Apply now for VCE's 3rd round of Online Conservation Standards courses, in April 2025

[Nigel Noriega]

Hello all.

The following is from the Vermont Center for Ecostudies:

Great news: VCE is again offering online Conservation Standards (adaptive planning and management framework) courses, in April 2025. This is possible thanks to funding from CEPF.

• Please feel free to distribute this message widely to your conservation colleagues in the Caribbean.
• Please read on for important info, but here is the link to the application form.

• To accommodate people's schedules as far as possible, we ask applicants to choose from among the four time slots below.
• We will offer courses during the two most popular time slots. We may be able to run a third course if demand warrants.

Monday & Wednesday (31 March–23 April)

• Option 1:  Afternoons, 12:00-3 pm.
• Option 2:  Evenings, 5:30pm-8:30pm.

Tuesday & Thursday (1–24 April)

• Option 3:  Afternoons, 12:00-3 pm.
• Option 4:  Evenings, 5:30-8:30 pm.

Additional important course details:

• All class times are Atlantic Standard Time.
• Courses will feature two 3-hour sessions per week for 4 weeks (8 sessions total).
• We will offer these courses in English, but aim to provide online courses in Spanish and Haitian Kreyòl later in 2025
• We can accommodate a maximum of 12 people in each class, so apply early!
• We will prioritize applicants:

1. who are from CEPF's seven Caribbean target countries (Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and St Vincent & the Grenadines, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.), but will accommodate others as far as possible, and will let you know as soon as possible.
2. who are working with Civil society organizations (CSOs).
3. who are from CSOs that have multiple applicants (so ask your colleagues to apply!)
4. who fill out the application form first.

• Filling out his form does not commit you to attend the course or reserve you a seat. It is your expression of interest.
• Work in class will include short instructional sessions and highly interactive hands-on group work.
• Work outside of class will include short individual assignments, readings and instructional videos (2-3h/week).
• We will use Zoom, Mural, and Miradi Share.
• We will incorporate the excellent materials from the self-paced, free online course developed by Foundations of Success and The Nature conservancy that is available at https://www.conservationtraining.org/
  
• All the material from that independent self-paced course is in this online how-to guide by Foundations of Success.
  
• We will follow the formal class sessions with independent exercises that will help you to take your conservation planning and adaptive management to the next level.

If you have any questions about the course or Conservation Standards in general, please do not hesitate to contact me.

-Jim

Jim Goetz

Coordinator, International Bicknell's Thrush Conservation Group

Coordinator, VCE Caribbean Conservation Program

Vermont Center for Ecostudies
Mailing address: PO Box 420, Norwich, VT 05055
Physical address: 20 Palmer Court, Unit 1, White River Junction, VT 05001
Phone: (802) 649-1431 ext. 213
www.vtecostudies.org