou, 510275 uangdong, China) G

“With data from China Coastal shorebird census, it not only allows us to quantify the population changes of shorebirds in eastern China, but it is also possible to pinpoint key factors that are responsible for the population declines of shorebirds.” “The discussions with my supervisors [helped choose] the scientific methods [I need to use]. My supervisors inspired me and also encouraged me… Furthermore, I had many opportunities to communicate with other researchers during my internship.”

Topic: The conservation statuses of

China coastal waterbirds

Host: Dr Tatsuya Amano (University

of Cambridge)

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Zoavina Randriana (Earthwatch Institute – Carnivores of Madagascar, Ankarafantsika National Park, adagascar) M

“After about four weeks of involvement in one of the most respectable UK conservation organisations, this CCS internship was undeniably an inspiring experience. It is a valuable tool for young conservationists to nhance both their passion and their knowledge.” Se“In addition, information obtained from this project about the factors of morbidity of the Alaotran gentle lemurs housed at Durrell should be used for better management purposes. We also would like to communicate and reach a wider audience with this study, in that sense with my host organisation; we are focusing on getting this published in the near future.”

Topic: Morbidity study of Alaotran

gentle lemurs (Hapalemur

alaotrensis) at Durrell

Host: Dr Andrew Routh (Durrell

Wildlife Conservation Trust,

Jersey)

J

I was fortunate to participate in a training session on how to attach a satellite tag to a bird. This was part of he RSPB’s tr ling of harnesses for satellite tracking of turtle doves.”

apheth Roberts (Ghana Wildlife Society, P.O. Box 13252, Accra, Ghana)

“t ia“I can say that this has been a great learning opportunity which has exponentially enhanced my career in conservation.”

Topic: Patterns of habitat use and

distribution of wood warblers

(Phylloscopus sibilatrix) in

Africa

Host: Dr Juliet Vickery (Royal Society

for the Protection of Birds)

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Shweta Shivakumar (Wildlife Conservation Society – India Program / Centre for Wildlife Studies, 1669, 1st Cross, 16th Main, Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bangalore 560070, India) 3

“This was the golden opportunity for me to learn a new package in R under their guidance and to develop covariate layers I had never dreamed of doing. This exercise taught me to weigh each source of data carefully and make an informed decision on which one is the best to choose and why the others were rejected.”

Topic: Scale dependence of leopard–

livestock attack predictors in

Junnar, India

Host: Professor David MacDonald

(University of Oxford)

Iroro Tanshi (Dept. of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Benin, PMB 1154, Benin City, 00001, Edo State, Nigeria) 3

I now know why taxonomist always appeared specially talented to me; they have access to such important ools and identification skills that only come from such training as I received during my internship.” “t“My internship experience…was an exceptional learning experience on bat taxonomy, richness and distribution. It provided me with essential tools and skill set for studying bats in Nigeria. When published the information will inform bat researchers and conservationists alike.”

Topic: Diversity of bat assemblages in

three vegetation types in

Southern Nigeria

Host: Dr Nikky Thomas (The

Harrison Institute, Kent)

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The internship programme has a positive impact upon the work of the young conservation scientists

who take part. Interns learn new skills or analytical techniques and their reports show that they are

already applying their new expertise back home. Their work has important consequences for

conservation in the long term. For example, Sat Pal from India developed the first reintroduction

guidelines for the endemic cheer pheasant which he has already submitted to the Himachal Pradesh

Wildlife Department. Other interns forged new connections with UK conservation institutions which

are likely to result in projects that would not have happened otherwise. Several interns have

submitted proposals for future work or are in the process of submitting manuscripts for publication in

higher calibre journals than they would have been able to had it not been for the programme.

Feedback

Feedback from the interns on the Conference, their short courses and their month‐long placements

was extremely positive. All five short courses were rated highly on the anonymous assessment

questionnaires: the total scores allocated were 92% of the maximum possible for all five courses. All

of the delegates said they were “very likely” (73%) or “likely” (27%) to apply the skills learnt on the

courses in their work back home. The interns rated their internship experience with an average score

of 4.9 on a scale where 1 is poor and 5 is excellent. They commented that the most beneficial aspects

of the internship were: access to useful advice; access to internet and libraries; meeting other

onservation scientists; and help with writing papers. c

The contribution of the hosts is vital to the success of the programme. The hosts put a great deal of

thought into maximising the learning opportunities for the interns. Hosts actively encouraged interns

to network with colleagues, attend seminars and present their work to different audiences. As well as

gaining one‐to‐one supervision, the interns learned and practised new skills, made visits to

conservation organisations and were taken on field trips. One host arranged a visit to Down House

(Charles Darwin’s House) in Bromley. The intern stated that this was “a fantastic way to wow the

naturalist in me.” These interactions inspire the interns, broaden their knowledge on biodiversity

conservation, boost their confidence, and place their own work into an international context. It is

clear that the internship scheme is valued highly by the hosts and all of them said they would host an

intern again (with the exception of one who was keen but explained that the timing of the internship

as not ideal for their organisation). w

One host wrote, “We are of the belief that the SCCS internship programme is really making a difference

to so many young conservationists from less developed parts of the world. Not only do they get to attend

the conference, but also to spend considerable time working along colleagues in UK organisations and

institutions. This gives the interns the opportunity to establish longlasting relationships that can prove

ery useful to their future careers. Keep up the good job!” v

Impact


The internship programme also has a multiplier effect as the interns share their new expertise with

others. Many interns have planned to carry out training courses in their institutions, while others are

lready sharing their new knowledge with their colleagues as part of their work activities. a

Japheth Roberts wrote, “I was able to use the knowledge I had acquired in QGIS in preparing habitat

maps… I am also setting up a data analysis section of the Research unit of the Ghana Wildlife Society. I

ave already installed QGIS and R and would begin training of my colleagues very soon.” h

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rize winners 2014 P

Each year, we award prizes kindly donated by Cambridge University Press and Fauna & Flora

International to the three best interns. This year the three best reports will each win £75 worth of

books from Cambridge University Press in addition to membership of Fauna & Flora International for

two years which includes a subscription to Oryx – the International Journal for Conservation. The

rize winners were as follows: p

Sat Pal Dhiman (Wildlife Wing – Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, India)

Sat Pal had very clear objectives for his internship. His priority was to learn and develop strategies for

release of Galliformes species, specifically the endemic cheer pheasant, to aid their recovery. He also

aimed to acquire key skills that are lacking in his home state but that are vital for the success of the

release programme. These skills include radio tagging, radio tracking, camera trapping and GIS. By

the end of his internship he had gained valuable field experience and developed cheer pheasant

reintroduction guidelines which he has already submitted to the HP Wildlife Department. In addition,

Sat Pal organised a camera trapping course for his colleagues in HP, to be held in autumn 2014.

Iroro Tanshi (University of Benin, Nigeria)

Nigeria has no established bat researcher and the knowledge base is limited. During her internship,

Iroro produced a database of bats in Nigeria from published data and online records, and a review

paper on all available Nigerian bat literature published since 1862. The results of her work will be

significant in informing conservation managers and new bat researchers in Nigeria. Iroro also gained

experience of bat curation techniques and identification skills – important steps in building country

expertise. She has begun to use her new bat curation skills in her field work at home and intends to

share her knowledge with colleagues soon. Further to her internship aims, Iroro was instrumental in

facilitating a MoU between her home and host institutions. This will enable the development of

ollaborative research proposals and field projects. c

Japheth Roberts (Ghana Wildlife Society, Ghana)

During his internship, Japheth learnt new GIS and data analysis techniques which he used, and

continues to use at home, to analyse habitat data and produce maps showing patterns of habitat use

and distribution of wood warblers in West Africa. His internship experience motivated him to set up a

data analysis section within the Research unit of the Ghana Wildlife Society; he has installed GIS and

statistical analysis software and will begin training his colleagues soon. Japheth also wrote a PhD

proposal outline for further wood warbler research. His internship was further enriched by

articipating in a training session on how to attach a satellite tag to a bird. p

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Arcadia for supporting the Miriam Rothschild Travel Bursary Programme

(known as the SCCS Internships). Thanks also go to Oryx – The International Journal of Conservation,

Cambridge University Press and Fauna & Flora International for providing subscriptions and prizes.

We are grateful to the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, for hosting the SCCS

administration and providing facilities for the short courses. We are most grateful to David Rogers at

Lakenheath Fen who told us a great deal about the reserve, its wildlife and history. RSPB

We acknowledge the enthusiasm, collaboration and dedication of the internship hosts in making the

i hInternsh p Programme such a success. We thank all t e following:

Dr Will Cresswell (School of Biology, Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciences, St Andrews

University), Dr Rajan Amin (Zoological Society of London), Dr Aidan Keane (Imperial College, London),

Dr Tatsuya Amano (University of Cambridge), Professor Stephen Redpath (University of Aberdeen),

Dr Carly Waterman (Zoological Society of London), Dr Juliet Vickery (RSPB), Dr Nikky Thomas

(Harrison Institute, Kent), Dr Huw Lloyd (Manchester Metropolitan University), Dr Ruairidh Campbell

(Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford), Professor David Burslem (University of

Aberdeen), Dr Andrew Routh (Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey), Professor David

MacDonald (Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford) and Dr Francis Buner (Game

nd Wildlife Conservation Trust, Fordingbridge). a

We thank the tutors for their invaluable teaching of the short courses held after the conference:

Lucy Tallents (WildCru, University of Oxford), Rajan Amin (Zoological Society of London), Will

Cresswell (University of St Andrews), Ian Edwards, Julia Jones (Bangor University) and Eric Rexstad

University of St Andrews). (

Our thanks also go to Rob Thomas (Cardiff University) for donating copies of his book Data Analysis

ith R Statistical Software. w

Felicity Bedford, Tommy Clay, Veronica Zamora‐Gutierrez and Erasmus zu Ermgassen (all Department

of Zoology, University of Cambridge) kindly acted as short course teaching assistants.

SCCS Internship Programme 2014 Report 2014_final.pdf · participate in the SCCS and attend a tailor‐made training course followed by an internship at a UK ... Cambridge University

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