We are delighted to announce that the Durrell Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Endangered Species Recovery has been validated by the University of Kent for 2015.
This innovative programme has been pioneered by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.
The programme offers students the opportunity to study for 6 months in Mauritius in a unique blend of academic study and in situ fieldwork. The course partners with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) who have successfully led the recovery efforts for a large number of threatened endemic species. MWF’s work has already saved a minimum of five endemic species from extinction, as well as pioneering ecosystem recovery techniques for restoring whole-island ecosystems.
Martin Kastner, a current student on the programme (prior to validation) said, “From the start, I thought that the program was incredibly well designed. The modules, taught by true experts, cover a wide range of subjects relevant to endangered species recovery. They are nicely balanced by intensive fieldwork on some of the most classic projects in the field.”
Students on this new University of Kent programme will benefit from the practical, evidence-based approach to conservation that is the hallmark of Durrell and MWF, alongside the international academic reputation of DICE members who teach on the programme. You will learn through hands-on practical training the cutting-edge field techniques involved in endangered species recovery and habitat restoration. In addition you will learn the leadership, management and facilitation skills you will need to run your own conservation projects.
Students will complete the programme equipped in the theory and practice of endangered species and habitat recovery, having acquired field experience in one of the world’s most successful species and habitat restoration programmes.
Durrell Conservation Academy’s Head, Jamie Copsey, is currently based out in Mauritius to get this innovative programme off the ground. Prior to validation Durrell ran a full six month non-credit bearing version of the programme. “This year we ran the full six month taught programme for an international group of participants, coming from North America and Canada through to the Philippines and Australia. Working and living together in the field with MWFs field staff has given these students a great opportunity to develop their teamwork skills and their first-hand understanding of what it takes to be a field conservation biologist. Learning how to climb trees to access nest boxes, monitoring population change within translocated reptiles and weighing seabird chicks are just a few of the field skills that students are introduced to during the programme. By partnering with both the University of Kent and MWF the programme aims to develop students post-graduate credentials and equip them with the field experience they need to build their CVs and move into a career in conservation”.
For further information and to apply for this programme please visit the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.
Photographs are courtesy of Katie MacFarlane, Durrell.