A year after his study abroad, Ian Handler joined a summer conservation effort in South America

As a Duke University student in fall 2018, Ian Handler studied abroad on SIT Ecuador: Comparative Ecology and Conservation. Last summer, he returned to Ecuador and other South American countries to work in conservation sciences. Following is a blog post he wrote about that experience. It is reprinted here with permission.

By Ian Handler

Last summer, I spent a month and a half in the field in South America, camera trapping for an organization called Saving Species (since restarted as Saving Nature). The goal of the organization is to work with reserves in various biodiversity hot spots globally to acquire land and create wildlife corridors. Corridors are connecting strips of land that, when forested, can connect isolated plots of forest. This sometimes means connecting multiple reserves or one fragmented reserve.

Much of the forest in South America is directly abutted by pasture or otherwise clear-cut land. This inhibits the interchange of individuals between forest fragments, excepting those species which thrive in disturbed forest. The consequential halt of gene flow severely limits the species richness of each fragment.

In fact, due to reasons including increased edge effects, limited resources, and limited genetic diversity, two medium-sized fragments of primary forest can support far fewer species than the large swath that would be created by combining the two. Therein lies the importance of the wildlife corridor which theoretically does just that.

The goal of the organization is to work with reserves in various biodiversity hot spots globally to acquire land and create wildlife corridors.

My work involved placing camera traps in the field at various reserves in Brazil (Atlantic coastal forest) and Ecuador (Chóco ecosystem), retrieving data from those cameras already in the field, and performing vegetation surveys at each camera site to attempt to quantify the forest structure in a way that could be compared. I was also part of some drone imaging which will allow for analysis of the reforestation progress in acquired land. I did this at the Reserva Poço das Antas and Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu in Brazil and at Jama-Coaque Ecological Reserve in Ecuador.

Much of the work involved planning at night using maps and GPS to determine the most valuable spots for cameras, followed by hiking out and determining on a micro level where the camera should be placed. There is a bit of a science to camera trap placement because you at once need to place the camera where wild animals will be passing, but ideally hidden from poachers, of which there are many.

Poachers often break or steal the cameras out of fear that the footage might be used to identify them. This means you need to find game trails that are unused by poachers and/or obscure the cameras on frequented trails while making sure not to obstruct the sight.

While in Brazil, I was able to partake in some field veterinary missions which included tattooing the highly endangered golden lion tamarin and radio collaring the prehensile tail porcupine and three toed sloth. In Ecuador, I did a bit of mist netting and bird release after banding.

There is a bit of a science to camera trap placement because you at once need to place the camera where wild animals will be passing, but ideally hidden from poachers, of which there are many.

The areas differed greatly in terms of primary vs secondary forest, various stages of reforestation, and zeroscapes. In some reserves, corridors were already functioning or being built, while in others, they are still in the land acquisition stage. Thus, the data collected from these cameras can be used in multiple ways.

For those preexisting corridors, this data is an annual assessment of reforestation and can determine what stage of recovery a forest must be in for certain species to use it or cross it. For areas where land has yet to be acquired, the within forest and forest edge data is very important to determine which species would be affected by corridor establishment.

Finally, the photos are also great for conservation fundraising because they show all of the lurking beauty within the jungle and inspire those who have never set foot in the jungle to feel deeply connected to it and its preservation.

Introducing new countries and a range of exciting trips this autumn, including an excursion to Bangladesh to study climate change and microfinance, and a new sustainability and environmental justice program in Portugal.

School for International Training this week opened enrollment for its SIT Study Abroad programs in fall 2020, offering a new slate of locations and excursions with an emphasis on climate change, microfinance, sustainability, and environmental justice.

Trilochan Pandey, academic director of SIT’s India: Sustainable Development and Social Change program, will lead a new excursion to Bangladesh to explore the country’s progress in areas of development in comparison with India, despite its slower economic growth, as well as how communities are learning to adapt to the effects of climate change.

The trip to Bangladesh will also include a visit to the world-renowned Grameen Bank in Dhaka, a community development bank that, since 1976, has pioneered ways to make small loans to struggling rural populations.

“Bangladesh is a place where students can learn about microfinance and the impact it has on empowering people,” said Pandey. “It is also a hot spot of climate change, with the risk of floods and sea level rise affecting a large population.”

SIT Study Abroad also is launching its first program in Portugal in fall 2020, based in Lisbon, the European Green Capital for 2020. Students who enroll in SIT’s Portugal: Sustainability and Environmental Justice program will learn about innovative approaches to renewable energy technologies, social equity challenges, and the core principles of economics in Portugal, which is working to map out alternative designs in green policies.

Aside from being the European Green Capital, Lisbon, a port city, has a unique history of overcoming environmental adversity and hardship. In 1755, the Great Lisbon Earthquake nearly destroyed the entire city, triggering a tsunami and fires that razed 85 percent of the buildings and killed thousands. The slow and arduous process of rebuilding Lisbon still looms large in the collective memory and serves today as both a reminder, as well as the foundation for much of Portugal’s environmental progress.

Along with studying Lisbon’s past and present, students enrolled in the program will travel to the ancient university town of Coimbra, the Azores Islands, the coastal city Porto, and Spain’s stunning Extremadura region, comparing conservation projects, sustainable agriculture production, resource management, and environmental best practices.

Another new program, Malaysia and China: International Relations and New Economies, is also accepting student applications for fall 2020. An extraordinary opportunity to witness vibrant economies across Malaysia, China, Singapore, and Indonesia, this groundbreaking program allows students to better understand Islamic finance, environmental diversity, ethics, and the interfaith communities that coexist within a globally dynamic economy.

SIT Study Abroad is also excited to announce the launch of a new International Honors Program in fall 2020, International Relations: Global Governance, Human Security and Civil Society. Spanning four continents, this innovative program will introduce students to the inner workings of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Union, guiding them through comparative studies of neocolonialism, global finance, protest and resistance, peacekeeping, and youth activism. Students will live in Washington, DC, Brazil, France, and Senegal, while examining current global political trends and the rising challenges facing the post-World War II liberal world order.

In Africa, SIT has named Dr. Cheikh Thiam as academic dean for Africa South of the Sahara, effective Jan. 1, 2020. Thiam currently co-leads SIT Study Abroad programs in Senegal focused on global security and religious pluralism. He also designed a pioneering undergraduate program that explores how hip-hop artists and cultural influencers are redefining Africa’s future. That program, Senegal: Hip-Hop, African Diaspora and Decolonial Futures, is accepting student applications for fall 2020.

As academic dean, Thiam will lead one of the broadest portfolios of programs in Africa of any U.S. institution. SIT’s multidisciplinary portfolio of accredited undergraduate programs covers nine sub-Saharan countries and encompasses subjects such as biodiversity and wildlife management, multiculturalism and human rights, health policy and social transformation, and journalism.

All of these new and expanded programs build on SIT’s multidisciplinary stable of more than 60 immersive study abroad programs for undergraduates, covering Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, along with comparative International Honors Program offerings in multiple locations.

SIT TESOL alumnus Gregory Abrahams has been selected by the U.S. State Department to participate in a one-month English Language Specialist project in Brazil. He will visit eight cities in four weeks to prepare host institutions for future English Language Fellows. He will also provide academic workshops and a plenary for the institutions.

Greg is part of a select group, as one of approximately 80 U.S. citizens each year selected to serve on an English Language Specialist assignment.

Greg first taught English for two years in South Korea before getting his SIT TESOL Certificate in Ecuador. Two years later, he earned his MA in TESOL from SIT Graduate Institute and continued teaching in Turkey and Morocco. He was then selected by the State Department to be an English Language Fellow in Yangon and Naypyidaw, Burma, where he taught English at a university and developed English for Ministry Staff curriculum.

The English Language Specialist Program is the premier opportunity for leaders in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. Through projects developed by U.S. embassies in more than 80 countries, EL Specialists work directly with local teacher trainers, educational leaders, and ministry of education officials to exchange knowledge, build capacity, and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities in the United States and overseas.

Since 1991, the English Language Specialist Program has sent hundreds of TESOL scholars and educators abroad to promote English language learning, enhance English teaching capacity, and foster mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through cultural exchange. On assignment, EL Specialists may conduct intensive teacher training, advise ministries of education or participate in high-level educational consultations, and offer plenary presentations at regional, national or international TESOL conferences. These projects are challenging and those selected represent the best of the U.S. TESOL community. In return, the program provides professional development opportunities to help participants experience different cultures and build skills that can greatly enhance their TESOL careers back home.

English Language Specialists are counted among the more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. The Specialist Program is administered by the Center for Intercultural Education and Development at Georgetown University.

For further information about the English Language Specialist Program, visit elprograms.org/specialist; call 202-632-6452; or e-mail [email protected].

Nicole has worked closely with SIT since 2011, coordinating multiple IHP global comparative programs including Health and Community, and Cities in the 21st Century. Nicole recognizes the pedagogy of IHP as closely aligned to her own passionate commitment to the exploration of her country through narratives that too often go unheard, bringing to life an ethos of community in her work, which she brings to her field programs. She is part of the collaborative leadership team for SEED, an award-winning nonprofit in Cape Town that teaches resilience through permaculture practices, engaging the green economy, and developing skills for social enterprise. Nicole holds a diploma in culinary arts and accreditation as a South African cultural heritage tour operator. She has traveled extensively throughout South Africa as well as neighboring African countries and brings a wealth of experience and insight into both the historical and contemporary nuances that shape life in South Africa today.

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Dr. SherriLynn Colby-Bottel received her PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of Virginia in 2012, and a BA in anthropology and an MA in music, with distinction, at California State University, Fresno. From 2005 to 2012, with support from the National Science Foundation and the University of Virginia Faculty Senate Fellowship Award for Scholarly Achievement and Excellence in Teaching, she conducted ethnographic research on disaster recovery, nonprofits, urban traditions, authenticity and sincerity in the local production of music, and community-based musical activities in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her research explored issues highlighted by disaster and recovery: how racial inequities align with health disparities, how the built environment and social policy act as determinants of recovery, and the vital role of community in one’s ability to achieve well-being. Dr. Colby-Bottel has worked and volunteered for several nonprofit organizations in the last decade while also researching how nonprofit organizations retain and reward labor. She has worked in higher education for more than 20 years as both faculty and administrator in four distinct university settings. She has been with SIT since 2011.

Dr. Abid Siraj has been engaged in teaching, research, and program management in public health in India for the past 20 years. He has also been actively involved in rights to health advocacy work. His doctoral work focused on India’s trajectory in reproductive, sexual, and child health programs with special reference to family planning and population control from beneficiaries’ perspectives and perceptions. Besides his doctorate degree, he holds a master’s degree in social work from Central University of India-Aligarh Muslim University.

Dr. Siraj has worked with SIT since 2011, first as academic coordinator and later as the academic director of a public health program. Before joining SIT, he worked for a USAID-funded project to train the village heads of local self-governments to promote reproductive and child health in the villages of Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh in India. District and state government officials have praised his work as the manager of a community-based distribution project of family planning methods for achieving the family planning targets and implementing a choice-based contraceptives program with the help of community volunteers.

Dr. Abid was part of a team that did pioneering work in thethe ‘National Rural Health Missio, the largest public health program initiated by the government of India in 2005. His proposed initiative for an emergency helpline for safe delivery to ensure the timely shifting of pregnant mothers to the nearest hospital was adopted in various states.

Pablo manages program logistics and helps oversee day-to-day activities. He has been associated with SIT since 2002. Pablo received his diploma in journalism from the Lomas de Zamora University and Taller Escuela Agencia. He has worked as a freelance journalist for a number of Argentine national newspapers including Pagina/12, La Nación, Clarín, and La Maga. During the 1990s, Pablo worked in the Press and Cultural Promotion Department of the Secretary of Cultural Affairs and was host of a rock-and-roll radio show on FM La Boca. He is the co-author of Música y Dictadura – Porqué Cantábamos (Music and Dictatorship – Why We Were Singing). His research interests include music, literature, and cinema identity.

Dr. Peña earned a PhD in social sciences from IDES-UNGS, focusing on transnational migration processes between Paraguay and Argentina. She graduated from London Guildhall University in the UK with a major in political science and a minor in French. She later earned an MA in political science from Leiden University and an MA in development studies from Nijmegen University, both in the Netherlands. Prior to becoming the academic director for the Argentina: Transnationalism and Comparative Development in South America program, Dr. Peña was the assistant director and interim academic director of Argentina: Social Movements and Human Rights. She was born in Argentina and has lived and worked abroad for 12 years, mainly in London, Amsterdam, and Barcelona. She works as a consultant for international development agencies with a focus on gender and development. She worked for Oxfam International for five years, including several missions to West and northeast Africa and parts of Latin America, mainly Brazil and Nicaragua. She consults for international development agencies with a focus on gender and development.