Dear Friends,
First let me take this opportunity to wish all of you all the very best for 2008.
This listserve is intended for individuals who are interested in conservation in Sri Lanka. The purpose of this list is to notify people of new developments in the sector. We expect to generate a maximum of two email notifications per month and they currently go out to 1508 email addresses.
If you do not want to receive future notices please follow the instructions at the end of this email.
If you have any items to be included in our next issue, please email them to
slwcs.et.srilankaconservation@blogger.com with “NewsItem” in the subject line along with a 2 or 3 word summary. This is unmoderated and SLWCS is not responsible for the content.
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We would like to announce the following:
1. CONSERVATION GIS COURSES:
A Training Programme in Basic and Advanced GIS.
The Geo-Informatics Society of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society and the Society for Conservation GIS, USA are organising two GIS training programmes in February 2008. The Basic Programme is for beginners with no previous knowledge of GIS. The Advanced Training Programme is for users of GIS who wish to be trained in advanced functions of GIS. The courses have been designed to facilitate the use of GIS for conservation. The objective of these training programmes is to strengthen GIS capabilities in the government and private sectors, NGOs and research institutions. The program is especially tailored to provide GIS training to field researchers who are working in disciplines dealing with nature conservation.
FMI see http://
gis.slwcs.org or http://
www.gissl.lk 2. Elephant Symposium:
The Born Free Foundation will be holding an invitation-only symposium in Colombo on Saturday 26th January entitled “Elephants in Sri Lanka – A 21st Century Vision”. The event will include presentations on a range of elephant-related projects (including two conducted by SLWCS) and will also consider various aspects of elephant welfare. For more information please contact David Jay at the Born Free Foundation on
davidj@bornfree.org.uk
2. OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM
For the first time in Sri Lanka there is an excitingly interactive and experiential learning opportunity available for children to study ecology, evolution, environmental science, sustainable development, and conservation in the field. The program introduces students from Grade 7 to O/A Levels and IB/MYP levels to basic ecological concepts through exploration and discovery of the natural environment. The program helps promote respect for the environment, an understanding of the impact that humans can have, and the ability of individuals to make a difference. The purpose is to inspire in young people a deep and personal concern for nature conservation, and an understanding of the importance of research and community integration to achieve sustainable conservation and development. The program has been approved by the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka.
If you have a group of above 10 people we can arrange the program for any dates that you prefer and extend/reduce the number of days as necessary.
3. BASELINE DATA:
The SLWCS has a database on Resource Utilization, Biodiversity, Socio-economic, and on Human Elephant Conflicts. There is data available at the Grama Niladhari Division or village level for resource utilization, biodiversity, socio-economic status, and HEC intensity for most areas in the Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala and Polonnaruwa Districts. Data is also available for some parts Trincomalee, Ampara, Hambantota, Kalutara and Colombo Districts. The datasets are available as raw data or analyzed data and provide great baseline information for projects reports and research proposals. FMI see http://
data.slwcs.org 4. RAPID BASELINE SURVEYS:
The SLWCS has over a decade of experience in collecting many types of data for use in project proposals, reports, and for improving the impact of ongoing or planned projects. The Society is fully equipped to provide consultancy services for organizations that need such information.
FMI see http://
data.slwcs.org5. The SLWCS currently has the following vacancies
1. Sociology Research Assistant (to work on sociological aspects of project under supervision of Project Manager)
2. Operations Assistant (to work at Colombo office in a multi-tasking role. Must be computer literate and have spoken/writing abilities in Sinhalese and Tamil). University students welcome. Accommodation can be provided.
Please apply by January 25th, 2008.
FMI see http://
www.slwcs.org/vacancies 6. CONSERVATION BLOG
The information in our newsletter is archived at
http://conservation-news.blogspot.com/ and the public is invited to post their comments and news items to this server by emailing
slwcs.et.
srilankaconservation@blogger.com or commenting directly on the blog.
The only condition is that it has to relate to Sri Lanka. The purpose of this blog is to keep people interested in conservation matters in Sri Lanka notified of new developments in the sector. It is also meant as a discussion board for various conservation issues.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO ANYONE WHO MAYBE INTERESTED IN THE CONTENT.
All the best,
Chandeep Corea
Operations Director and GIS Specialist
Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society
This listserve is intended for individuals who are interested in conservation in Sri Lanka. The purpose of this list is to notify people of new developments in the sector. We expect to generate a maximum of two email notifications per month and they currently go out to 1508 email addresses.
If you do not want to receive future notices please follow the instructions at the end of this email.
If you have any items to be included in our next issue, please email them to
slwcs.et.srilankaconservation@blogger.com with “NewsItem” in the subject line along with a 2 or 3 word summary. This is unmoderated and SLWCS is not responsible for the content.
