Jersey
Durrell Conservation Academy began as the “International Training Centre for the Conservation and Captive Breeding of Endangered Species” situated at the headquarters of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Jersey. It was officially opened by our Patron, the Princess Royal, and our Founder, Gerald Durrell, in 1984. It was renamed “Durrell Conservation Academy” in honour of our Founder in 2012.
Jersey remains the headquarters for our training delivery and is where several members of our training team are based. Our academy is located within the grounds of Jersey Zoo and is equipped with a library, lecture theatre, classroom, and computer room, as well as direct access to our hostel. This setup enables us to deliver both residential and online courses throughout the year, with unique access to expertise in both in-situ and ex-situ conservation practice.
Mauritius
We established a training programme in Mauritius in 2014, working in close partnership with Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and the National Parks and Conservation Service of the Mauritius Government. Our goal is to build capacity for effective conservation throughout the Southwest Indian Ocean region, combining our extensive experience of conservation in this region with our training knowledge. Our Mauritius team are doing this through:
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delivery of a series of online and in-person technical skills workshops on building capacity amongst staff of priority conservation NGOs in the region;
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running the Mauritius Island Restoration Internship (MIRI) programme, which provides five aspiring-conservationist or early-career interns from the region a unique one-year training programme by participating in our ongoing island restoration fieldwork and receiving additional skills training;
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providing training and coaching to Mauritian Wildlife Foundation staff.
Madagascar
Our newest training initiative, which we launched in late 2020, improves the management of Protected Areas in Madagascar through training the local community associations and local NGOs that are involved in running Protected Areas. Madagascar now has over 100 Protected Areas, the majority of which are managed by community associations and small NGOs. There is an urgent need to help improve their effective management so that natural resources are managed and protected properly, and so that local communities are receiving a sustainable livelihood in return. Well-managed Protected Areas are critical for protecting biodiversity, preserving habitats, safeguarding sustainable livelihoods of local communities, and building resilience to climate change.
Our work is identifying the priority training needs of these community associations (VOIs) and NGOs i.e. the skills and knowledge they require to more effectively manage and monitor their Protected Areas. Our specialist staff are then delivering the required training, combined with long-term support, mentorship, and monitoring and evaluation.
Already, we have assessed the training needs of numerous community associations in priority areas such as Menabe-Antimena, Ambondrobe and Lac Alaotra, and we have begun to deliver training to them in areas such as fire prevention and control, governance, law enforcement, ecological monitoring, and other community conservation initiatives.