International Course on Conservation Biology and Wildlife Management(CBWM), December 2-20, 2010, Amravati, India

How to manage wildlife habitats for sustainable development by research-based conservation actions at micro, macro and landscape level:

What: The course on “Conservation Biology and Wildlife Management” is to train scientific and field personnel belonging to government wildlife agencies, non-governmental organizations and universities in managing wildlife habitats for sustainable development by research-based conservation actions at micro, macro and landscape level.

When: December 2, 2010 to December 20, 2010

Where: Amravati, India. The course will be based at Amravati University in Central India. Field assignments to the Melghat Tiger Reserve and to the Pench Tiger Reserve are planned.

Sponsors: The 19 day course will be sponsored and conducted by the Satpuda Foundation, Nature Conservation Society—Amravati, and S. G. B. Amravati University. It will be conducted with the support and collaboration of the Wildlife Department of the State of Maharashtra, India.

Course Goals: The primary goal of the course is to demonstrate how scientific studies in conservation biology can be utilized for wildlife management at micro and macro level as well as in the larger landscapes. The participants will be introduced to various biodiversity conservation and sustainable development issues. They will be also trained in scientific reporting, proposal
writing and the use of various field equipment and computer software that are important for data collection and management. The orientation is followed by a series of lectures, seminars and workshops on several topics including biodiversity inventory and monitoring, conservation biology, protected areas management, wildlife management and animal ecology and behavior.
These classroom sessions provide the theoretical background to various scientific techniques that are frequently used in field projects. The participants use this background to conduct research projects, either alone or in small groups, and gain hands-on experience in using various techniques and collecting data. Subsequent classroom sessions train participants in statistical methods of analyzing their data and interpreting the results for decision-making purposes. Ultimately, the participants use their training in scientific reporting to develop project reports with the assistance of the course instructors. Thus, the participants are guided through all stages
of conducting a field project and trained at every stage of their research experience.

The course will be conducted in English. Participation is limited to a maximum of 20 trainees per course.

Who Should Apply: Scientific and field personnel belonging to government wildlife agencies, non-governmental organizations and universities are eligible to participate in CBWM course.

How to Apply: Those wishing to participate in CBWM course should request an application form from the Course Co-ordinator, and return it with all other information requested. All information requested with the application form is essential for the selection process. Selections are made on a competitive basis and successful candidates will be notified about two months
before their course commences.

Deadline: Applications for course are entertained throughout the year, but those received after September 1, 2010 will not be entertained. If requested they will be held over for a later course.

Cost to Attend: Tuition fees for participants will be $1,800 (a few deserving Indian participants will be selected at the subsidized cost of U.S. $550 or INR 25,000)

For more information on the course or to obtain an application form, send an email to satpuda@gmail.com or rithekishore@gmail.com