SCCS Internship Programme 2016 - sccs-cam.org Report 2016.pdf · Internship Programme 2016 . 1...

SCCS Internship Programme

2016

Internship Programme 2016

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Overview

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

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

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

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

conference, there are sister conferences in New York, Brisbane, Bangalore, Beijing and Hungary.

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

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

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

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

skills, significantly boosting their careers in the field of conservation.

“I am certain that the lessons learnt and skills gained will go a long way in my career and will benefit not only myself but a lot more people back in my country. I would most definitely recommend the internship to anyone at the same level in their career; I look forward to working with the whole SCCS team whenever a chance shall present itself again in the future.” Kennedy Kariuki, Kenya

SCCS short courses in 2016

We continued our programme of short courses this year for 40 interns and holders of bursaries and

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

were held before the conference of 2–3 days duration. The courses were “Camera traps in animal

population sampling”; “Getting started in R for analysis of conservation science data”; “Using

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in conservation science”; and “A practical introduction to social

survey design for conservation science”.

All four short courses received extremely positive feedback and are clearly a valuable addition to the

whole SCCS experience.


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Internship placements in 2016

The Internship Programme gives young conservationists the opportunity to participate in short

courses to learn new skills, to work alongside UK experts for up to four weeks after the conference,

and to seek advice on their current work and future plans. The internship placements are selected

from a large number of applications. Good evidence of contact and joint planning between

prospective intern and UK host is an important selection criterion.

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

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

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

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

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

knowledge with others after they return.

The 2016 interns worked on a broad range of topics and approaches. Several projects were based on

conservation planning for threatened species such as the Bengal florican in India and Nepal, the

Pallas’s cat in south western Asia and the Du Toit’s torrent frog in Kenya. Some interns analysed large

amounts of data, gathered prior to the conference, under the expert guidance of their hosts. They

learned invaluable skills in data management and data analysis in the process that will help to

significantly improve the quality of their research back home. One intern, working on the conservation

of the Yelkouan shearwater, gained unexpected fieldwork experience in seabird breeding colonies by

visiting two islands and spending time with seabird researchers. She built collaborations with UK

seabird scientists which will improve seabird research and build expertise in Turkey.

In addition the interns gained practical experience in storing data and using reference manager tools,

which they felt would definitely contribute to their career. They improved and gained confidence in

their scientific thinking.

The full intern reports are available from the SCCS office.

All SCCS interns in 2016 will receive Fauna and Flora International membership for one year,

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

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

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

Cambridge University Press. Details of the prize winners can be found on pages 11–12.


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Internship holders 2016

Hussain Ali (Department of Animal Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan)

“It was a great experience and a unique platform for students of developing countries.”

Topic: To learn Maxent modelling to determine suitable habitat for Himalayan ibex in Pakistan

Host: Professor Stephen Redpath (University of Aberdeen)

Rodlis Raphali Andriantsimanarilafy (Madagasikara Voakajy, Lot II F 14 P Bis A, Andraisoro,

Antananarivo 101, Madagascar)

“During this internship I learned more about the classic software used for data analysis such as R statistic, DISTANCE and improved my knowledge on GIS analysis.”

Topic: Data management and analysis using R and writing a paper

Host: Dr Alison Cameron (Bangor University)


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Eliana Blanco Pérez (Centro de Ecología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC),

11Km de la Carretera Panamericana, Altos de Pipe, Estado Miranda, Venezuela)

“Other beneficial aspect of my internship was that I had access to the library and useful reading material on my thesis in general.” “Also, Professor Stuart gave me recommendations on methods that were more useful and efficient to obtain a greater amount of information in field, to improve the quality of my research.”

Topic: To explore and improve some methodological aspects of my PhD thesis project related to species distribution model

Host: Professor Stuart Marsden (Manchester Metropolitan University)

Sandeep Das (Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Thrissur 680653, Kerala, India)

“The internship project really helped to develop my skill in amphibian conservation breeding and gave me the capacity to step up in case such a situation ever arises in south India.”

Topic: Developing a husbandry blueprint for priority amphibians of southwestern India

Host: Benjamin Tapley (Zoological Society of London)


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Rohit Jha (Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, Opposite Lion Gate, Shaheed Bhagat

Singh road, Mumbai 400 001, Maharashtra, India)

“I particularly gained from many opportunities for discussion that I had with distinguished scientists working from the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge”

Topic: Writing manuscripts on status, habitat-use and conservation of Bengal Florican

Host: Dr Paul Donald (Royal Society for the

Protection of Birds)

Atul Arvind Joshi (National Centre for Biological Sciences, GKVK, Bellary Road, Bangalore- 560065,

India)

“…this internship helped me expand my research arena and link the study of ecology and humanities which I feel should go hand in hand for the on-ground conservation” “I aim to publish an article with findings based on data collected during internship and from other archival collections in India in a reputed peer reviewed journal.”

Topic: Ecological history of unique forest-grassland

ecosystems of India’s Western Ghats

Host: Mrs Penny Brook (The British Library,

London)


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Kennedy Kariuki (Kahawa Sukari, Isiolo Road, Plot 2666, Nairobi, Kenya)

“During my internship, I further strengthened professional relationships with staff and students at WildCRU and worked closely with the unit’s statistician building on statistical skills for data analysis that I had developed last year.” “I am certain that the lessons learnt and skills gained will go a long way in my career and will benefit not only myself but a lot more people back in my country.”

Topic: Evaluating the impact of the Nigerian bush meat market closures due to Ebola on hunting pressure in Korup National Park, Cameroon

Host: Dr Christos Astaras (University of Oxford)

Ehsan Mohammadi Moqanaki (Iranian Cheetah Society, P. O. Box 14155-8549, Tehran, Iran)

“The internship programme was a unique opportunity for me to visit one of the world-leading organizations in carnivore conservation, to exchange knowledge, and to receive training for some complex but very useful analytical skills to obtain valuable information from remote sensing data for management and conservation of endangered wildlife populations.”

Topic: Defining research and conservation priority landscapes for the Near-Threatened Pallas’s cat

Host: Dr Jorgelina Marino (University of Oxford)


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

“The internship presented me with a unique chance to work on my research data under my supervisor. I had a wonderful opportunity to visit the Natural History Museum where I was able to access information on the paper describing the Du Toit’s torrent frog (Artroleptides dutoiti) by Arthur Loveridge and also managed to access the NHM library and herpetology collection courtesy of my supervisor.”

Topic: Preparing a manuscript for Conservation Assessment of the Critically Endangered Du Toit's torrent frog in Mt Elgon, Kenya.

Host: Dr Simon Loader (University of Roehampton)

Solohery Rasamison (Department of Animal Biology, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo 906,

Madagascar)

“I used the internship period to refine my PhD design and objectives, to work on processing bird sound recordings which I made in Madagascar and develop automatic classification algorithms to classify forest sound recordings, and to plan grant applications for further fieldwork.”

Topic: Complete a PhD proposal for fundraising

Host: Dr Peter Long (University of Oxford)


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Dilek Sahin ( Bogazici University Institute of Environmental Science, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey)

“Thanks to my host’s good planning skills, we used the time very efficiently and achieved most of the internship objectives.” “As a follow-up work, this internship has stimulated future collaborations with UK seabird scientists to improve seabird research and to build expertise in Turkey.”

Topic: Developing a PhD research project proposal for seabird conservation in Turkey

Host: Dr Steffen Oppel (Royal Society for the

Protection of Birds)

Sheherazade (Center for Biodiversity Strategies Universitas Indonesia, Kampus UI Depok, 16424,

Indonesia )

“The internship provided me with supportive working atmosphere to finally finish my proposal. Prof. Gareth Jones who is a recognized expert on bat ecology supplied me with essential feedback to my research plan. We discussed the methodological aspects a lot, notably to reduce bias and assure that the methods can assess the flying fox ecosystem services on durian trees. ”

Topic: Designing studies to quantify flying fox ecosystem services in Sulawesi

Host: Professor Gareth Jones (University of Bristol)


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Mea Trenor (Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University,

Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa )

“By gaining a thorough understanding of the spatially explicit data processing, I am now able to enhance the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Threatened Amphibian Programme and that of the African Amphibian Conservation Research Group as well as to assist with similar conservation projects on other cryptic anurans in South Africa.” "The internship was incredibly valuable as we managed to cover most of what we set out to achieve.”

Topic: Analysing spatially explicit anuran call data from song meter arrays

Host: Olivia Couchman (Zoological Society of

London)

Jins Vallanattu (Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, India- 641108)

“I developed taxonomic skills on burrowing snakes which will be very useful in my future studies. We identified two possible undescribed species of Uropeltid snakes from my study area in the Western Ghats which will be hopefully resolved in near future with a collaborative work with my host organization.” “SCCS Cambridge and the internship was the best time in my research career and I learned a lot from various researchers and their work. I hope this will definitely facilitate successful collaborations and research projects in the future.”

Topic: Designing conservation

measures for burrowing snakes and studying their taxonomy

Host: Dr David Gower (The Natural History

Museum, London)


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Impact

The immediate impact of the Programme’s activities is measured through detailed feedback

questionnaires and personal reports after the interns have returned to their home countries as well as

feedback from the hosts. The interns rated their internship experience with an average score of 4.7 on

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

internship were access to useful advice and meeting other conservation scientists.

It is clear from the reports that all 14 interns gained new skills or analytical techniques during their

internship placements and their reports show how they will apply their new expertise back home. One

intern needed support with processing her amphibian call data and with its subsequent statistical

analysis in order to update population estimates and guide conservation measures. She said the

internship was “incredibly valuable” as she learnt how to use a new acoustic monitoring system,

gained skills in data analysis using R statistical software and laid the groundwork for fine-tuning her

methods. She now intends to train up foresters and environmental managers in South Africa working

both on her species of interest, as well as other similar species, providing a more sustainable way to

monitor an endangered amphibian. Other interns forged new connections with UK conservation

institutions which are likely to result in projects that would not have happened otherwise.

Several interns have submitted proposals for future work or are in the process of submitting

manuscripts for publication in higher-calibre journals than they would have been able to had it not

been for the Programme. There is also a multiplier effect as interns share their new knowledge with

others after they return.

Here are some quotes from the interns:

This internship brought up my level of understanding on biodiversity conservation in the world. I think that the knowledge that I had will be useful for my career in the future. Rodlis Andriantsimanarilafy, Madagascar Altogether SCCS Cambridge and the internship was the best time in my research career and I learned a lot from various researchers and their work. Jins. V.J., India The whole experience inspired me to work harder and I have the commitment to improve the quality of my work on Ecology and Conservation. Eliana Blanco Pérez, Venezuela

Contributions of the hosts

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

thought into maximising the learning opportunities for the interns and actively encourage interns to

network with colleagues, attend seminars and present their work to different audiences. The host of

one intern gained permission for him to gain access to the herpetology collection and library at the

Natural History Museum, London. Two interns visited Chester Zoo and met with staff there to find out


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more about species of conservation concern in which they were interested. They learnt about the

design of breeding programmes and their role in the conservation of their species in the wild, as well

as research and environmental education. These interactions inspire the interns, broaden their

knowledge on biodiversity conservation, boost their confidence, and place their own work into an

international context.

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

an intern again. Below are some examples of comments provided by the hosts:-

“A lasting partnership with an aspiring biologist. “ “It was a pleasure to work with an enthusiastic and receptive student and seeing the progress they can make in just a few weeks. In countries where there is very little scientific capacity such an internship can actually make a big difference.” “Over the years I have hosted 3 or 4 students from Madagascar with support from SCCS, and this opportunity to make collaborative visits to the UK has really helped them to progress in their research. I hope the scheme will be able to continue for many years to come.”

Prize winners 2016

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

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

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

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

prize winners were as follows:

Sheherazade (Center for Biodiversity Strategies Universitas Indonesia, Depok, West Java, Indonesia)

During her internship at the University of Bristol, Sheherazade proposed to design a tractable

research plan and to write a proposal to conduct research on flying fox ecosystem services in

Sulawesi, Indonesia.

She conducted a very extensive literature review of Old World fruit bat ecosystem services and chose

the most suitable method to investigate the fruit bat ecosystem services. The internship gave her a

chance to learn more about GIS and remote tracking using GPS trackers for bats. As a result of her

internship period she completed her research proposal, “Flying fox pollination service on durian

and its significance to local economy in Sulawesi, Indonesia” which she has since submitted to

several agencies for funding, including Bat Conservation International.

Ehsan Mohammadi Moqanaki (Iranian Cheetah Society, Tehran, Iran)

The aim of Ehsan’s internship was to determine the potential distribution and priority conservation

areas for the rare Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul), in the southwestern Asia. Using different statistical

algorithms and predictive models, he first identified suitable habitats for the Pallas’s cat in Iran, then

used this information to predict the species’ likelihood of occurrence across south western Asia. He


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also assessed the role of protected areas in conservation of the Pallas’s cat habitat, and proposed

guidelines for monitoring and conservation of this Near-Threatened species.

This study was the first to investigate the key factors influencing the Pallas’s cat distribution in the

poorly known Central and Southern Asia.

Rohit Jha (Bombay Natural History Society, India) Working with scientists at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Rohit’s internship aimed to

finish all analyses for a manuscript on ‘Bengal Florican’s status and distribution in India and Nepal’.

Prior to this research project virtually nothing was known about Bengal Florican’s movements and

habitat-use outside the breeding season. Rohit also began work on writing up the ‘Species

Conservation Action Plan’ for the Bengal Florican for India’s province of Uttar Pradesh.

His internship also helped him to establish long-term contact and friendship with RSPB scientists

based in the new David Attenborough Building in Cambridge.


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Acknowledgements

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

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

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

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

administration and providing facilities for the short courses.

We acknowledge the enthusiasm, collaboration and dedication of the internship hosts and supervisors

in making the Internship Programme such a success. We thank all the following:

Dr Alison Cameron (Bangor University), Dr Steffen Oppel (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds),

Professor Gareth Jones (University of Bristol), Dr Christos Astaras (Wildlife Conservation Unit,

University of Oxford), Professor Stuart J. Marsden (Manchester Metropolitan University), Olivia

Couchman (Zoological Society of London), Dr David Gower (Natural History Museum, London), Dr

Jorgelina Marino (Wildlife Conservation Unit, University of Oxford), Dr Paul Donald (Royal Society for

the Protection of Birds), Benjamin Tapley (Zoological Society of London), Penny Brook (The British

Library), Professor Stephen Redpath (University of Aberdeen), Dr Simon Loader (University of

Roehampton) and Dr Peter Long (University of Oxford).

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

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

Professor Will Cresswell (University of St Andrews), Freya St John (University of Kent) and Ian

Edwards (Society for Conservation GIS).

Our thanks also go to Dr Rob Thomas (Cardiff University) and Eco-Explore for donating copies of their

book Data Analysis with R Statistical Software.

Anne-Sophie Bonnet-Lebrun, Amy Morris-Drake and Emma Garnett (all Department of Zoology,

University of Cambridge) and Isabel Vique (Department of Geography, University of Cambridge)

kindly acted as short course teaching assistants.

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