[botswanapredatorforum] International Cheetah Conservation Training Course Anouncement
- From: "Rebecca Klein" <rebecca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <botswanapredatorforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:22:36 +0200
Dear all,
Below is a training opportunity to be held at Cheetah Conservation Fund in
Namibia on Integrated Livestock, Wildlife and Predator Management.
Please email me directly at rebecca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for the application
form. It is 227MB in size.
Best wishes,
Rebecca
Cheetah Conservation Botswana
72621077
An international training course in Integrated Livestock, Wildlife and Predator
Management will
be held in Namibia in 2009 at the Cheetah Conservation Fund, under the
sponsorship of the
Howard G. Buffet Foundation's African Cheetah Initiative with support of the
Smithsonian
Institution and WildCRU. This course is aimed at community development officers
and
agriculture extension officers in cheetah range countries. The focus will be on
cheetah-human
conflict, and the role of farmer outreach programs and community-based training
to mitigate
these conflict issues.
The training received by participants in this course will address the needs
identified in the
cheetah regional plans regarding research and applied conservation
methodologies for
professionals in cheetah range countries. The information and practical skills
provided by these
selective training programs will focus on building capacity to conserve
cheetahs and their
ecosystems. It is envisioned that these biology professionals and agriculture
extension officers
will pass on their education to thousands of people throughout the cheetah's
remaining range
countries, with the goal of achieving a profound change in people's attitudes
toward predators in
general and cheetahs in particular.
With the cheetah's populations dwindling, the cheetah's survival depends on
educated people
using proven methods to reverse this trend. Many such methods have been
developed or adopted
in the last 20 years by CCF and a variety of other organizations, but there is
no one source of
information and training for wildlife conservation professionals. Additionally,
there is a lack of
local professionals and stewards who are capable of recognizing, appreciating
and better
utilizing natural resources to achieve conservation.
By training a network of regional professionals collaborating on regional
cheetah strategies, the
impact will expand from local pockets of protection dotting the cheetah's range
countries to
much broader, far-reaching and inter-connected swaths. Regionalizing and
unifying efforts will
cause the conservation impact to be exponential.
The target audience for the course will be professionals within conservation
and agriculture
ministries, final year and graduate university students in conservation-related
subjects in cheetah
range countries, and the research communities from range countries. The
training offered will
be a complement to current university training and upgrade those already
working in the field
(e.g. wildlife managers) on new concepts, skills and techniques for
standardized collection,
collation, analysis and reporting on cheetahs and their ecosystems. Bringing
together
participants from a variety of cheetah range countries will promote a unified
and systematic
approach to conservation including research, monitoring and wildlife-conflict
mitigation
measures. Our objectives are to empower individuals with knowledge and skills
in conservation
and management that can be altered to fit each regional country. Our ultimate
aim is to address
the issues outlined in the cheetah regional strategies, thereby securing a
future for the cheetah in
these range countries.
Course work will included training in integrated management practices and
predator kill
identification; how to conduct questionnaire surveys; rangeland management and
pasture
science; how to present integrated livestock, wildlife and predator courses to
farmers; grant and
report writing ; Bayesian network statistics; field practical-meeting with a
communal farmer
and seeing livestock guarding dogs; commercial farming and conservation;
learning about
community based natural resource management programs; conservancy management;
veterinary
techniques and sustainable animal production; field practical learning about
the care of captive
cheetahs; care of livestock guarding dogs; conservancies.
The first part of the course concentrates on the theoretical part of the
different subjects covered.
These lecturers are to provide the foundation for all field exercises. The
second part of the
course will focus field exercises.
Course Sites:
The course will be conducted mainly at the CCF's facilities in Otjiwarongo,
which is located
approximately 350 km north of Windhoek, the capital city. The CCF site,
although best known
for its cheetahs, also includes such species as gemsbok, kudu, hartebeest,
zebra, giraffe and
numerous other ungulates. The Western Communal Conservancy, which is about 4
hours from
CCF, will also be visited during the course for field exercises.
Course Costs:
The course fee is supported by the Howard G Buffet Foundation. This includes
all training
expenses (room, board, educational resources, instruction fees, internal travel
and other course
related activities) for applicants that are selected to attend the course*.
However, applicants are
expected to cover their own airfare, visas and health insurance. All applicants
requesting partial
support for airfares must submit a letter justifying their financial need with
their application
(preference will be given to participants from African range countries). They
must also confirm
that they have already secured financial support from other sources to
supplement the partial
scholarship.
*Participants are expected to be in Windhoek by the evening of the 7th of June.
Please note, CCF will not be responsible for any accommodation of participants
before this date - this will be at the participants own cost. CCF will also not
be responsible for covering accommodation costs from the evening of the 21st
June onwards.
Eligibility and Application:
The courses are most appropriate for those involved in cheetah conservation
throughout the
world, particularly in Africa. However, those interested in biodiversity
inventory and
monitoring, animal ecology and behavior, and protected area management will
also be
considered. Cheetah researchers, agriculture and community extension officers,
biology
undergraduates and graduates from developed countries, as well as wildlife
personnel from
government agencies, non-governmental organizations and universities in
developing countries,
are all eligible to apply for the course. Countries targeted from the SADC
region are Namibia,
Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Tanzania and South
Africa.
Other countries include Kenya, Algeria, Iran, Ethiopia, India, Sudan, Benin,
Burkina Faso,
Niger and Chad.
Places are limited so we encourage interested participants to apply as soon as
possible.
The attached application form must be completed in full and submitted with all
other application
materials requested. Please compress all materials you are sending to us, as
emails over 2MB
will be rejected.
Application Deadline: 15 April 2009
Only 25 applicants will be selected for the courses and preference will be
given to those who
apply early. Successful applicants will be notified of their selection as soon
as possible after the
closing date. Once notified, it will fall to the applicants to ensure that they
have the correct visas
before coming to the course. CCF will provide some assistance in this process.
For further particulars, contact:
Matti Nghikembua, Cheetah Conservation Fund - Ecology Division, Phone: + 264 67
306225,
Fax: +264 67 306247, Email ccflaurie@xxxxxxx
----- Original Message -----
From: CCFLaurie@xxxxxxx
To: patricia@xxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 6:42 PM
Subject: RE: International Cheetah Conservation Training Course Anouncement
Dear Friends,
Attached please find an announcement about our International Integrated
Livestock, Wildlife and Predator training course to be held at the Cheetah
Conservation Fund in Namibia on 7 - 21 June 2009.
Please share this announcement with others who may be interested in attending
the course. Also, please forgive me if any of you get a duplicate message.
All the very best to all of you,
Laurie
Dr. Laurie Marker, DPhil
Founder/Executive Director
Cheetah Conservation Fund
P.O. Box 1755
Otjiwarongo, Namibia
Phone: +264 (0)67 306225
FAX: +264 (0)67 306247
www.cheetah.org
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