Blog

Read commentary and opinion pieces on conservation and capacity related themes provided by CLP staff and alumni.

Ritual beliefs and greater adjutant stork conservation in Dadara, India

December 01, 2015
By: Purnima Devi Barman, CLP Alumna and Wildlife Biologist, Aaranyak Tree and animal species are symbols of Gods and Goddesses in Indian culture making ritual beliefs an important consideration as we seek to protect our rich biodiversity. Indeed, I have found ritual beliefs to be a major tool for conservation awareness during my entire journey with […]

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From the Himalayas to the Czech Republic

August 28, 2015
By: Martina Anandam (India) Last year I hosted my friend and fellow CLP alumnus, Felipe Ennes Silva, for a CLP Learning Exchange Programme in India. The experience provided many stories to tell over dinner and on rainy nights. This year, I won a CLP Travel Grant to present at two conferences in the Czech Republic. I resolved […]

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Being part of CLP’s International Training Course

August 28, 2015
By: Dilek Sahin (Turkey) I can’t believe that I am writing this blog only a short while after attending CLP’s Conservation Management & Leadership Training course as a winner of a CLP Team Conservation Award. It took two years to get ready for submitting a proposal to CLP and another year to get an approved […]

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Voices of rare ‘talking’ turtles may prevent their extinction

August 06, 2015
Camila Ferrara is an aquatic turtle specialist with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Brazil Programme. Here she tells us about her ground-breaking work to conserve Brazil’s most threatened river turtles. Years ago in the Brazilian Amazon, I was exposed to an unexpected but prevalent philosophy for how humans viewed animals. To the indigenous riverine people I […]

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Dreaming of prosperity and sustainability in the Himalayas

June 16, 2015
After finishing his Masters in Biodiversity and Conservation, Conservation Leadership Programme Alumnus Pramod Kumar Yadav embarked on an enthusiastic career studying the biodiversity, topography and spirituality of the Himalayas. Here, he shares his experiences and reveals his delight at being granted a 2015 CLP Award… The first time I visited the Himalayan Mountains was with […]

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Celebrating 30 years of CLP

March 13, 2015
Reflecting on turning the big 3-0. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Conservation Leadership Programme. It got me thinking about the year 1985 – the year CLP gave out its first award. What was happening back then? I did a little research on the Internet and found out that it was a year […]

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Looking for langurs through a CLP learning exchange

January 05, 2015
Martina Anandam recounts a learning exchange visit during which she hosted another member of the CLP alumni network. ‘Martina! This is extraordinary!’ exclaimed Felipe, trying hard to get pictures of the galloping langur at distance. ‘I can’t believe I am looking at it. The langur… It is beautiful! This is unbelievable!’ Spoken like a true […]

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Counting sheep on the trail of the Mountain Ghost

November 25, 2014
‘All three of us were exhausted. Wenzha, our Tibetan driver, stared at a flower in front of his feet. Edward, our young Chinese-American volunteer, sat with his head down. Surrounded by vertical cliffs we knew the only way to the next valley was to climb the 40° slope to the hilltop. Around halfway up I […]

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Poop – a non-invasive key to flying fox DNA

November 18, 2014
Tammy Mildenstein tells of her team’s slightly unusual flying fox research technique. Our team has recently discovered a new technique for learning about flying fox populations, and it is all about poop! Bat Count Philippines has been working in the Philippines for more than eleven years on flying fox research and conservation (Pteropus vampyrus). In […]

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Anglers in Argentina conserve sharks in Marine Protected Areas

August 08, 2014
Martín Cuevas (“Involving Anglers As Key Stakeholders in a Shark Conservation Programme,” 2013) Sharks are important top predators that preserve equilibrium in the seas. Due to overfishing, Argentina’s shark populations have dramatically decreased resulting in several species being categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Sport fishing is one important cause of shark mortality […]

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Supporting high fliers, and other life forms…

July 14, 2014
In its original guise back in 1985, the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP), as it is known today, funded only a brace of projects, both focused on birds. The programme has grown and evolved significantly over time and now our teams’ work covers a broad range of taxonomic groups. Nevertheless, during its distinguished history, almost one […]

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