Partners for Wildlife

Global Field Training in Conservation Biology

Ultimately, the conservation of animals and their habitats is in the hands of the people who share the habitat with the creatures. To that end, Global Field Training in Conservation Biology focuses on the next generation of conservation leaders around the world - the university students and professionals working in a range of settings - who will be responsible for the management and conservation of the world’s biodiversity.

Many of the field training programs are conducted in protected areas like national parks and nature reserves, or in areas of high conservation concern. The training programs also focus attention on key species in the area, like primates in Indonesia, elephants in Bangladesh and snow leopards in Nepal.

Global Field Training in Conservation Biology also conducts conservation education programs for local schoolchildren. Many of the schools are located in impoverished, rural areas near the field training sites. These children often do not have access to the most basic educational opportunities.

To learn more about the program, visit oneearthinstitute.org or the Center for Global Field Study website at http://depts.washington.edu/cgfs

Critical threats to developing the next generation of conservation leaders:

Limited understanding or appreciation of the urgency surrounding the global environmental situation

Limited knowledge of the methods and techniques used to evaluate the threats to the environment and management, and conserve the world’s biodiversity

Complacency, apathy, and resignation regarding the declining health of the environment

Randall C. Kyes, PhD, Founder of One Earth Institute, University of Washington Research Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Global Field Study leads the Global Field Training in Conservation Biology program.

Dr. Kyes and his international colleagues conduct practical field training courses for emerging conservation leaders in nine countries, developing internal capacity to help wildlife and habitat.

Conservation biology students get real world training in some of the planet's toughest areas, such as this group in Nepal.