Ecosystem Management Technician students can study in South Africa
Ecosystem Management Technician students will soon have the opportunity to spend a semester of study at Pidwa Wilderness Reserve (PWR) in South Africa. Fleming’s School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences signed a Letter of Intent with Pidwa to partner to deliver a semester abroad beginning in winter 2018.
“Askari is thrilled to have secured a new agreement with Fleming College to begin a semester abroad program,” said Katie Rooke, Manager, Askari Wilderness Conservation Programme. “We have been working with students from the Ecosystem Management program for six years on a two-week placement, which has privileged us to experience the high calibre of students coming from the course. Their prior knowledge, theory, enthusiasm and hard work ethic continue to make their work on the reserve invaluable. To have a team with us for 12 weeks is a fantastic prospect; we will be able to complete longer term and more specialized projects by having the students on board. The Askari team, staff and owner of Pidwa Wilderness Reserve are extremely excited to be moving forward with this extended support from Fleming EM students, all working towards our wilderness vision.”
PWR is a 17,500 hectare wilderness reserve committed to restoring the lowveld ecosystem through monitoring, research and active management studies, while Askari Wilderness Conservation Programme supports the conservation of wilderness at Pidwa. The most recent cohort of Fleming students just returned from Pidwa, where they participated in a habitat restoration project as well as species relocation.
“I am very excited that we are taking this partnership to the next level. Fleming students will now be able to contribute to the vision of the Pidwa Wilderness Reserve through the two-week field placement or the 12-week semester abroad experience in South Africa,” said SENRS Dean Linda Skilton. “The School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences has been increasing applied learning experiences in all of its programs, including international opportunities such as this one in our Ecosystem Management program. In the past six years over 40 students have completed their field placement course at Pidwa and have described their experience as a life changing.”