Context
LifeTime Projects has built a partnership in England with Ambios, an organization dedicated to ecological research and nature conservation. Ambios offers many missions, including a 12-week training program in total immersion. This program is ideal for people who want to find an alternative to traditional education, or for master’s or recent graduate students who want to pursue a career in environmental protection. It can also be a complement to your studies, or simply an opportunity to explore an area of interest.
Presentation of the mission
The Ambios nature conservation internship provides the basic skills required for a career in environmental protection. During your training, you will be accompanied by scientific researchers, and your activities will allow you to discover all the facets of organic farming and breeding, research on biodiversity and the protection of wild fauna and flora.
Content of the training
The exact content of the courses in this environmental conservation training may vary according to the season. The training is conducted entirely in English, and the various courses include:
- excursions to local nature protection sites;
- biodiversity assessment;
- the acquisition of practical skills in wildlife surveys;
- learning techniques for managing rural landscapes.
In addition to the practical work and theoretical courses, the trainees also focus on one of the research projects carried out on the farm, which varies according to the time of year:
- monitoring of the badger population and deployment of tuberculosis vaccination;
- study of the longevity of the bumblebee;
- study of the spatial and temporal use of the farm by bat populations;
- recording and analysis of bird survey data.
Accommodation
All participants stay in a “bunkhouse“, which has 8 single rooms. It is a welcoming accommodation with 2 bathrooms, a kitchen and a large living room, where volunteers meet to share friendly moments. All meals are provided and prepared with local products, directly from the farm when possible. The farm also has a yurt and an office accessible to students with a Wi-Fi connection.
Conditions of registration
The training lasts 12 weeks, which implies that the participant commits to be present throughout the whole period to validate the session. A shorter traineeship of 8 weeks is also possible in winter. A basic – or even intermediate – level of English is required to participate in the training, though the team provides excellent language support to help those who need to improve their level.