White Oak Conservation Centre, Florida
31st March-4th April 2008
I recently returned from the 2nd Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders (EWCL) training session at White Oak Conservation Centre, Florida. Our group comprising 21 individuals, gathered at White Oak for four days of intensive skills and leadership training, as well as mentoring and discussions about our professional choices and future direction. The training is a collaborative project between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Defenders of Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN), and the Howard Gilman Foundation. The first session was in April 2007 and this second one took place between March 31st and April 4th 2008.
The mission of EWCL is to facilitate cross-organizational networking for emerging environmental leaders while conducting training and guiding concrete innovative conservation projects on a bi-annual basis. Wildlife conservation benefits from the nurturing of future leaders, information sharing and idea exchange amongst conservation entities, and the tangible conservation products generated as part of the group campaign exercise.
The training during this second session included sessions and exercises on Leadership, Environmental Literature, Corporate Partnerships, Public Speaking, Work/Life Balance, Negotiation, Cultural Sensitivity, the Endangered Species Act, Land Conservation, Collaboration and Working in Coalitions, Managing Staff & Volunteers, Monitoring & Evaluation, International Law, Networking, Scholarships & Awards, Tools to Successful Introductions, and Maintaining Optimism. In addition, Dr. Karen Eckert, Executive Director of WIDECAST, gave our group a very inspiring guest lecture on sea turtle conservation in the Caribbean. We also had the opportunity to gain advice on career goals and next steps during one-on-one mentor sessions with EWCL Board Members and EWCL Alumni from the previous class.
As part of our individual EWCL projects, I have worked on the Okapi Education Project together with 3 other ladies from the US over the course of the year. This project is in collaboration with Gilman International Conservation (GIC). After EWCL 1 in April 07, we worked together to develop a suitable project for the benefit of okapi conservation in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). After many discussions with representatives at White Oak and GIC local staff in the DRC, we agreed that the way forward would be to seek funding to produce a video on the importance of the OWR, using the okapi as the flagship species. This video would be made by the GIC Education Director in DRC, where he would travel to Congo, Brazzaville, and be trained on how to edit footage (trained by a local partner we have established contact with) and produce a film which he can show in the villages surrounding the OWR. We also aim to make an accompanying booklet to the film containing maps, zoning information; thus highlighting the importance of invaluable, and increasingly exploited, wildlife and natural resources in the OWR.
In 2007, we applied for funding to various organizations and zoos to try and get funds for this project. We have been very fortunate to receive funding $7500 to date. We are now in the process of arranging the logistics and details of sending the Education Director, to Brazzaville, where he will begin his training.
Kate, one of my Okapi project colleagues, and myself
It was another fantastic training session and I learnt so much during the 4 intensive days. Everyone at White Oak and the Howard Gilman Foundation was amazing as always and so hospitable. I am very grateful to WCN for supporting EWCL and sponsoring me to attend the EWCL training.