Nature Seychelles' conservation boot camp makes the grade |23 January 2020
Nature Seychelles' out-of-the-box career training programme, the Conservation Boot Camp (CBC), has been recognised as one of the 10 Top Conservation Training programmes worldwide by Conservation Careers, a leading careers advice centre for conservationists.
The ranking, announced on Monday January 20, was based on reviews by past participants of the CBC.
“At Conservation Careers we’re on a mission to help conservationists find the best training opportunities to launch or boost their careers. That’s why we’re sharing the Top Conservation Training Opportunities worldwide,” the announcement said.
Conservation Careers went on to say that all courses and programmes were selected based on transparent reviews from current and past students, “so you can take confidence in their quality, value for money, career preparation and more”.
The list of Top Conservation Training Opportunities was drawn from over 1,300 conservation training opportunities across the globe that were listed on the Conservation Careers training board. It includes everything from short online courses to multi-year masters programmes. Conservation Careers helps over 200,000 conservationists in 228 countries across the globe to find job and training opportunities each year.
Reacting to the top selection, Dr Nirmal Shah, Nature Seychelles' chief executive and the architect of the programme, said: “This is an amazing recognition because the CBC is not your traditional training programme. One picks up skills, knowledge, attitude, inner strength and even self-awareness by being thrown into the deep end. You sink or swim. It’s a totally immersive programme which is learning by doing and experiencing by being. So it’s difficult to categorise but its impact on careers and personal development is tremendous judging from the feedback of participants. That’s what counts at the end of the day – if you’ve changed people’s lives for the better.”
Nature Seychelles shared the recognition with other outstanding conservation training programmes including: Ambios Ltd, Mahouts Elephant Foundation, Conservation Leadership through Learning Program, ExeterMarine, Fundación F.G. Bernáldez Para Los Espacios Naturales and Wild Team UK.
“The Conservation Boot Camp was an excellent experience for me. It was a month of being surrounded by exclusive wildlife, beautiful views, and interesting people. I was constantly learning about conservation skills and tools, different animals and plants, and multiple cultures. I would definitely recommend this experience if you found that the programme description could be a good fit for you!” says Cristina's review.
“This programme is highly recommended! You have the opportunity to see the result of 50 years of nature conservation and actively contribute to the protection of this unique and beautiful little island,” reads Marie's review.
The Conservation Boot Camp is based on Cousin Island Special Reserve, Seychelles, an over 50-year-old conservation success story. Since its inception, the CBC has attracted over 70 participants from 22 countries from all continents. The programme provides young people the chance to embed themselves smack in the middle of nature, while picking up conservation skills that boost their careers.
“I am very thankful for the opportunity to experience such a lively ecosystem which is vastly different from the one I am used to seeing back home,” says Nils, a recent graduate of the programme. “I encourage everyone with an interest in nature and birds to take part in this amazing experience, one that you certainly won’t forget.”
Contributed by Nature Seychelles