Conservation International’s (CI) Internship Sponsored by the Trott Family Foundation seeks students interested in gaining career skills in the non-profit sector. As a leader in conservation, local capacity-building, and partnership work, Conservation International offers a unique learning platform and environment for interns to gain real-world, practical experience. We believe that developing emerging talent is an important way for CI to invest in the future and to sustain conservation goals for the benefit of humanity. Our internships are designed for committed individuals who want to serve the organization in a field and discipline needed to successfully advance our mission. We provide opportunities for future professionals and leaders to become familiar with our mission, strategy, and values and expose students to the business and management of an NGO, field work and research, and partnerships. For more information, please visit Conservation International at www.conservation.org
CI is a registered NGO in Equatorial Guinea (EG) and has been working in-country since 2002, most closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, the Ministry of Fisheries and Environment, the National Institute for Forestry Development and Protected Area Management (INDEFOR-AP), and with local NGOs – in particular the main national conservation NGO, Amigos de la Naturaleza y del Desarrollo de Guinea Ecuatorial (ANDEGE) – and with international partners, including the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Panthera, and the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program (BBPP). We serve as landscape lead for CARPE’s Monte Alén-Monts de Cristal landscape, coordinating the efforts of WWF, WCS, Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG) and ANDEGE to engage in activities to protect one of the most unique landscapes in Central Africa. Among our activities in EG, we are working with ANDEGE to implement alternative livelihoods pilot projects in the vicinity of Monte Alén National Park and the proposed National Forest. Also with ANDEGE, we are conducting research on human-elephant conflict and are seeking funding for mitigation pilot projects. Initiated by a 4-day seminar on climate change and REDD+ led by members of CI’s climate team, CI’s EG office is now guiding efforts of a newly formed REDD+ working group to develop a national REDD+ strategy with regional funding from the Agence de Développement Française (AFD). In collaboration with the Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and with funding from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, we are conducting a 9-month survey on apes and elephants across the mainland, which will shed important light on species of which little is known in EG. We have also been supporting the first large-scale survey on the status, distribution and threat of top predators and a range of other mammalian species across mainland EG.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
This graduate-level internship aims to provide an international Masters or PhD student with experience in research, project management, fund-raising and communication. The intern will gain an overall understanding of conservation and development in Central Africa, as well as more in-depth programmatic skills through a focus on activities related to human-elephant-conflict (HEC). Specific activities include:
1. Research: Together with local field assistants from the national NGO ANDEGE (Amigos de la Naturaleza y del Desarrollo de Guinea Ecuatorial), the intern will complete a research project in HEC that was initiated in 2010. After completing the fieldwork, the intern will analyze the results in collaboration with CI staff and local field assistants and prepare documents to disseminate the findings.
2. Project management: The intern will conduct a literature-based study to determine potential HEC mitigation strategies in EG and will work with CI-EG staff to establish an adaptive management plan for implementation of pilot projects in EG.
3. Fund-raising: Based on the adaptive management plan, the intern will work with the country director to submit a funding proposal for HEC mitigation pilot projects in EG.
4. Communication: Together with ANDEGE, the intern will organize 3 public meetings to disseminate the research findings and potential mitigation strategies to local communities affected by HEC. In addition, the intern will work with ANDEGE to disseminate information at the national level through TV, radio or press.
Working Conditions: The graduate intern will be based in the CI compound in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, and will be expected to travel with local research assistants to three regions on the mainland to conduct research and hold public meetings about HEC. The applicant must be comfortable with basic shared living conditions in Bata and when traveling in the interior.
Learning Objectives: The graduate intern will gain a solid understanding of research and project development in a Central African country. He/she will gain a general overview of various conservation projects that are being carried out in Equatorial Guinea and, by focusing on HEC specifically, will be able to provide a significant contribution towards conservation while honing his/her skills in research, project management, fund-raising and communication.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:
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Ideal candidate is pursuing graduate degree or doctoral Ph. D. in Conservation Biology, Sustainable Development and/or Environmental Policy
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Technical skills that include strong research skills and international living/work experience
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Others skills include adaptive management, fundraising and/or communication skills
To apply, please send cover letter, resume, and references to: hruffler@conservation.org