News
Today is World Wildlife Day, a day celebrated every year on 3rd March to celebrate wild animals and plants. This year’s theme, ‘Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet’, highlights how investing in people can drive positive change in conservation efforts. At the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF), training programmes empower future conservation professionals, not just for the organisation, but for the country and beyond, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to protect biodiversity.
MWF is involved in two major capacity building initiatives, the M.O.L (Mitsui OSK Lines) Internship Programme and the Mauritius Island Restoration Internship (MIRI) in collaboration with the Durrell Conservation Academy of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.
One of the training programmes offered by MWF is the M.O.L Internship Programme. It targets young people from the East and South of Mauritius, offering them a 12-month experience in flora, fauna, education and ecotourism. Each year, up to five Mauritian interns are selected. The internship’s practical approach allows participants to gain hands-on experience in conservation. They are provided with field kits including essential equipment like binoculars and GPS devices and a monthly stipend. The interns are nominated to one of the departments following an interview and are provided with a two-week trial to understand the day to day work. After the end of the trial, instructors will decide whether they are suitable for the department but also the intern will decide whether they can commit to a year.
On the fauna project, interns learn how to monitor breeding birds, provide supplementary food, bird ringing and data collection. On the flora project, interns participate in nursery management, learn planting techniques and familiarise themselves with habitat restoration. Ecotour interns learn how to deliver guided tours of Ile aux Aigrettes and interns also support environmental education activities. All interns attend classroom-based training to further strengthens their understanding of conservation principles. Interns are also trained in mapping using QGIS software. Since its launch in 2023, 10 interns have enrolled successfully in this programme, with at least one intern working in each of MWF’s core projects, fauna, flora and ecotourism.
In addition to the M O L Internship Programme, the Mauritius Island Restoration Internship provides a one-year programme run by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in collaboration with MWF, in agreement with Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security of Mauritius. This internship is aimed at early-career conservation professionals from Mauritius and the South-Western Indian Ocean particularly. The five selected interns are based on the offshore islands of Round Island and Ile aux Aigrettes, where they participate in island restoration works including preserving natives and endemic plants, reptiles and seabirds. The programme combines practical fieldwork with 40 hours of classroom training spread across the year. Interns receive comprehensive support, including flights, accommodation, insurance and a stipend for personal expenses.
These two training programmes have one thing in common: preparing the next generations of conservation biologists. “One of the main objectives of the MIRI internship is to give the chance to young biologists to have field experience whilst being able to support the Island restoration projects within the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. At the same time, they have working experience and lectures in parallel, which is a win-win situation for all parties”, says Teesha Baboorun, Training Coordinator of Durrell Conservation Training Mauritius.
Aurelie Henshaw, Head of Training at the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, supports this statement. “It is essential to provide adequate training to empower staff and volunteers to work more efficiently and thus help MWF’s mission of saving endemic and native species from extinction. The M.O.L Internship Programme equips young Mauritians seeking vocational training who are deeply committed to conservation. They receive in-depth training, have their development tracked, and are guided and supported to give them the best chance of completing the internship. Through this internship, MWF is improving the local community’s outlook on conservation, which will eventually contribute to national biodiversity targets.”
Both the M.O.L. and MIRI internships exemplify how we should invest in people and the planet. By equipping young professionals with the tools and experience to safeguard Mauritius’ natural heritage, MWF and its partners are creating a generation of conservation warriors who will take over this crucial work.
The M.O.L Internship Programme is sponsored by the M.O.L Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability whilst the M.I.R.I internship is funded by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.
