2024/25 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

BLGY5135M Conservation Project Management

15 creditsClass Size: 30

Module manager: Dr Maria Beger
Email: M.Beger@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module represents an exciting opportunity to visit and learn from one of the world’s leading conservation organisations. The Durrell Institute, based at Jersey Zoo, will deliver key teaching in practical conservation. The focus will be on project planning, management, and evaluation. There will also be guidance on grant writing and leadership skills. The Institute will provide a residential case study in the role of zoos in education and research as well as introducing students to the use of IUCN data and the creation of species recovery programmes. Taken together, the two-week course will be an immersive, exciting opportunity to learn about the practical side of conservation from leading experts.

Objectives

There is a considerable gap between an understanding of the academic aspects of conservation science and the effective application of that knowledge in the field. In this module, we set out to train conservation scientists in the project management skills that are needed to become truly effective conservation scientists. The module will focus on project planning using Conservation Management Plans (CMPs) in the open standards framework. Along the way, students will learn about the application of IUCN datasets, design of species recovery plans and the development of broader skills including teamwork and grant writing.

Learning outcomes
1. Students will be able to apply the Open Standards in conservation framework to plan and adaptively manage their own projects.

2. Students will be able to evaluate critically the use of ex situ methods (captive breeding, zoos) in the conservation of habitats and species.

3. Students will be able to evaluate conservation actions using the Durrell approach (the Durrell Index)

4. Students will be able to design species recovery plans for a species of conservation interest.

5. Students will understand and be able to interrogate the IUCN Red List and associated datasets.

6. Students will be able to write grant applications for conservation funding

Skills outcomes
This module is designed around the practical development of skills. The module will deliver generic transferable skills in planning and organisation, but also a more formal framework in conservation open standards. Students will also develop skills in conservation grant writing and the evaluation of conservation projects.

Syllabus

Outline syllabus:

This field summarises the indicative content and areas which will be taught during the module.

The module covers a range of key skills, taught within the context of contemporary conservation issues. The first part of the course will take participants through the five-step approach of the CMP Open Standards (see https://conservationstandards.org/), with a focus on Step 1 and Step 2. The workshop offers a mix of theory, practice, reflection and peer review. The trainer will introduce you to the theory through presentations. You will then put theory into practice during group work sessions focusing on a case study before sharing your results with other groups. All groups will share their lessons learned and thoughts in plenary. There will be extensive training in conservation grant writing, leadership skills, Community working, and conservation education. The module will be run at Jersey Zoo, in association with the Durrell Institute and so opportunities will be taken to discuss the Institute’s role in a wide range of conservation projects. These projects will focus on the role of disease, species recovery, and species captive breeding.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lectures	25	1.00	25.00
seminars	2	2.00	4.00
Practicals	3	3.00	9.00
Private study hours			112.00
Total Contact hours			38.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150.00

Private study

Students will be given a set of preparatory materials to work through prior to the course, developing a conservation project proposal. These materials will prepare students for their time on Jersey.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

There will be time dedicated to feedback on the group presentation during the course within a discussion setting. The species recovery plan will be released before departure on the field course, discussed explicitly in sessions on recovery plans, and there will be a discussion session scheduled between the end of the field course and the submission date. A Minerva discussion board will be available throughout the course for students to ask any questions.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Project	Conservation project proposal and Theory of change, submitted as to a “grant portal” (2,500 words)	60.00
Group Project	Species recovery plan for a selected species (2,500 words), incorporating data from IUCN, in situ/ex situ methods, presentations as 10 mins per student (in groups)	40.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Assessment in the form of group work will be an individual resit

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 31/07/2024

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