training

‘Thus the Trust would become a form of university…where people can get the correct training…and then take their talents back to form conservation units throughout the world’

Gerald Durrell, 1976, ‘The Stationary Ark’

Since 1977, we have been training conservationists from around the world in the theory and practice of endangered species recovery. In 1984, Gerald Durrell’s vision came to fruition when the International Training Centre (ITC) was established within the Les Noyers manor complex adjacent to the animal collection at the Trust's headquarters in Jersey.

To date, over 1800 students have graduated from the training programme from more than 120 countries. We currently run a range of courses designed primarily for conservation practitioners working in the world’s most biodiversity-rich countries.

Our aim is to equip course participants with the skills, understanding and contacts necessary to save threatened species from extinction. Our courses are designed to develop participants’ problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. In order to be effective, conservationists need to be able to work with experts in other disciplines, such as development and anthropology. Therefore our courses encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration and the development of professional networks to provide support for participants once they return home.

At our Jersey headquarters we are able to bring together our experienced training staff with experts on animal management and research from the animal collection to provide a unique learning experience. Being at the cutting edge of conservation in both in-situ and ex-situ settings, the conservation practitioners leading our courses are able to provide participants with the most up-to-date thinking and species conservation theory and practice.

For those who would like to develop their hands-on animal management skills, we run a student placement programme aimed at graduate-level students who want to do their final year projects within a conservation organisation.

Click here to find out more about the courses we run and the facilities we can offer at the ITC, both to students attending our courses and other groups desiring an innovative learning environment. Alternatively you can download the ITC prospectus from the related media above.