ALERT Student Internships 2015 - find your pride @ www.lionalert.org
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ALERT Student Internships 2015
find your pride @ www.lionalert.org
ALERT Internship Program 2015
The ALERT Internship Program will provide students with on-the-ground experience of working in wildlife conservation in Africa. We offer interns opportunities to utilise their knowledge and skills to real-life conservation challenges, across a range of contexts extending from wildlife to community. There is plenty of scope to learn new theories and skills to address conservation matters whilst working in the field. Our responsible development approach to lion conservation means that we are multi-disciplinary in our work. The fields of science, social science, education and the humanities, are all relevant in tackling conservation issues effectively, and our internship engages with elements of them all as you assist us in protecting the African lion and people’s relationship with this iconic predator. We aim to offer all students a comprehensive experience, working as a valued member of our conservation team and, in doing so, contribute to their studies, enhancing their employability and network within this competitive field. African Lion & Environmental Research Trust Melrose Farm 1134 Nakatindi Road PO Box 60701 Livingstone Zambia intern@lionalert.org www.lionalert.org ALERT is a registered charity in the UK, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe. ALERT Internship Program 2015
What can students expect?
Long days! The working day typically lasts around 12 hours, with breaks
for breakfast and lunch. Students are expected to work five days a week
with weekends free to take part in on-site activities and to explore the
local area. Throughout their stay students will shadow and assist project
staff in all aspects of this work, and in doing so obtain first-hand
experience of working in lion conservation.
Accommodation is at our project base in the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National
Park, a stone’s throw from the Zambezi River and in the heart of pristine
African bush. Shared rooms and facilities are basic, but comfortable, and
will quickly become the students’ home-from-home.
What are we looking for?
To be considered for this internship, students must be studying a relevant
course in the sciences, social sciences, education, and/or humanities and
clearly have an interest in animals/wildlife, communities and
conservation. Practical experience in their chosen field is useful as well,
but not essential.
On a personal level, initiative and a positive attitude are a must! We are
looking for students who are reliable and can do a good job. They will
need to be able to think on their feet and learn to expect the unexpected -
and above all, be prepared to have a go at all tasks.
While we are happy to accommodate accompanying academic staff
members, this is not necessarily a pre-requisite of taking part in the
Program. It is possible for groups of sufficiently responsible students to
join us without supervision at ALERT’s discretion.
How to apply
Initial applications should be made by a member of staff from
the participating institution to intern@lionalert.org. We will
require an approximate number of students and preferred
dates/length of stay. Once the booking has been confirmed,
each student will be asked to complete a booking form and
medical questionnaire. The minimum age for taking part in
this program is 18 years.
Please ensure you have read our Terms & Conditions before
making an application.
ALERT Internship Program 2015
What will students be doing? To experience our responsible development approach, students will have the opportunity to learn and develop existing research skills. Lion conservation is necessarily multi-disciplinary and involves the application of current conservation thinking and theory with practical application of concepts and techniques in the field. Students will be involved in providing assistance in the following areas of holistic conservation and community development: Lion Husbandry - All aspects of lion husbandry will be covered, including meat preparation and feeding of captive and formerly captive (semi-wild released) lions, behaviour enrichment for captive lions, lion health monitoring and enclosure cleaning and maintenance. Research - Collecting field data, and applying fundamental research principles such as establishing reliability and validity of data, scientific question-asking of a body of data (hypothesis generation), data coding, preparing data for analysis, descriptive and inferential statistical analysis, and scientific report writing. Lion research will include behavioural ecology including pride dynamics, the development of hunting skills, mane assessment, playback studies, territorial defence, and sociality (lions). Research also includes assessment of the welfare of the lions. Opportunities also exist for other wildlife species research such as entomological and vegetation surveys and mapping (using GIS). Students will be given the chance to learn basic software analysis packages, such as QGIS, UCINET and SPSS/R. Our work also involves the assessment of community attitudes to lions, predators and conservation. Students will be given the opportunity to develop and use surveying, interviewing and questionnaire techniques, and assess the effectiveness of community programs developed as part of our responsible development approach to lion conservation. Community Outreach - Our outreach programs support those communities affected by lion conservation and offer incentives and benefits to protecting lions. As part of this mission, students will help our team with designing and delivering educational programs in local schools to provide teaching in English literacy and conservation education. This includes training in how to assess and address poor literacy levels in rural communities. We also deliver a basic life skills course to rural children, aged 3-15 years, through the provision of ‘Kids Club’. Kids Club focuses on key transferable skills for use in the home, education and workplace. The aim of this course is to empower rural children to improve their ability to participate fully in Zambian society and to have equal access to education and employment opportunities. These courses also provide children with much needed respite from the harsh realities of living in deprived circumstances. Students will help in the delivering of this course and assessment of its impact on the communities it serves. ALERT Internship Program 2015
Along with practical experience, students will benefit from talks
covering topics such as:
Historical and current status of wild lion populations, in situ
and ex situ lion conservation efforts including the ALERT ex
situ reintroduction program
Language, history and culture of peoples in Zambia
Practical cultural orientation into rural life in Zambia
Bush habitat in the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park
From the textbook to the field: the practical application of
conservation techniques
We offer a range of research opportunities and can accommodate
the needs of most university courses. Please let us know what
specific skills and techniques you and your students would obtain
most benefit from, and we can tailor your programme to meet those
specific requirements.
Program Fees
The program fee for arrivals before 31st December 2015 is $1,800 per
person. This is based on a two week minimum stay for a group of 10
students with one free place for an accompanying academic. Larger
groups and longer stays can be arranged on request. Upon
confirmation of booking, a deposit of $360 per person will be
required, with the balance payable 120 days prior to travel. ALERT
will liaise directly with individual students to organise administration
of all bookings and payments.
The fee includes collection from the nearest airport to the project
site, shared accommodation, three meals per day and memories to
last a lifetime! Invoice amount is charged on a per day basis.
Before interning with ALERT, all students will be required to obtain a
Police Check. As they may be working closely with children or
vulnerable adults to some extent during their stay, it is our
responsibility to ensure that these people are adequately
safeguarded. The cost is $30.00 (payable along with the deposit) and
we will arrange these checks on the students’ behalf. All interns on
all programs are required to undertake a police check before the
internship commences.
ALERT Internship Program 2015
An experience too good to miss
But don’t take our word for it...
Here’s what a recent group of students from Charles Sturt
University (CSU) in Australia have to say about taking part in the
Program at our Livingstone project in Zambia...
‘Dambwa research and the Kids Club were both amazing
experiences to see how the project is progressing and making a
difference to the lives of the community. The talks we were given
each captured a different aspect and helped me understand the
project as a whole and the importance of each part of it. It has had
a huge positive influence on my career options as a vet. I have
gained more than I could have possibly imagined and cannot wait to
come back! It was a truly amazing experience with wonderful
people and activities that sometimes pushed your physical abilities,
but were very rewarding when you succeeded.’ Beth Deane
‘I have genuinely enjoyed this experience. The handlers and staff were all so friendly and helpful and really
helped with the enjoyment of the program. It has felt like a home-away-from-home and I am really sad to be
leaving. The activities are interesting and varied and the volunteer management team is great at adapting their
plans to suit the needs of the interns. This program is something that I would love to do again and I feel
extremely lucky that I was able to take part in it.’ Alice Cord-Udy
‘I have gained so much knowledge on African animals that I didn’t know before. The staff are incredibly amazing
and made it extra hard to leave! I had such a wonderful time in every aspect and would love to come do it
again.’ Florence Wood
‘This program is the best of its kind. It gives people the opportunity to feel like they have made a positive impact
on an overall worthwhile goal.’ Holly Godden
‘It has been such a positive experience and it has been so valuable to be given the opportunity to see the life of
the Zambian culture. I looked forward to doing every activity, the handlers and staff made everything
enjoyable.’ Kasey Sherwood
ALERT Internship Program 2015
‘I am inspired and full of hope for the future of lions in Africa thanks to this
program and the passionate people who are part of it. I have gained so
much insight, even more passion than I already had, and a lifetime of
memories and experiences.’ Meghan Widdowson
‘I was unsure of how the program worked when I came to Africa, but after
being involved with it and learning about the different aspects, I think it’s
awesome that all of the staff are so passionate about conservation of the
lions, and in the different areas of community involvement. It is very clear
that all of the lions are well cared for.’ Michelle Hand
‘The staff are incredible, the atmosphere is friendly, and the food is great.
I really appreciate the effort that has gone into looking after us, especially
with us being a large group to organize.’ Phoebe Makepeace
‘I feel this program is unique in the approach to conservation and research
and I feel very lucky and proud to have been a part of it. The total hands-
on experience I have gained is one I will carry with me for a lifetime and
will influence me in future studies.’ Sharelle Davis
‘I have a better understanding of the culture and the relationships and
interaction between humans and wildlife here. I think it’s great that the
local community is involved and that we go and teach the children. I loved
interacting with the lions and especially liked watching them in their pride
in stage 2 for Dambwa research.’ Shinay Greenwood
Glenys Noble, a staff member at CSU, accompanied the students on their
trip and enjoyed the experience as much as they did:
‘This experience has been a real eye opener: I have a much greater
understanding of the Big Picture of conservation in general and how it can
be incorporated into responsible development, so conservation assists the
human community as well as the animals and natural environment. The
program stretches far further than I realised and is as much about
communities as the lions. It is an exciting program, well thought out and
looks at the long term, rather than short term fixes. I can see now it is not
‘just’ about lions, but a sustainable Africa.’
Emma Dunston, a PhD student at CSU and previous volunteer with ALERT,
returned to Livingstone on the Facilitated Research Program to conduct
research for her doctorate:
‘I have always had a desire and passion to have a career in behavioural
science of African carnivores, and in particular the African lion. As an
Australian student, my previous experience has been limited to Australian
zoos. Although working with captive carnivores has provided me with the
foundations required for conducting behavioural studies, I have always
wanted to make a contribution to the conservation of the species in its
homeland. After years of research, I determined that ALERT was the best
program where I could contribute positively to the species conservation
and further develop my research techniques. After two weeks as a
volunteer in 2011, I decided to work with the program further to develop
and conduct my PhD with ALERT. This has provided me with invaluable
experiences, contacts and has encouraged me further to pursue a career in
this field. If you are passionate about African lion conservation and want
to make a contribution, no matter how small, ALERT is the place to start.’
ALERT Internship Program 2015
The Fine Print
1. Your program fees
a. Your fee includes comfortable but basic accommodation in shared rooms (twin / triple) with communal shower and
bathroom facilities.
b. Three meals per day are provided, as are water and cordials. We can cater for most dietary requirements.
c. Laundry will be washed, ironed and folded during your stay.
d. Collection from the nearest airport to the project is provided.
e. The cost of flights, travel insurance, optional trips/activities and items of a personal nature are not included in your fee.
2. Payment schedule
a. An administration fee of $360 must be paid on acceptance into the Internship Program, and is strictly non-refundable. The
administration fee will be deducted from your final program fee payment.
b. The balance of your program fee is payable no later than 120 days prior to arrival.
c. ALERT reserves the right to cancel the placement if there is non-payment without prior arrangement.
d. If booking less than 120 days before placement starts, payment should be made within one week of the provisional
booking.
3. Cancellation
a. Refunds exclude all travel and/or extraneous expenses of your trip plan.
b. Cancellation up to 120 days prior to commencement will be 100% refunded for cost of program. Cancellation between 91-
120 days of commencement will be 75% refunded. Cancellation between 90-60 days of commencement will be 50%
refunded. Cancellation within 60 days of scheduled arrival cannot be refunded. Refunds will be less the administration fees.
c. In most cases ALERT will permit the deferment of your arrival date to an alternative agreed upon arrival date. However,
should any costs be incurred by ALERT as a result of deferment these will be passed onto you for payment.
d. In the unlikely event of ALERT cancelling your placement (due to circumstances beyond our control) we will, if possible,
offer an alternative location. If this is not acceptable to you, all program fees will be refunded.
e. If your placement is terminated by ALERT during your placement due to circumstances beyond our control and alternative
arrangements are not acceptable to you, all fees from the date your placement is terminated will be refunded.
f. If your placement is terminated by ALERT as a result of infringement of the code of conduct, you will not be entitled to
claim any refund.
g. If you terminate your placement at any time during your placement, you will not be entitled to claim any refund.
h. You will not be entitled to claim any other costs applicable to your placement, and/or any charges relating to change in
travel plans. All travel expenses is for your account.
4. Police Checks
If you wish to intern with ALERT you will need to obtain a Police Check. As an intern, you may be working closely with
children or vulnerable adults to some extent during your stay; therefore it is our responsibility to ensure that these people
are adequately safeguarded. We will arrange these checks for you; the cost of which will be added to your invoice and
payable along with your deposit. The cost is $30.00 for applicants from the USA. All interns on all of our programs are
required to undertake a police check before their internship commences.
5. General Terms
a. ALERT will not be held liable for any incidental expenses incurred as a result of your placement, such as vaccinations, visas,
non-refundable flights.
b. Travel insurance is a pre-requisite for placement and should include adequate cover for baggage, medical expenses, the
cost of repatriation and a cancellation clause.
c. Should you not have adequate cover prior to the commencement of your placement, you may not be allowed to continue
on the program and will have no right to a refund.
d. Any claims concerning matters for which you are insured must be directed to your insurers.
e. In a medical emergency, ALERT or its designated agents, will put forward the costs of medical expenses.
f. You are required to sign an agreement that ALERT, or its designated agents, has the right to claim from your insurance for
any expenses that ALERT may incur on your behalf.
g. Any information provided by ALERT on matters such as visas, vaccinations, climate, clothing, baggage, for example, is given
in good faith. We cannot take responsibility for obtaining any necessary visas and travel documentation required for your
placement, unless otherwise agreed and confirmed in writing as part of our service agreement to you.
h. Your booking is accepted on the understanding that you realise potential hazards may arise in this kind of travel, including
injury, disease, loss of or damage to property, inconvenience or discomfort. Please allow for flexibility in this kind of travel.
Changes in itinerary may be caused by circumstances beyond our control. No refunds will be issued on services not utilised.
i. When booking your flights you might consider booking a changeable return ticket. If circumstances arise which lead to
extra expenses because you have purchased a non-changeable ticket, you will be solely responsible for the expense.
ALERT Internship Program 2015
HEAD OFFICE
African Lion & Environmental Research Trust
Melrose Farm
PO Box 60701
Livingstone
Zambia
E: info@lionalert.org
W: www.lionalert.org
African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (UK)
39 St. James’s Place
London
SW1A 1NS
United Kingdom
UK Charity Commission Number 1120572
African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (USA)
1725 Clay Street, Suite 100
San Francisco
CA 94109-8805
501(c)3 status with EIN: 45-3782687
Public charity status: 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)
African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (Zambia)
c/o 3/J/297A Leopards Hill Road
P.O. Box 32322
Lusaka
Zambia
Zambia Charity Registration Number ORS/102/35/3583
African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (Zimbabwe)
c/o Coghlan, Welsh & Guest 3rd Floor, Executive Chambers
16 George Silundika Avenue
Harare
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Protocol No 68 – MA82/2008
ALERT Internship Program 2015
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