News from the field 58 - UPDATED! (February 2009)

CONTENTS:
1. Field Update
2. Positions available to work on tiger conservation with Wildlife Trust of
Bangladesh
3. Call for VOLUNTEERS!!

(1) FIELD UPDATE: It is half time for both the tiger and prey abundance surveys (see previous news for the field stories for details on these activities); a short break for refueling, boat repair, accounting, data analysis, and having showers.



In the last few weeks the khal (tiger) survey has stormed ahead despite an enforced team re-shuffle and the normal run of boat engine conspiracies. Of note was a rare photo of a leopard cat taken by Mizan as he motored past in his survey boat. The leopard cat itself is not rare, but getting a photo or even a glimpse of one in the Sundarbans is very difficult. Alas, Mizan’s photo is unlikely to win any awards. The team has also been seeing a few monster specimens of esturine crocodile sun-bathing on the mud banks. A survey of these of these crocs to better understand their population status in the Sundarbans is long overdue and would make a great PhD topic for a Bangladesh student.

However, despite a good start to the khal survey we have temporarily lost a team member. After several days of vomiting and fever it started to dawn on us that one of the team (Suprio) might be ill. Khulna and Dhaka doctors confirmed our suspicions and so Suprio has been forced out of action for the time being. The next plan is for the khal survey team to head south to Hiron Point and Mandabaria, which are on the sea face so need to be covered before the sea gets to choppy for our little sampan boats. From there the team will cover Satkira and Khulna ranges to complete the survey.

The prey survey team have also been hard at work, having set up an unprecedented 197 transects (about 7880 plots) throughout the eastern part of the Sundarbans. After the half-time break they will go back to visit the same transect to count the number of new deer pellets. Then both teams will have to put sticks and GPS’s to one side and pick up lap tops to analyze all the data they have been collecting. Together with a report, each team will have to create a manual of the survey so that it will be easy for another team to replicate in the future.

On a totally different subject, some of the team also had the privilege of joining the Bangladesh Cetacean Biodiversity Project (BCBP) for a couple of days on their research vessel in the Swatch of No Ground. As ever it was an amazing experience to witness the beauty of the area, the excitement of bow riding dolphins, and the magnificence of whales as they break the surface to breath. As well as there fin matching abundance estimates of cetaceans in the Swatch, BCBP have also made several studies on the four species of dolphins living in the Sundarbans waterways.



For more info on this project go to:

http://www.wcs.org/globalconservation/marine/marineasiapacific/asiacetaceans.


OR

http://www.wdcs.org/wesailforthewhale/en/story_details.php?select=240


(2) WANT TO WORK IN TIGER CONSERVATION? The Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh is looking to recruit staff in Bangladesh to help them develop their conservation efforts. The following positions are currently available:

Position: Participatory Management & Community Outreach Coordinator Start date: March-April, 2009 Duration: 2 years Work description: Liaise with the local communities bordering the Sundarbans and the Forest Department to help design, develop and implement participatory management initiatives aimed at improving tiger conservation in the Sundarbans. Requirements: Experience in co-management work and proven ability to manage projects. Excellent communication skills. Fluent in Bengali and able to write some reports in English. Closing date of application: 27th January – Interview in Dhaka on 28th January for selected applicants. Decision on application: 15th February 2009.

Position: Participatory Management & Community Outreach Officer Start date: March-April, 2009 Duration: 2 years Work description: Support Coordinator to liaise with the local communities bordering the Sundarbans and the Forest Department to help design, develop and implement participatory management initiatives aimed at improving tiger conservation in the Sundarbans. Requirements: Experience in co-management work. Excellent communication skills. Fluent in Bengali and able to write some reports in English. Closing date of application: 27th January – Interview in Dhaka on 28th January for selected applicants. Decision on application: 15th February 2009.

Position: Policy & Management Coordinator Start date: 1st April, 2009 Duration: 2 years Work description: Help develop policy level guidance for tiger conservation in Bangladesh and help design and facilitate improved management of tiger conservation initiatives. Requirements: Experience in project management, plus knowledge of Bangladesh and International legislation and policy regarding wildlife conservation. Applicant must be fluent in Bengali, able to write some reports in English, able to work well in a team and have initiative to develop new strategies. Closing date of application: 10th February, 2009 Decision on application: 20th February 2009.

Position: Awareness & Education Coordinator Start date: 1st Sept, 2009 Duration: 1-2 years Work description: Design and implement local, national and international conservation programme aimed at increasing awareness of tiger conservation issues. Requirements: Excellent Bengali and English communication skills. Proven writing skills and some previous relevant experience. Applicant must able to work well in a team and have initiative to develop new strategies. Closing date of application: 10th May, 2009 Decision on application: 20th May 2009.

Position: Awareness & Education Officer Start date: 1st Sept, 2009 Duration: 1-2 years Work description: Assist Awareness & Education Coordinator to implement activities. Requirements: Must be prepared to travel throughout Bangladesh and spend considerable time in local communities bordering Sundarbans. Fluent in Bengali with good spoken English. Closing date of application: 10th May, 2009 Decision on application: 20th May 2009.

Position: Research & Forest Protection Coordinator Start date: 15th March, 2009 Duration: 2 years Work description: Develop and coordinate a wide range of research activities regarding tiger conservation under guidance of Forest Department and Advisors from Bangladesh Universities. Work will be a combination of field and office work. Requirements: MS in biology/conservation biology/zoology or related science. Good management skills. Highly motivated and capable of working under own initiative. Excellent Bengali and English communication skills. Proven writing skills and some previous relevant experience. Applicant must able to work well in a team and be able to develop new strategies. Closing date of application: 20th February, 2009 Decision on application: 1st March, 2009.

Application process: Please Email (1) CV, (2) one written page describing why you think you would be good for the position and your motivation for the work, and (3) an example of a report or other piece of writing you have written in English, to wildlife@citechco.net. Include your contact mobile phone number so that we can contact you if needs be, and be prepared to have an interview in Dhaka.

Potential salary is dependent on applicant's skill and experience. Details will be provided to successful applicants. All positions are full time positions with the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh.

(3) Call for VOLUNTEERS! We'd really like to build up a database of volunteers from both inside and outside of Bangladesh who can help with tiger conservation activities. The idea is that we will build a list of those of you who would like to help together with your email contact details, and then when opportunities to help arise, we can send out a group email to see if any of you are available to help!

We particularly call out to Bangladesh students who would like to get some experience in the field in Sundarban as we sometimes have spaces available on our field surveys. These could also develop into ideas for your MS or PHD. Or there might be those of you up in Dhaka who would like to help - we have activities based in Dhaka too.

Some ideas for those of you outside Bangladesh: we'd really like to hear from people who have skills in web design and who could help us to rennovate our website; also, any medics out there who would like to help us to develop a first aid manual which provides a specialist set of first aid methods for dealing with tiger attack victims. Plus any other ideas you can all think of!

So please do write to us on tigerdata@gmail.com if you'd like to volunteer, including: how you'd like to become involved (e.g. sundarban field work, project work based in Dhaka, a remote piece of work that can be done from abroad e.g. the website), the skills you have or would like to develop, and what time you have free.

Adam Barlow & Christina Greenwood
Khulna

And remember to write with ideas on how you could help to save tigers in Bangladesh to tigerdata@gmail.com.