Case studies - Students of Durrell ITC driving conservation around the world
Conservation college
One of Gerald Durrell's greatest legacies is the International Training Centre (ITC), where students from all over the world study and learn the latest techniques in conservation. The students then take their newly acquired knowledge back to their own countries, and from their they often help train more local staff and trainees. And as this learning takes root, Durrell in Jersey will become more and more a centre of excellence and a seat of learning. The staff at Durrell make regular field trips to the overseas projects, and their overseas staff make regular trips back to Jersey; all designed to keep a regular flow of information and data passing around their different centres of expertise.
Many of the students from Durrell are now in the forefront of conservation in their own countries - We have caught up with a few old Durrell ITC students, and asked them about their time on Jersey and what they are doing now.
Arturo Munoz - Founder of The Bolivian Amphibian Initiative
How did you become involved with Durrell? - My first contact with Durrell was in 2006 in the amphibian conservation course carried out in Jersey, since then I have been in contact with staff of Durrell and created a relationship and friendship
How did you hear about Durrell's International Training Centre? - The first time was in 2006 when I went to the amphibian conservation course, I realized about Durrell and the International Training Centre
What impact has your association with the ITC had on your work? - Durrell and the ITC has change my life as a biologist and person providing me the skills and passion to work in conservation. When I had for first time contact with the ITC I was working as a field biologist and taxonomist, describing new species and just working with research. Once I came back to Bolivia after this course I started to work in conservation, at small scale but doing some changes in my life as a conservationist. Then thanks to the contact with the ITC I was able to introduce more people from my country in amphibian conservation with the amphibian conservation course in Titicaca lake in 2009.
After this the relationship, the ITC has provided me a lot of skills for my project in amphibian conservation. Those tools that the ITC provided me (like facilitator course, working in the veterinary and herp department) were a key factor and just on time to be able to work in better way in the conservation project that I started after 2006.
Now after a four month internship at the ITC I come back to Bolivia with a lot of knowledge, energy and with a special feeling that back in Durrell I have a family that is supporting my work.
What did you most enjoy about the course? - The great opportunity to meet people from all over the world that have the same goals like me, people with different realities but with the same desire... to know more to be able save species from extinction. People with a lot of things to share, to teach and to work together.
Do you have a favourite memory of you time in Jersey? - The family feeling one have when is in the ITC.
What are your plans for the future? - My plans are to try to keep working in the Bolivian amphibian initiative, to gather more people in this initiative and to create a team with the same ideology and desire to work for the conservation of amphibians.
We are going to improve our work with captive endangered species of amphibians and train more people in the work we are developing. We also are going to coordinate the work with the government or national and international conservation organizations that are interested to work with Bolivian amphibians.
Vikash Tatayah - Conservation manager of the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation
How did you become involved with Durrell? - This question has several replies! My formal involvement with Durrell goes back to at least 1997, when I joined the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. Durrell was then the major funder of the MWF and funding almost all projects. Therefore, I worked closely with Carl Jones and John Hartley. However, speaking of Carl Jones, I first met him in 1995 when he co-supervised my undergraduate final year project on Madagascar Tenrecs (Centetes ecaudatus). However, the first seed was really sown in the very early 1980s when I watched ‘Ark on the Move', and remember Gerald Durrell walking on Round Island. The connection to Durrell was sealed when I was fortunate to attend the DESMAN course in 2000, and since then ITC/Durrell/Jersey have a special meaning to me.
How did you hear about Durrell's International Training Centre? - When I joined MWF in 1997, I became aware of the ITC, mainly through John Hartley. But I had not thought that I would be fortunate enough to attend the DESMAN there in 2000.
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| Arturo Munoz also wrote the book 'Anfibios de Bolivia' |
What impact has your association with the ITC had on your work? - I came from a very different background to conservation. I trained in agriculture and before joining MWF, was working in sugar cane research and the poultry industry! Although I gave my heart and sould to my job in MWF, ITC was the real eye-opener to conservation. It made me realise the full dimension of what I was involved in. ITC has been a turning point in my career, so it means a lot to me. I encourage all young Mauritian staff to embark on an ITC course without hesitation, knowing it will be a cornerstone of their careers, just as much as it was in mine.
What did you most enjoy about the course? - Meeting conservationists from all over the world, sharing their cultures, and knowing about their issues. Above all realising that we share the same problems, and have common wishes and visions for what we are seeking to preserve.
Do you have a favourite memory of you time in Jersey? - Sooo many! But the camaraderie between ITC students, Durrell staff and Jersians at the Trinity Arms! (I hasten to add that I have never smoked or drunk, and it was truly the camaraderie that I enjoyed most!). At Durrell, it would be working on the Mammals section with Alaotran Gentle Lemurs.
What are your plans for the future? - Working harder still to save what's the little left of our biodiversity. Taking conservation places, and convincing everyone that we need to do something now, or else it's perhaps never.
Kandy - the founder of Eco Friendly Volunteers in Sri Lanka www.eco-v.org
How did you become involved with Durrell? - I was told about Jersey Zoo and DWCT in 1997 during an expedition which came to Sri Lanka after winning a BP conservation award (Now CLP). The team leader Julia Jones who was a volunteer to Jersey Zoo asked me to apply for a scholarship and only then I got to know about Durrell. After that before applying I started reading Gerald Durrell books and got really inspired. I applied in 1998 and got the placement in 1999 September for thee months for DESMAN.What impact has your association with the ITC had on your work? - Well I was just a Post graduate student when I entered Durrell, I had no idea of what to do next. However the ITC training changed everything. I learned a lot about almost everything I was interested in at that time. I met inspiring people like Lee Durrell, John Fa, Chris Clark Jamie Copsey, Maggie Essons and Jeremy Malinson. I learned just by watching at them and got confidence; I read very interesting books at the library; I learned about fund raising, public speaking, conservation education, saving species; I collected a great deal of literature which helped for my degree; And ...oh...my goodness....everything I was exposed to at ITC was very helpful for what I am doing today.
Mainly I got to know about Edward Whitley and his book, Durrell Army, (I read it with a real passion during late nights at Durrell's ITC study centre) whom I met in the following year in London who encouraged me to start ECO-V.
What did you most enjoy about the course? - Class room lessons; working with animals during the cold winter, washing their dens and feeding them; doing my study with birds and visiting Jersey Island with volunteers to the Zoo and..and..everything..... (Oh can I come again to study?????....:)))
Do you have a favourite memory of you time in Jersey? All three months are memorable....I was asked to monitor a new born baby Orangutang..that's was so nice...And I always remember the way Jeremy Mallinson and Chris Clark talked to us and asked about our progress and how we were doing. The friendly attitude of Margaret Barrette and Owen, and her lovely food. It was such wonderful feeling everyday to have and gave me lot of positive energy.
What are your plans for the future? - To establish ECO-V training centre targeting grass root level youth in Sri Lanka and design and run a training course for kids in Sri Lanka and share that with International community.
