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Forging a decade of primate conservation efforts in Colombia: A first-hand account

Since 2010, the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) has supported two projects focused on the conservation of Critically Endangered brown spider monkeys in Colombia, led by Dr. Gabriela de Luna. Leala Rosen, CLP Program Officer at the Wildlife Conservation Society, recently visited the team at the project site to learn first-hand how CLP support has fostered their long-running conservation efforts.

CLP/WCS Program Officer, Leala Rosen (centre) with CLP alumni Gabriela de Luna (left) and Laura Gomez (right) in Colombia © Leala Rosen

In Colombia, Gabriela de Luna team’s project site is in the middle Magdalena River valley within the Chocó-Magdalena-Tumbes Biodiversity Hotspot- an area spanning 1,500 square km of hyper-diverse rainforests and wetlands punctuated by oil palm plantations, cattle-grazing pastureland, and forest fragments.

In this fragmented landscape, brown spider monkeys cling on to life. They are one the most endangered primates in the world, with their numbers dwindling due to hunting and habitat loss – a trend aggravated by the absence of protected areas in the region.

Brown spider monkeys are Critically Endangered and are the target species of projects in Colombia supported by CLP in 2010 and 2022 © Andres Link

In a bid to foster primate research and conservation here, in 2010, two Colombian researchers, Gabriela de Luna and Andres Link, founded the NGO Fundación “Proyecto Primates” and set up the only long-term research project on the brown spider monkey in Colombia.

CLP support was vital in getting this project off the ground. Having gained a CLP Future Conservationist Award in 2010, including a $15,000 project grant, the team’s research uncovered the key role brown spider monkeys play in seed dispersal and habitat restoration. They also established relationships with local communities and landowners to generate support for their conservation plans, including forest restoration activities and an environmental education program.

A youth workshop run by Proyecto Primates as part of their environmental education activities © Leala Rosen

In 2022, the team received a CLP Follow-Up Award, including a $25,000 project grant, to help them scale up their efforts. During her visit, Leala was delighted to witness how CLP has enabled the team to continue to drive conservation impact over such a long period of time.

“This CLP Follow-Up Award highlights the scalability of CLP project work, particularly in helping to foster long-standing ties with the local community to help enact long-term, tangible positive change – which is a key part of CLP’s overall mission,” she said.

By working with local partners, and with continued CLP support, the team has been able to establish multiple native tree nurseries for brown spider monkeys, planted over 30,000 trees and reconnected over 1,000 hectares of native forest fragments. This concerted effort has played a crucial role in supporting the conservation of the brown spider monkey by enhancing habitat availability and connectivity.

Visiting a native plant nursery set up by the project team and local partners © Gabriela de Luna

Their ongoing work with the same communities living near the forest has focused on an environmental education program to promote behaviors that improve the conservation of the biodiversity in the region.

A workshop run by Proyecto Primates as part of International Women’s Day, where participants shared the conservation work they are most proud of © Leala Rosen

By engaging local stakeholders, the team has also secured funds to buy two private reserves and supported two large farms to become private natural reserves to create high-quality connected habitats for the brown spider monkey and promote sustainable development projects.. And, if that wasn’t enough, they helped create the National Action Plan for the Conservation of the Brown Spider Monkey in Colombia to establish protection for the species.

The team also continues to run the Festival del Choibo (spider monkey festival) as part of their community outreach activities; an event they started during their first CLP Team Award and that has generated a surge in local community support for brown spider monkey conservation.

Local children celebrating the 4th brown spider monkey festival in Colombia © Andres Link

“It’s been a privilege to hear first-hand how the team has scaled up their efforts in the past 10-12 years, and I’ve really enjoyed learning about what they’ve achieved and the exciting plans they have for the future,” said Leala.

By the end of their CLP project, the team anticipates developing conservation agreements with 10 landholders to create and manage natural private reserves in the region. Additionally, they plan to facilitate conservation education workshops in five communities neighboring their project site, to generate greater awareness about the importance of primates and their conservation.

Below Leala shares excerpts from the journal she wrote during her project visit.

Day 1: Bocas del Cararare: Local Communities’ Involvement in Environmental Conservation Initatives

First, I flew to Barrancabermeja with Gaby and we drove to Bocas del Carare, approximately 2 hours away. In Bocas, I met several community members, including members of the local women’s association, NGO workers, students, hotel owners (who donate hotel rooms to accommodate short-term volunteers with Proyecto Primates). Many of Proyecto Primates’ workshops are held at the women association’s center, including the youth workshop, which focuses on active listening, communication skills, and getting students inspired to support the Festival del Choibo preparations. In the afternoon, community members worked on a mural at the women’s center, which highlights the biodiversity of the middle Magdalena region.

After visiting the research stations, we returned to Bocas, and Gaby and Laura Gomez (another CLP project team member) facilitated a workshop for International Women’s Day. Participants shared the conservation work they are proud of being involved in, and wrote poems to inspire the next generation of female-identifying youth to get involved in conservation within their local communities.

CLP alumni Gaby (centre) and Laura (front) running the youth workshop © Leala Rosen

Day two: San Juan Research Station, Forest Research Station Visit

From Bocas del Cararare, we traveled by boat to visit Proyecto Primates’ forest and San Juan research stations. Along the way, we saw several herons, kingfishers, and other bird species, as well as howler monkeys. On the way to the San Juan research station our boat got stuck in reeds. The team tells me this is a common occurrence; they prefer to let the reeds grow wild because they deter hunters and fishermen from visiting the area around the San Juan research station.

Travelling by boat to the San Juan research station © Leala Rosen

Throughout the day, we saw several small groups of howler monkeys, as well as – amazingly – a brown spider monkey! In the evening, we returned to the forest research station and spoke to the student researchers there, had dinner, and stayed the night. We also visited one of the first wildlife corridors established by Proyecto Primates, which can be found among some of the fragmented forest area near the research station. There, we saw another three brown spider monkeys; Gaby tells me there are approximately 60 in the area. We also visited a plant nursery that cultivates native trees for use in the wildlife corridors and are good for erosion control and nitrogen fixation, or used as food or habitats for the primate population in the area.

Spotting spider monkeys at the project’s oldest wildlife corridor © Leala Rosen

Day 3: Visit to the first successful conservation agreement and wildlife corridors, Lucitania Ranch

Finally, Laura and I travelled to Lucitania, an area comprised of 3,600 hectares of private ranch land. Laura explains that Proyecto Primates developed its first conservation agreement with the owners of this land 7-8 years ago, and the team plans to replicate their success with several other landowners in the coming years. A Proyecto Primates employee cultivates seedlings and manages the native tree nursery here, as well as leads tree plantings, maintains the wildlife corridors, and coordinates with cattle herders to ensure they do not eat the trees in the wildlife corridors. The corridors themselves are 5-15 meters wide, and some of them serve as riparian buffers alongside a small river. The ones we visited were 2 km long, but there are plans to extend those as well as develop additional wildlife corridors in the area. Proyecto Primates brings volunteers and student groups to support tree plantings for the wildlife corridors; the first corridor was established 6-7 years ago.

A wildlife corridor in Lucitania set up and maintained by Proyecto Primates © Leala Rosen

Feeling inspired?

Since 1985, CLP has directed funding, training and other support to approximately 3,100 early-career conservationists around the world who are leading vital action on the ground to save threatened species. Through our annual Team Awards, we direct this support to priority projects, which generate conservation impact at the grassroots level and beyond.

To learn more:

Think ahead! How to make small grants last longer

By Maaike Manten (BirdLife International) and Stuart Paterson (The Rufford Foundation)

With limited time and money available to protect biodiversity, it is imperative that each and every conservation project is as sustainable as possible. However, for small grant projects (typically lasting 1-2 years, with budgets of no more than USD $75,000), this is not easy.

Projects are by definition time-bound, with a start date and an end date, and they have a fixed budget, which is usually finished by the time the project ends. How can we make sure that the results and impacts of our activities will continue beyond the timeline of the project?

Gorilla in Rwanda – where CLP, Rufford Foundation, BirdLife International and CoEB (University of Rwanda) delivered a collaborative workshop at ICCB 2023. Photo by Jeremy Stewardson on Unsplash.

In 2021, the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) organised a workshop during the online International Conference on Conservation Biology (ICCB 2021) to discuss this conundrum. Based on a survey among 12 small grant donors, CLP organised an interactive discussion with 30 conservation practitioners from all over the world to discuss challenges and solutions. The workshop culminated in a list of success factors and recommendations, which was shared with all donors and workshop participants after the ICCB event.

For more information, read the ICCB 2021 sustainability session report

Not wanting this initial piece of work go to waste (which would have scored low on the sustainability scale!) CLP, together with the Rufford Foundation, BirdLife International and the Center of Excellence in Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resource Management (CoEB, University of Rwanda), delivered a short training course at this year’s ICCB in Kigali, Rwanda, to support young conservationists to make their work more sustainable, and thus to make their conservation efforts more effective.

For more information, read the ICCB 2023 sustainability training report

Project design

One of the main conclusions of the 2021 exercise was that long-term sustainability needs to be built into a project’s design. Good project design starts with a comprehensive problem analysis, to ensure that we will address the (root) causes of the issue that we hope to fix. It is critical to be aware of the fact that we cannot do this alone – we need our stakeholders (everybody with an interest in the issue, anybody who will be affected by our project, and anybody who has the ability to influence our success) to help define the real problems and the appropriate solutions. After all: if we are not doing the right thing in the right place, with the right people and in the right way, we can be sure that our project will not be sustainable!

“Project sustainability needs to be built into our project design, at all scales. We must think about what we need to do now to make sure our project will move forward and continue to have impact in the long-term.” – Henry Rees, co-facilitator of the 2023 workshop (former CLP Programme Officer at Fauna & Flora)

Ecological, financial and institutional sustainability

During the workshop in 2023, we specifically explored how to include ecological, financial and institutional sustainability in project design.

We are all striving to conserve nature, but we still need to think carefully about how our actions may have unintended consequences on the environment. For example, how much waste do projects produce? Do we weigh up, avoid/justify and off-set travel when required? Can offices source eco-friendly or locally produced materials? All of these (and many more) environmental factors need to be considered and need to be ‘mainstreamed’ into the project’s activities.

Financial sustainability is the ultimate goal for many projects, and it also makes donors very happy. Donors want to know that the funds they invest will help unlock sustainable solutions. During the 2023 workshop, the trainees considered a range of options that can be built into a project’s design to keep the project funded beyond the initial project period. These options varied from income-generating activities and partnerships with government agencies to corporate engagement and seeking in-kind contributions. Some practitioners also engage with volunteers and citizen scientists who are able to maintain activities during pauses in project financing.

We also discussed who will be responsible for maintaining activities after a project ends, known as an “exit strategy”. Who could be the owner, or champion, of the projects’ results? Again, here we need to look to our stakeholders, and engage them from the very beginning. Throughout the project, we can ensure to provide them with the necessary skills, tools, structures, resources, and partnerships to make sure the project will persist.

“Donors such as Rufford and CLP offer continuation funding to encourage applicants to plan beyond short-term projects. Some grantees have grown their projects into sustainable programmes, achieving longer-term goals.” – Stuart Paterson, co-facilitator of both 2021 and 2023 workshops (CEO of the Rufford Foundation)

Programme and organisational sustainability

Another key recommendation of the 2021 event was that, in order to boost your project’s sustainability, it is good to have longer-term objectives on your radar. Even if you won’t be able to achieve these longer-term objectives within a specific small grant project, it helps to know that each project will contribute to a bigger impact. This is what we call ‘programmatic’ sustainability: to develop a longer-term, wider programme that can consist of multiple projects (e.g., research, community outreach, action, advocacy etc.), which together will deliver greater conservation impacts. This is also something that donors like to see and often ask for directly, even in proposals for smaller sums of funding. During the 2023 training, we discussed how to build such a programme, and how to develop a pipeline of funding opportunities.

Last but not least, we looked at organisational sustainability, and what we can do as conservationists to become better at our own work. All organisations, whether new or old, are established to deliver their mission. Resources, such as Capacity for Conservation, can help ensure that organisations plan to sustain themselves over the long-term. In particular, these resources can help you consider what capacity is needed, how to conduct communications, how to deliver projects and how to nurture potential partnerships.

“The sustainability of a project can be ensured through adaptability, engagement of key stakeholders and the continuous development of capacities and capabilities.” – Tharcisse Ukizintambara, co-facilitator of the 2023 workshop (Partnership and Capacity Development Coordinator, BirdLife International)

The future

As Niels Bohr, 1922 Nobel laureate in Physics, once said: “Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” Everything changes, all the time. Still, we strongly believe that contemplating the longevity of our work is worth the investment. We need to know what we need to do to make our projects last; we need to plan our programmes with long-term goals in mind; and we need to build resilient teams within our organisations who can go all the way. The key take home message from the workshop therefore was: Think ahead.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Henry Rees, Simon Mickleburgh, Leala Rosen, Tharcisse Ukizintambara and Ian Gordon  for co-facilitating the 2021 and 2023 workshops and for contributing to this blog.

Building Conservation Management and Leadership Capacity: CLP’s Annual Workshop

By Leala Rosen, CLP Program Officer, Wildlife Conservation Society

In May and June 2023, the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) delivered its annual Conservation Management & Leadership workshop. This brought together our current award-winners – emerging conservation leaders – from all over the world, aiming to develop their skills, boost their networks, and enhance conservation efforts back in their home countries.

Recipients of CLP’s 2023 Team Awards participate in the CLP Conservation Management & Leadership Workshop held in Mexico in June 2023 © Conservation Leadership Programme

After delivering two virtual training sessions in May, CLP then hosted an in-person workshop in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, in June. One member of each of our 2023 Team Award-winning project teams was invited to attend the training, allowing them to meet and learn from each other and get to know their respective projects. (NB – Five participants were unable to attend the training in Mexico due to unforeseen circumstances and CLP has arranged their attendance at other events to compensate).

The 12 awardees who travelled to Mexico participated in a week-long workshop covering a variety of topics, including gender & conservation, conservation leadership, project planning & fundraising, and behaviour change.

The workshop participants worked together in groups to complete various tasks © Nathalia Santana

The workshop participants were able to learn from experts in these topics, including CLP alumni and staff from CLP partner organisations (BirdLife International, Fauna & Flora and the Wildlife Conservation Society), as well as external facilitators.

They also had the chance to practice their public speaking skills by delivering short oral presentations about their CLP projects to the other workshop participants and CLP staff, from whom they received feedback on their presentations.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from such experienced professionals. I am confident that this training will give my team and me the skills, knowledge, and tools that we need to be successful conservation leaders and conservation projects. I am excited to use my skills and knowledge to make a positive impact on the world,” – Irianes Gozali (Indonesia), team member of the 2023 CLP award-winning project: “A sustainable seafood network to conserve mobulid rays, thresher and hammerhead sharks”

Windi Bukit, one of the workshop participants and 2023 CLP Team Award recipient, presenting her project on Javan slow loris conservation in Indonesia  © AA David

 

The workshop participants worked together in small groups to complete various task © Conservation Leadership Programme

In a post-workshop survey, all participants rated their experience positively (42% rated it as Excellent, 50% Very Good, and 8% Good). What’s more, all participants noted they learned from experiences of others during the workshop, and all but one reported establishing one or more new collaborative relationship(s) as a primary benefit of attending the training.

“This training was crucial in enhancing my knowledge, skills, and effectiveness in my conservation work. I learned about implementing effective strategies in my projects, networking and collaboration with others.  Also, I gained skills in problem-solving and critical thinking and, most importantly, I grew personally and professionally.” Camila Kass (Argentina), team leader of the 2023 CLP award-winning project: “Protecting the threatened Thorntail Mountain Lizard and its habitat in Famatina mountains, Argentina”

“This training was one of the highlights of my year so far. I lived so many good and learning experiences that made me change the way I was thinking. I realized my strengths and weaknesses, and now feel more confident to continue my work as a conservation leader.” – Letícia Benavalli (Brazil), team leader of the 2023 CLP award-winning project: “Local communities’ empowerment as a driver to medium and large mammals conservation in the Cerrado”

Some of the CLP Workshop participants with one of the facilitators, Dulce Espelosin (far left) © Rodrigo Calvo

While all the workshop modules were generally well-received by participants, the Conservation Leadership and Project Planning & Fundraising modules were particularly helpful. All participants reported gaining new project planning and fundraising skills (including constructing a logical framework and engaging with donors), and all but one said that they plan to take more leadership actions.

“I can now take more leadership actions because I understand how to share the vision, adapt to the working environment, communicate effectively, and resolve issues. Furthermore, I have learned to use the all-inclusive participatory method in leadership to inspire and so radiate trust in my colleagues.” – David Wechuli (Kenya), team leader of the 2023 CLP award-winning project: “Conservation of Threatened Harrison’s Giant Mastiff Bat at Mt Suswa Conservancy, Kenya”

“In conservation, we need to write a lot of proposals to find funds. I’d written many projects before but with this training I learned the mistakes that I made in the past and how to fix those.” – Tuğçe Nur İlbaş (Turkey), team member of the 2023 CLP Follow-Up project: “Establishing a Conservation Network for Protection of Threatened Cave-dwelling Bats in Turkey”

Facilitator Dulce Espelosin leading the Behaviour Change module © Nathalia Santana

Along with the workshop’s formal training courses, CLP staff organised a variety of optional, informal sessions aimed at fostering social relationships (and potential collaborations) among our awardees. This included a Culture Night, when attendees learned about each other’s cultural heritage and traditions.

The Culture Night: workshop attendees learned about each other’s cultural heritage and traditions © Nathalia Santana

It also included a day trip, when workshop attendees and CLP staff visited Uxmal – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – for a guided tour of the Mayan ruins. They also swam in a cenote; a natural swimming hole found only in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, created by asteroids hitting the Yucatan.

On a day off from training, the workshop attendees and CLP staff visited Uxmal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a guided tour of the Mayan ruins © Rodrigo Calvo

During the trip, participants enjoyed the wildlife in the surrounding areas and snapped a few impressive shots!

A bat (species unknown) spotted near the workshop venue in Mexico © Rodrigo Calvo

 

A lizard (species unknown) spotted near the workshop venue in Mexico © AA David

After the success of this year’s workshop, the CLP Management Team will use the lessons learned, including feedback from participants, to organise another Conservation Management & Leadership workshop for our 2024 Team Award-winners (currently under selection). Watch this space!

“Participating in [CLP’s Conservation Management & Leadership workshop] has been an enriching and transformative experience. Throughout this course, I have gained valuable knowledge in the design and execution of conservation projects. I am excited to share how this experience has strengthened my skills and allowed me to lead my project effectively, passing knowledge to my team and working together towards a common goal. Through these teachings, I have gained a deep understanding of conservation principles and best practices. From strategic planning to effective implementation, every aspect of the course has given me the tools to take my project to the next level.” – Rodrigo Calvo (Argentina), team leader of the 2023 CLP award-winning project: “Conservation of Southern Tuco-tucos in Pampean dunes:creation of sanctuaries and threats alleviation”

Learn more about CLP:

For more updates like this, follow us on social media (@CLPawards) and sign up to our newsletter, or get in touch at clp@birdlife.org.

Don’t forget to check our website for funding opportunities!

Acknowledgements

The Conservation Leadership Programme is grateful to Arcadia Fund – a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin – for supporting the delivery of this workshop. We would also like to thank the following workshop organisers and facilitators: Helen Anthem, Sherilyn Bos, Olivia Couchman, Dulce Espelosin, Trang Nguyen, Henry Rees, Leala Rosen, Nathalia Santana, and Becca Thomas.

Conservation Without Borders – A Bat Story

The Conservation Leadership Programme has been supporting the project: Protecting the horseshoe bats of Romania: Transboundary conservation of horseshoe bats in the Romanian-Serbian Iron Gates led by Szilárd-Lehel Bücs with funding, training and support since 2014. Henry Rees, programme officer speaks about visiting the project, the cross borders impact of their work, and the critical importance of bats in Romania.

© Lizzie Duthie / Fauna & Flora International

Romania is a unique and highly important country for global biodiversity conservation. Boasting a high proportion of intact natural ecosystems, it is home to many charismatic species such as one third of Europe’s brown bear population and one quarter of Europe’s wolves. However, it is not just the large mammals. Due to its dense countrywide network of forests, cave systems, bridges and buildings, Romania is also home to one of the most important and diverse bat populations in Europe. In fact, two of the largest bat colonies in Europe are found in Romania, with roughly 70,000 bats in each!

Fig. 1: Medium-sized horseshoe bats emerging. Credit: Paul Colley

A crucial species for our planet

Bats are both incredibly important and also one of the most misunderstood species in the world.

  • 1 in 5 of the world mammal species are bats, but sadly around 30% are considered threatened.
  • They help prevent disease, in agriculture farmers globally have invested in bat boxes to encourage bats to act as a natural fertilizer and pest control. It is estimated that bats provide $50billion+ per year in economic value of pest control.
  • By pollinating flowers, bats in the tropics help us to get cocoa, thus chocolate. And banana and avocado, or other 450 species of plants and fruits.*
  • They can carry seeds over long distances, helping reforest areas of lost plants and trees.

Conservation across borders

Bats are long-lived, with a lifespan of roughly 17 years. They are also very wide ranging and are capable of roosting in a wide variety of habitats (as mentioned above). Life therefore isn’t so easy for a conservationist looking to protect bats as you may find yourself having to work over large distances… even across country borders. Preliminary data has shown that bat populations in Romania and neighboring Serbia are connected. Since 2015 conservationists have observed that bats are migrating across the country border, breeding in summer in Serbia, then roosting and hibernating in Romania during the winter.

Each year many people visit and enjoy Romania and Serbia’s protected areas, exploring and visiting local cave systems and forests. As a result, bat colonies can be regularly disturbed, intentionally and unintentionally, on both sides of the border. Also, very little information on bats and bat populations can be found in protected areas visitor centers or at attractive tourist spots.

Because of the transboundary nature of these populations, conservation measures need to be implemented consistently in both Romania and Serbia, and I would like to introduce you to Szilard’s team who are aiming to do just that.

Meet the team!

Fig. 2: Henry Rees, Programme Officer, FFI (left) standing with CLP Project Team members on the Romanian side of the Iron Gates National Park. From the left, Szilárd-Lehel Bücs, Barry Collins, Mircea Jumanca.

Fig. 3: CLP Project Team members standing on the Serbian side of the Iron Gates National Park. From the left, Ivana Budinski, Branka Pejik. Credit: Branka Prejik

Szilárd-Lehel Bücs, an expert on bats who leads the team with 18 years of involvement with bat monitoring and conservation across Romania. Szilard’s team consists of 8 bat conservationists working in both in Romania and Serbia. While experienced in conducting bat surveys, each team member also brings another string to the collective bow

Mircea Jumanca is an expert in cave exploration and restoration, whereas Ildikó Gönczi Vass is an expert in marketing and communications. All roles are essential in making a project and a group like this succeed, another reminder than conservation needs everyone to make tangible change.

The team was initially granted a Future Conservationist Award by CLP in 2014 where they worked to understand the threats facing Horseshoe bats in Romania and raise awareness about their conservation in local schools. During their first project, the team also restored a building that is home to a colony of 700 bats made up of 3 species (greater horseshoe bat, Mediterranean horseshoe bat and Geoffroy’s bat). Previously, the building was in an advanced state of degradation, making a large part of the roof completely unsuitable for bats. Bat colonies return to the same roosting sites each year, making the loss of this habitat devastating. When I returned to this site with the team in 2022, the number of roosting bats had been restored to around 700 individuals. This was heartening to see, and showed me the ongoing impacts that projects can have even after they finish.

Fig. 4: Ivana and Branka mist netting for bats. Credit: Branka Pejik

Fig. 5: Mircea, Henry and Szilárd standing in a disused building with a maternity colony of 700 bats, Banat region. Credit: Paul Colley

Protecting the Homes of Horseshoe Bats

Fig. 6: Greater Horseshoe bat with ring indicating it had migrated from Serbia to Romania. Credit: Szilárd-Lehel Bücs

Due to the presence of thermal springs in the Domogled – Cerna Valley National Park of Romania, these are a very popular destination for tourism. But thermal caves are also popular destinations for bats to form maternity colonies that benefit from this heat.

One such thermal cave that, despite being identified as the only site for lesser horseshoe bat maternity colony in the region, is considered to be one of the most threatened caves of the Iron Gates region. In recent years, a gate was installed over the entrance to prevent human entry (the cave entrance is basically in the parking lot of the nearby hotel). But this gate had narrow, vertical bars, that are considered not really friendly for bats.

In 2022 with CLP funding, the team was able to protect this important habitat from disturbance for the foreseeable future. The team secured a permit from local authorities to remove the existing gate and replace it with a new gate made of stronger metal with horizontal bars, making it much more suitable for bats to fly through.

The team also helps mitigate human disturbance by designing and installing detailed information boards outside of cave entrances. Coupled with creating interactive displays to be placed in Romanian and Serbian protected area visitor centers, the team hope to improve local understanding of bat conservation and habitat use. The team plans to install information boards in 11 locations, 9 in Romania and 2 in Serbia.

The path forward

Szilárd and his team are pioneering transboundary conservation approaches and we are eager to see how their project will grow in the future. The Romanian and Serbian teams are currently planning to reunite to conduct the winter / hibernation survey in Romania, together.

Every year CLP supports hundreds of projects, just like Szilárd’s, which are making real, tangible impact across the world. This project is one thread of a tapestry of habitat preservation and conservation projects which are leading to real change for our planet.

Fig. 8: CLP project team from Serbia sitting outside of cave entrance. Credit: Branka Pejik

Feeling inspired?

About CLP

Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) is a partnership of three of the world’s leading conservation organisations – BirdLife International, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). For over 35 years, CLP has directed project funding, training, mentorship and other career-building opportunities to early-career conservationists from developing countries who are tackling key conservation challenges. Our alumni comprise a network of approximately 3,000 conservation practitioners from over 100 countries, many of whom have led vital steps forward in conservation after gaining CLP support. CLP is grateful to our partnership organisations and donors for continuing to support our work and the conservation actions of our alumni.

Human-dolphin coexistence in Nepal: Why we need a traditional perspective

This blog has been adapted from the original version published here.

By Anu Rai

As a member of a team dedicated to conserving Ganges river dolphins in Nepal, I was overjoyed when CLP selected us for one of its Follow-Up Awards last year. The award has allowed us to start reducing the threats faced by this Endangered dolphin, which includes engaging the indigenous communities that have lived alongside it for generations.

A rarely sighted Endangered Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) in the Karnali River, Nepal © Dolphin Conservation Center, Kailali

One of our key goals as part of our CLP project is to stop accidental entanglements and mortalities of river dolphins in fishing nets, building on findings from our previous CLP-funded project in 2013.

Engaging with the local fishing communities, and understanding their traditional views and perceptions of the dolphins they live alongside, is an incredibly important part of our project and something I personally enjoy; there is nothing more magical than hearing the local people relaying their experiences. I truly believe our field work and other activities must be complemented by the rich knowledge they have amassed over multiple generations of co-existence.

The widespread use of gillnets by fisheries are a key threat to the Ganges river dolphin in the Karnali River, Nepal © Gopal Khanal

As a team we carry out a lot of our field work on the Karnali River in Nepal, a place that now feels like a second home to me! Together with the Sharda River in India, the Karnali forms a major left bank tributary of the Ganges. Originating in the southern slopes of the Tibetan Plateau, this river flows south through one of the most remote and least explored areas of Nepal.

On the foothills of this great river, we are occasionally lucky enough to glimpse the rare and elusive Ganges river dolphin, which has long been part of the culture of the local people who live along the river’s banks.

The Karnali River in Nepal harbours some of the last remaining Ganges river dolphins in the world © Gopal Khanal

I was delighted when one recent visit here made me privy to some local stories and indigenous knowledge about dolphins and fishery from women in the local Sonaha ethnic group.

As a child, Laxmi and her father often went out fishing on the river in their small boat. She recalls asking her father why, even when they were in such close proximity, the dolphins did not overturn their boats. Her father told her that the boats were like a brother-in-law to the dolphins and so they never touched them.

An adult Ganges river dolphin weighs around 150 kg – about the weight of an average upright piano – and its size ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 metres. It also surfaces every few minutes for air. So an adult dolphin could easily overturn a boat, but I have never heard of that happening in any of my field surveys.

My guess is that the dolphins have developed some sort of avoidance mechanism to allow them to co-exist with humans. This is certainly plausible given how much dolphins have been exposed to us; they have long persisted in human-dominated river systems and have shown close association with sites of frequent human use, such as bathing and washing ghats, ferry ghats and cremation ghats (as described by Sinha and Kannan, 2014).

River dolphins have long co-existed with humans through their close association with sites of frequent human use © Ganesh Chowdhury

But the way people make up stories to explain this phenomenon is quite interesting to me. In ancient times, humans made up stories to make sense of the frightening world around them. I believe Nepal has many such undiscovered stories and it is high time we document them – and not just through verbal communication.

In a different conversation with Goma, another local Sonaha woman, she recalled the use of ‘Bhusauli’ – a mixture of husk and buffalo dung – which the community had previously used as fishing bait. They would put Bhusauli on the rocks in the river to attract fish and, after a couple of hours, they would use nets to catch the fish. But now she says this method does not work because the water level has decreased, along with the number of fish.

You can watch my conversations with Goma and Laxmi in the video below.

The official statistics confirm Goma’s suspicions. Globally, there has been a drop in the population of freshwater species of fish – estimated as a decline of 83% of average abundance since 1970. Likewise, in less than 50 years, the population of migratory freshwater fish has declined by 76%.

Nepal has also registered a decline in fish stocks in several rivers but there are few studies documenting the extent of these declines. In this case, social surveys come into play. As demonstrated by my chat with Goma, local knowledge is vital in estimating the extent of decline.

This is what our CLP-funded research project is trying to achieve. As more field work is planned, I strive to explore more local stories and indigenous knowledge. We know that such information will support future modes of sustainable living and help address the biodiversity crisis. I intend to use this knowledge to design conservation approaches that enable the harmonious co-existence between humans and nature in Nepal.

A fishing camp next to the Karnali River, Nepal © Gopal Khanal

About the author

CLP alumna Anu Rai is an aspiring environmental researcher and enjoys writing. She has written about pertinent environmental issues in both academic journals and newspaper articles. Her research interests lie in freshwater studies, biodiversity conservation, and geospatial analysis. Currently, she is pursuing her MSc in Environmental Science at Kathmandu University.

As well as being a team member of a 2021 CLP Follow-Up project, Anu is also involved in applying nature-based solutions for the restoration of Nagdaha Lake in Nepal, through Wageningen University’s Nature Based Solutions Challenge 2022.

Feeling inspired?

If Anu’s story resonates with you, and you want to start pursuing your goals in conservation, then consider applying for one of our 2023 Team Awards! Winning a Future Conservationist Award comes with a project grant of up to $15,000, as well as training, mentoring and networking opportunities. The application deadline is 10 October, 2022 – apply via our online application portal here and find key resources to help you with your application here.

Weaving networks in El Impenetrable, Argentina

This blog has been adapted and translated from the original version (in Spanish) published here.

By Isis Ibáñez

The Santa Fe frog (Leptodactylus laticeps) is known as Kururu Pytã in the South American indigenous language, Guaraní © Julian Lescano

The formal name of our CLP project is “Creating the grassroots to conserve the Santa Fe frog in the South American Great Chaco.” But for the non-academic community, we called it the “Kururu Pytã Project.”  Kururu Pytã is the name of our target species – the Santa Fe frog – in Guaraní, a language spoken by the indigenous communities where we work in north-eastern Argentina. We hoped that by using the name Kururu Pytã, the wider public would become engaged in the conservation of this threatened amphibian.

Our project, for which we received a CLP Future Conservationist Award last year, sought to better understand the conservation status of this frog and the threats that affect it through intensive fieldwork in Argentina’s Gran Chaco region. Our ultimate aim was to create a basis for its protection by involving the indigenous and “criollo” communities, researchers, and conservationists through workshops and public participation campaigns. Join us on our project’s last journey!

Isis Ibáñez taking pictures of the Chaco environment © Javier Gutierrez

A quest for knowledge

In autumn 2021, we travelled to the province of Chaco, north-eastern Argentina, to continue planning our fieldwork on the mysterious Kururu Pytã. This species is categorized as Near Threatened globally, but the conservation status of its regional population is largely unknown and many aspects of its biology are still an enigma – key issues that need to be addressed if we are to effectively understand and conserve this species.

On our last field trip as part of our CLP project, we wanted to get to know the local community and explore areas to develop future field campaigns. During the trip, we uncovered for the first time the different realities facing the people that live together in the region. This will help guide the extensive work we are planning in the territory, including creating the first networks of collaboration and communication among the locals.

Two CLP project team members, Camila Deutsch and Gabi Agostini, in the Río Bermejito, Chaco, Argentina © Javier Gutierrez

Between landscapes of quebrachales (dry forests mainly consisting of willow-leaf red quebracho trees) and reddish-coloured rivers characteristic of the region, our first stop was our operational base in the town of Nueva Pompeya, located in the El Impenetrable Zone – an area so-called because of its almost impassable environment of dense, thorny vegetation.

From there, we set off to meet our local stakeholders.

Getting to know the local community

Our first visit was to Rosita, a villager whose home adjoins part of the Bermejito River, an area that appears to be a suitable environment for the Kururu Pytã (that is, rain-floodable lowlands).

We also visited Daniel Jaimes and his family, who had already collaborated with other research groups and warmly welcomed us to share their experiences with the Kururu Pytã. We chatted at length about the social and environmental issues facing the region, such as deforestation, indigenous communities’ land loss and social abandonment. We were also delighted to be taught how to identify the Chaco’s native flora and fauna and learn their local names.

Knowledge exchange with the local community © Javier Gutierrez

Finally, Licindo Tebez received us at his home in El Hacha, where we had the honour of meeting Hugo Correa, Natay Collet, and Genaro Tebez, who, along with Licindo, are part of the Quimilero Project team.

Knowledge exchange with the Quimilero Project team in El Hacha (Left to right: Javier Gutiérrez, Natay Collet, Isis Ibáñez, Licindo Tebez, Gabriela Agostini, Camila Deutsch, Damián Farias, Hugo Correa) © Javier Gutiérrez

This initiative, coordinated by Dr Micaela Camino, aims to protect a peccary species known as “Quimilero” (Catagonus wagneri) and its native environment, the Dry Chaco. During the time we shared, they told us about the enormous scientific and outreach work they carry out together with local people, from whom we have much to learn.

“Quimilero”: the Chacoan Peccary (Catagonus wagneri) © Proyecto Quimilero

An outing to the impenetrable 

Before leaving for our next destination and, despite it being the season of low amphibian activity, we decided to make a night outing through the woodland to see what we could find… And they did not fail us! We were able to see some species of frog (unfortunately not the Kururu Pytã) and other local fauna including a Cope’s toad, a Chaco owl and a southern three-banded armadillo, taking advantage of the darkness of the new moon that allowed us to contemplate an incredibly starry sky.

Chaco Owl (Strix chacoensis) © Javier Gutiérrez

Finally, we headed to Paraje La Armonía, to reach our last destination: the great El Impenetrable National Park, one of the most important protected areas in the Argentine Chaco. This national park is the largest in northern Argentina, and aims to preserve a large proportion of the last native forests of the great Chaco in our country, while also harbouring enormous biodiversity.

We met the protected area rangers, introduced ourselves, and talked about the project. After travelling 36 km along the main road, we arrived at the banks of the Bermejo River; the northern limit of the park facing the province of Formosa.

Río Bermejo, Chaco, Argentina © Javier Gutierrez

During this tour, we were able to explore the diverse environment of the protected area for the first time and work out if there were favourable habitats for the Kururu Pytã. We spent the night in the campsite in front of the mighty Bermejo River and at sunrise, we woke up to the morning songs of the charatas, characteristic birds of the Chaco Mountains. It was the perfect way to end this second trip in the lands of the Kururu Pytã.

El Impenetrable National Park, Chaco, Argentina © Javier Gutierrez

Our last field trip as part of our CLP project also allowed us to exchange information about the Kururu Pytã and inquire about local people’s knowledge and perception about this species in particular, and about amphibians in general. We were also able to talk about the environmental and social problems in the region, such as timber felling, illegal trafficking of flora and fauna, and the encroachment of agriculture on native forests. All of this will be crucial to achieving the objectives of our project.

During these days spent sharing lunches, traditions, knowledge, and mates (a traditional South American tea-like beverage, made using leaves and twigs from the yerba-maté plant) with the local people, we never stopped being surprised by the warmth, hospitality, and positive disposition towards us and our work. We have a long way to go, but we came back full of expectations.

About the author

Isis Ibáñez is a CLP alumna and biology student at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. She is currently finishing a Bachelor’s degree specializing in Animal Ecology. During her undergraduate years, she volunteered in the Great Chaco in Argentina, a region that attracted her because of its great biodiversity and socio-diversity.  She is the leader of the Kururu Pytã Project, which was funded by CLP in 2021, and she is interested in focusing her work as a biologist on applied research in amphibian conservation, as well as working together with the local communities in this territory.

Feeling inspired?

Are you an emerging conservationist with an exciting project idea like this one? Then why not apply for one of our Team Awards for a chance to gain project funding and access to training, mentoring, networking and other career-boosting opportunities?

The competition for our 2023 Team Awards is now open until 10 October, 2022 – but don’t delay – there’s a lot to do between now and the deadline! For more information, including eligibility criteria and how to apply, visit our Grants pages.

Building leadership capacity for conservation in Southeast Asia

By Leala Rosen (CLP Program Officer, Wildlife Conservation Society)

In May and June 2022, the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) organised a virtual course to help rising conservation leaders in Southeast Asia learn about effective leadership in conservation practice at the local, regional and national level. 

Screenshot from the live session, “Strengthening the Leader in Me”

Implementing conservation faces a range of challenges, especially given the current multiple crises facing the planet; biodiversity loss, pandemics, and climate change. There’s no doubt that dealing with these challenges requires effective leadership and teamwork.   

CLP’s leadership training course allowed 12 early- to mid-career conservationists (including two recent CLP Future Conservationist Award-winners) working in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia to become more aware of their leadership potential and how to be effective, collaborative, strategic, and creative leaders in their conservation projects and organizations.  

What did the course involve? 

The course involved eight interactive sessions held over four weeks. It was facilitated by two experts in leadership and training facilitation: Sarilani Wirawan, co-founder and director of Digdaya Selaras (an Indonesian coaching and mentoring service) and Tony Lynam, SMART Coordinator, Conservation Technology Field Solutions, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS – one of CLP’s partner organisations). 

I worked with Sari and Tony to custom-design the course so it would suit the needs of young emerging conservationists in Southeast Asia. We employed an experiential approach that included time for individual and collective reflection on the connection between conservation and effective leadership. 

“The experience of facilitating this year’s CLP virtual workshop together with Tony and Leala was truly energizing, insightful, and inspiring. I appreciated the commitment of all the participants in this course, which was shown by their active work on individual learning materials, engagement in the online interactive sessions, and open conversations held during the individual sessions. I hope more young conservation leaders will benefit from this program in the future to become stronger and more confident in their career decisions from early on as conservationists.” – Sarilani Wirawan. 

Trainees teaching each other some dance moves during the closing session in June

Sari and Tony delivered the course content through interactive exercises and related discussions, supported by specific examples, relevant case studies, videos, TEDx talks (including some delivered by CLP alumni) and a CLP alumni panel discussion. Short practical exercises and assignments were completed by participants throughout the training course.  Each facilitator also engaged in individual coaching or mentoring sessions with participants related to their work, and personal and career development needs. 

One participant, Sue Ong (a previous CLP intern and 2021 Future Conservationist Award-winner), commented: “The training was well-planned, with the different activities and real-life case studies helping me further understand the importance of each topic discussed. The interaction with other participants was also very enriching and also let me put into practice what we learned while connecting and building our relationships throughout the training. 

During the alumni panel discussion, the course participants met two CLP alumni from the Southeast Asia region, specifically Malaysia (Sandra Teoh, council member of the MareCet Research Organization) and Indonesia (Rafid Shidqi, co-founder and project leader, Thresher Shark Project Indonesia). This resulted in a lively conversation covering personal leadership development, vulnerability and growth, while the participants also gained useful insights into Sandra and Rafid’s personal conservation leadership journeys. 

Two CLP alumni from Southeast Asia, Sandra Teoh (Malaysia) and Rafid Shidqi (Indonesia), joined the training for a panel discussion

What were the key takeaways? 

Interestingly, for some participants, this was the first time they had had the opportunity to self-reflect on their own capacity and they told us they initially felt unsure. The facilitators noted this was a normal reaction they’d previously observed in other personal leadership workshops, acknowledging that self-reflection is not a skill that comes naturally to everyone. The learning techniques shared during the training ultimately provided an alternative and effective method for the trainees to dive deeper into the content and thrive in the process. 

One trainee commented: “This training helped me to reshape my thoughts towards challenges that I have at work on a daily basis. I can now actually overcome those challenges with all the techniques that I’ve learnt in this training – and I now know that it is okay to take time to learn and be kind to ourselves.” – Andina Auria Putri, Indonesia 

As a result of the course, 11 of the participants reported that they plan to take more leadership actions at their organization, while one participant wanted to step back and reflect on their current performance before taking more leadership actions in their work. 

Another trainee said: “This training taught valuable lessons in leadership that I sometimes ignored in the past, but after I reflected back I realized that a leader should hold the core values taught in this training in order to be great leader.” – Devirisal Djabumir, Indonesia 

Screenshot from a live session on authentic leadership and identifying core values

In terms of networking, all participants reported learning from the experience of other participants. It was also encouraging to learn that over half of the participants shared resources or opportunities with others and established one or more collaborative relationships, with one participant commenting,This workshop really helped me get to know myself better and learn from others’ experiences.” – Kate Lim, Philippines  

Overall, the workshop will enable these 12 emerging conservationists to address leadership challenges. It will also equip them with the right tools to more effectively manage and work equitably and inclusively as part of a team – including increasing self-awareness and capacity to work effectively with others, building strong teams and peer networks (including among other course participants) and sustaining energy, motivation, and personal resilience. 

Are you an emerging conservation leader? 

Does your project need financial support? Are you keen to build your skills and professional networks, and access career-boosting opportunities? Then apply for a 2023 CLP Team Award! You could benefit from a project grant of up to USD$15,000 as well as training, networking and mentoring opportunities as part of the CLP Alumni Network (comprising almost 3,000 conservationists worldwide). Find out more: www.conservationleadershipprogramme.org/grants/grant-overview

Conservation careers: Empowering young people in conservation

This article was originally published on the BirdLife International website.

Sherilyn Bos, Capacity Development Officer at BirdLife International, works with the Conservation Leadership Programme to help early-career conservationists overcome threats to nature in places where capacity and access to resources is limited. Here, she tells us more about her role at CLP, her career journey and shares her tips for breaking into the sector.

Sherilyn at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille, September 2021 © Kate Tointon

Why did you choose a career in conservation?

I originally didn’t – I went to medical school first! But then at the start of my studies I volunteered in South Africa for a month and realised that I wanted to do something with animals and nature instead. I studied biology in Paris and went on to do an Applied Wildlife Conservation Masters.

My first job was at BirdLife as an intern with the conservation team for 6 months. Then, my supervisor encouraged me to apply for a job with BirdLife Europe and Central Asia as a research assistant on the MAVA projects. I was there for a year when a new opportunity came up for my current job which was a big change moving from wetland projects to capacity development.

What does your current role involve?

I co-ordinate the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) from the BirdLife side; as CLP works in partnership between BirdLife, Fauna and Flora International, and the Wildlife Conservation Society. We support high-priority biodiversity conservation by building the leadership skills of early career conservationists who are striving to overcome major threats to nature in places where capacity and access to resources is limited. To achieve this, we identify and engage exceptional young conservationists, invest in their professional development through grants, training and mentoring, and help them to multiply their impact across the conservation sector.

Part of my role involves looking after the Team Awards work stream. Through this, we grant funding to early-career conservationists through our Future Conservationist Awards, and we also grant Follow-up and Leadership awards to past award recipients. I am on the Future Conservationist Awards side for early career conservationists where I screen the application process. Once the projects are selected, we give out the funds and the projects can start work on the ground. There are many different streams such as the alumni network, communications, and we all support other streams when needed.

Sherilyn running a workshop on conservation leadership at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in September 2021 © Kate Tointon

How is CLP working to increase diversity in the conservation sector?

Our criteria require that teams must be from low- to middle-income countries and must have 50% or more of national individuals in that project. As part of our new strategy, we will be working to engage more local people, particularly ones that we may not be reaching already, for example people who won’t hear about the programme through a university or people who don’t speak or read English. We would encourage our alumni network to put forward any exceptional people from their community who could be a good fit and that could take on a project. We also want to open the programme to Indigenous and Native people from the US and Australia in the future.

Getting into conservation can be challenging, do you have any advice?

In a lot of places, people aren’t aware what conservation is or what the roles involve. Studying is a common way to start, but I would also recommend Conservation Careers, and looking at blogs and even Instagram. Following conservation organisations and people on social media who are already working in the sector is a great way to learn about it and see what the job involves. It’s difficult because there are very few jobs and very little money, but if it is your calling, I would say go for it!

What are the best and most challenging parts of your role?

The pandemic brought a lot of challenges as travelling was no longer possible, so our training and meetings all had to go online. We adapted to this but there is a lot of value in people meeting in person, for example we noticed it took much longer for people to connect online than when we were able to meet in person. In the future, we would like to keep an online component but also still plan in person events so people can really connect.

The best part is hearing from teams or alumni about how successful their project and training has been, or that they’ve been able to connect with someone across the world for their project. Seeing those connections happening and having a positive impact on people’s careers is the biggest reward.

Another positive is knowing that indirectly my work can have a big impact for conservation as the work that the teams can do on the ground is helping nature, so even though I’m not directly working with wildlife, I can still contribute and it’s brilliant to see.

We keep in touch with everyone too to see where they have ended up and seeing someone who started as an intern go on to do amazing work is incredible, it’s brilliant that a programme can do that.

Sherilyn (second from right) with the CLP management team in November 2021 © Stuart Paterson

There is a lot of negative environmental news that can be tough when working in conservation and caring about the environment, what keeps you hopeful and motivated?

In my job, if I read that someone didn’t succeed in implementing one of their activities in a project and I will be feeling so sorry for them, I will then read that someone else successfully managed theirs which balances it out. Personally, I try not to get into a loop of bad news about the environment and make sure to pay attention to the good news too. Also, seeing what the new generation is doing, and following the work of people that are making change is inspiring.

It’s also important to remember that as an individual you can’t change everything, but you can always do something to make an impact. For example, if I keep doing what I’m doing that is good for the planet, and by having a career in conservation, hopefully I have a small impact toward a better future. I want to stay hopeful for future generations that come after us – realistic but hopeful.

Click here to find out more about the Conservation Leadership Programme, and click here to read about this year’s Team Awards winners who are driving crucial actions to save a range of imperilled species and habitats around the world.

Inside internships: Five top tips to ensure interns get what they really need

In two previous blogs, we’ve shown how internships can help rising conservationists kick start their careers, develop vital skills, boost their networks, and make a lasting impact on both society and biodiversity. These insights have come directly from previous CLP interns who shared their stories and experiences with us in a series of interviews and surveys.

Previous CLP intern, Srey Oun Ith, was placed with FFI in Cambodia in 2020 to build her capacity for future Marine Protected Area development © Srey Oun Ith/FFI

We’ve now drawn from this first-hand knowledge to identify the below five tips on making internships successful, which all come down to one key lesson: by ensuring interns get what they need, the host organization will reap the benefits. Not only will these tips feed back into our Internship Scheme, but we hope they will also be useful for others, too.

Tip 1: Create spaces for networking

Our interns told us they value networking opportunities with conservationists working at all levels. Getting the chance to speak to other conservationists appears to be a priority, for our interns at least, because of how it can help them develop contacts for potential collaborations and job opportunities; share knowledge (such as specific methods and technologies); and be inspired by the work of others.

Previous CLP intern Albina Mamedova (left) was placed with BirdLife International in Georgia in 2018 © Albina Mamedova/BirdLife International

This got us thinking: an internship networking event could be quite easily held online, similar to other online networking events we’ve been involved in. Or interns could be ‘buddied up’, allowing those more experienced to help with the onboarding process. Multiple internship schemes around the world could work together to get their interns talking to each other. These are just a few ideas – there are potentially various ways to ensure interns can access a space to network.

Tip 2: Integrate interns

Even though an internship is a temporary position, our interns preferred it when efforts were made to completely integrate them into the host organization as a permanent member of staff would be, including being told about other internship projects happening in the same country and abroad.

2021 CLP intern Alfredo Gotine learning to use camera traps as part of his internship with Fauna & Flora International in Mozambique © Alfredo Gotine/Fauna & Flora International

One way to do this could be introducing the intern to the organization (such as through an internal email or presentation), and making sure interns participate in internal events, talks, training and other opportunities that aren’t necessarily related to their internship duties. Paying the intern a salary, if possible (or at least covering their subsistence and accommodation costs), is an essential way to ensure interns are integrated to the organization and are treated as any other member of staff would be.

Tip 3: Provide tailored support 

We were told by our past interns that they think it’s important to ensure an internship is centred on an intern’s individual needs. After all, different interns will come to the position with different skills, expectations, approach to working, leadership styles, personalities, and so on.

2020 CLP intern Marlene Horsford assisted the Anguilla National Trust and FFI to implement on-the-ground conservation actions for endangered plants and reptiles © Marlene Horsford/Fauna & Flora International         

Taking the time to understand the intern as an individual right from the start of their internship, such as through a welcome call in which you outline goals and expectations, is vital for tailoring any support you provide to their specific needs – such as any training, mentorship, or even just the way you interact with them in different working environments.

Tip 4: Learn from the process

Our interns certainly appreciated the chance for their opinions to be heard and valued. So it’s vital to give interns an opportunity to provide feedback about their internship and how it has impacted their career and contributions to conservation.

Sue Ong (centre) undertook an internship on sea turtle monitoring with FFI in Myanmar in 2018. She went on to win a CLP Future Conservationist Award in 2021 © LAMAVE     

Collecting this feedback (both during and after the internship) and noting down any lessons learned while working with them could also help improve the next internship scheme. This information can also feed into the wider Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning framework of your organization (if it has one).

Monitoring the success of an internship scheme and promoting its impact to a global audience could also help attract potential stakeholders for future internship schemes. Telling the world about interns who have, for example, been offered a permanent position or contributed to a research breakthrough (like many of our past interns) showcases the fantastic benefits that can emerge from supporting an internship scheme. In the long-term, this could help improve the overall culture of internships and ensure both interns and organisations are benefiting from them as much as possible.

Tip 5: Keep in touch

Our interns really liked having regular contact with us – both during and after their internships – as a way to keep connected, learn about other opportunities offered, such as our annual Team Awards and grants/awards offered by other organisations we know (which some of our interns have gone on to receive), and feel a general sense of belonging to a network of conservation professionals.

Past CLP intern Charles Emogor was placed with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Nigeria in 2016. Now a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, Charles went on to win a 2020 CLP Future Conservationist Award and other accolades © Charles Emogor/WCS

Regular contact could be maintained by signing interns up to your newsletter, and connecting with them on social media. Welcome calls, reporting, and post-internship calls and surveys can all help to maintain these important relationships—better still, why not try to make this contact fun and engaging? This can only help to ensure positive and long-lasting relationships with your interns.

Getting updates and reports from the interns could also be beneficial for tracking and evaluating the impact of your internship scheme (see also Tip 4). What’s more, these updates are helpful for knowledge sharing not just within your organization, including with senior staff members, but also with other interns who are active at the same time, which could help keep them motivated.

Feeling inspired?

CLP is a passionate supporter of early-career conservationists, and our Internship Scheme is just one area of our programme that strives to provide a springboard for talented leaders working in low- to middle-income countries who are dedicated to protecting nature.

If you know someone who you think would benefit from undertaking an internship with one of our partner organizations, or if you run an Internship Scheme yourself and wish to collaborate in some way, then please get in touch at clp@birdlife.org. We also run an annual small-grant scheme in which we direct funding and training to teams of early-career conservationists worldwide, for which we will announce our next call for applications in July 2022.

Acknowledgements

We thank Bradley Knight (our past intern with Fauna & Flora International in Cambridge, UK) for conducting the interviews with our previous interns and writing the first draft of this blog. We are also grateful to our previous interns for taking the time to send us their feedback. Thanks also to Henry Rees, CLP Programme Officer at Fauna & Flora International, for helpful comments on previous drafts.

Why supporting today’s rising leaders can help protect tomorrow’s world

By Bradley Knight

In a series of interviews with past CLP interns, I’ve been struck by the way these emerging conservationists have carved out more positive futures for both biodiversity and people through locally-led, innovative approaches.

An Altiplano lagoon at 13,700ft, Sajama National Park, Bolivia © Arne J. Lesterhuis (a previous CLP intern)

Speaking with past CLP interns, it’s been fascinating to uncover how emerging conservation leaders have used their internships as critical career stepping stones and achieved some remarkable conservation impacts. It’s also made me realize that these kinds of internships have much deeper, wider reaching consequences both for society and for the future of our planet.

Adopting creativity in conservation practice

In the ever-evolving field of biodiversity conservation, with new technologies, methodologies, and challenges, I really believe that artistic creativity can play a key role in capturing the attention of both local communities and the wider world. This belief was reinforced after my recent interview with previous CLP intern, Mariia Cherniavskaia.

Previous CLP intern, Mariia Cherniavskaia, undertook a placement with FFI in Kyrgyzstan in 2019-2020, during which she helped develop products like ec0-bags to raise awareness about conservation © Akylai Kabaeva/FFI

During Mariia’s internship with FFI in 2019-2020, she had worked closely with communities living in the fruit and nut forests of Arstanbap and other regions in Kyrgyzstan, as well as with local and international NGOs and government bodies, to help save the country’s falcons, tulips, and wild forests.

One issue facing Mariia was the reliance of the local communities on forest resources. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, economic and social difficulties had started forcing communities in Kyrgyzstan to exploit forest resources so they could earn a living, which had negatively impacted biodiversity in the area.

Gumkhana village in the Arstanbap forest, Kyrgyzstan © Mariia Cherniavskaia

During our interview, Mariia explained that she thought creative problem-solving was the key to finding a solution to such issues. “You can’t just go somewhere and tell the community there that they have to change their practices; you need to show them why and provide them with alternative income sources so that they can change over time,” she said.

As a CLP intern, Mariia was able to nurture her natural creative talents with the help of her colleagues, so she could develop new ways for FFI to gain support from local communities and develop alternative sources of income. One approach she used was to create a board game for children to foster a passion for conservation in the next generation.

Mariia (left) and one of her internship supervisors, Akylai Kabaeva (right– who is a previous CLP intern herself) developing a board game for children to help raise awareness about conservation issues © David Gill/FFI

She also used her design skills (in which she has no formal training) to develop a series of non-timber forest products that could be given to local people and stakeholders to raise awareness about the importance of conserving rare and endangered species. The products created by the team included eco-bags featuring images of local species of threatened plant species, like the Niedzwiecki apple tree and the Korzynski pear. The success of this initiative helped to encourage the local community to commit to other alternative sources of income, such as beekeeping.

A field trip to Shamshy Kyrgyzstan, in December 2019 © Mariia Cherniavskaia /FFI

Mariia’s success during her internship was ultimately recognized by the offer of a permanent position as a Programme Assistant with FFI in Kyrgyzstan. Within just one year of her internship, she was promoted to Programme Coordinator.

To this day, Mariia continues to use her creativity to drive project development and community engagement for FFI. She has recently developed a new game on the conservation of the Menzbier’s marmot, a Vulnerable species endemic to the Western Tien-Shan (a UNESCO World Heritage Site found across Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan).

Developing the future generation of leaders 

I also interviewed Arne J. Lesterhuis, who had previously been placed as a CLP intern with BirdLife International in Paraguay in 2009. As an intern, Arne received direct mentorship from Dr Rob Clay (Senior Conservation Manager for BirdLife’s Americas secretariat at the time). Arne told me that the expert mentorship he received made him realise that the future of positive, impactful conservation practice rests in the next generation’s hands.

Previous CLP intern, Arne J. Lesterhuis, birdwatching in Paraguay © Arne J. Lesterhuis/Fauna Paraguay

As part of his internship, Arne had supported BirdLife’s leading flyway conservation work, which ultimately seeks to protect birds along global migratory routes. Among his many responsibilities as an intern, Arne had worked to strengthen international links among bird conservation initiatives by supporting the development of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) across the Americas.

He then went on to work with BirdLife International as a Species Technical Officer after his internship until 2015.

When I met with Arne, he talked passionately about the need to increase opportunities, build conservation capacity, and attract fresh talent, remarking: “The international conservation capacity here in South America is less developed. In Suriname specifically, capacity is lacking, and more needs to be done to address that.” 

What stood out to me about Arne was the sincerity behind his words. Without a doubt, he felt personally motivated to play a leading role in building the conservation capacity in Suriname. It was also clear that his internship had given him the skills he needed to lead as well as the confidence to do so.

That’s why in 2019, ten years after his CLP internship, Arne leapt at an opportunity to impact the future generation of conservationists in Suriname.

Arne conducting a survey of Baird’s sandpipers at Lago Poopó, Bolivia, in 2020 © G. Donaldson.

While working with his current employer, Manomet, Arne coordinated a pilot two-week Environmental Sciences Pre-Master’s programme in shorebird conservation in collaboration with Marie Djosetro, a teacher at Suriname’s only university, Anton de Kom University.

The hybrid (in-person and virtual) programme aimed to increase local capacity in shorebird conservation, which included teaching the 25 participants skills in shorebird identification, monitoring techniques, habitat management, community engagement and good governance.

Commenting on the programme’s success, Arne told me, “The programme was very well received. So, we thought let’s do more and try to get these conservation enthusiasts out there in the field, so Suriname isn’t dependent on outside help.”

Following the success of the pilot, Arne is currently working with Anton de Kom University to develop a degree-level programme in conservation leadership, focused on developing the next generation of conservation leaders for the region. He currently works for Manomet as a Shorebird Monitoring and Conservation Specialist across the Western hemisphere.

Investing in the future of conservation

Having spoken with several past CLP interns, I’ve uncovered a general consensus that these types of internship schemes can provide an invaluable career stepping stone for emerging conservationists. But the impact goes much deeper than that. Internships also offer a unique opportunity for nurturing and combining fresh ideas, passion, and local knowledge that can foster wide-reaching, long-term benefits for both society and biodiversity.

As CLP continues to direct funding and training to early-career grassroots conservationists around the world, the programme remains committed to providing internship opportunities for the world’s talented and driven future leaders like Mariia and Arne.

CLP is grateful to Fondation Segré, and Arcadia – a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin – for supporting our current interns.

About the author

Bradley Knight worked as an intern for Fauna & Flora International from October 2021 – January 2022, during which he interviewed various CLP interns and brought their stories to life. Bradley has studied digital media and journalism, has a BSc in Marine Biology and has volunteered in communications-related roles including as a social media officer and blogger for Conservation Careers. He is passionate about art as well as conservation, and has started his own conservation communications initiative that uses a blended science-art approach to inspire and engage audiences about marine conservation.