Fitz News: April 2010

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Vacancy: Wildlife Conservation Society Africa Program Assistant Director

The Wildlife Conservation Society, a NY-based international NGO, seeks a third Assistant Director to help lead, manage, and administer our $25 million African Conservation Program. This position will remain open until filled. The program’s 1,100 field staff help conserve 17 landscapes in 12 sub-Saharan African countries. The Assistant Director position, based initially at the Bronx Zoo, provides broad experience in African conservation, management experience, and the opportunity to contribute to a program saving wild places and wildlife species. The Assistant Director reports to the Africa Director and takes responsibility for a portfolio of African country programs (to be determined depending on experience). Key responsibilities include: line-manage country directors, participate in Africa and country strategic planning and approve implementation plans and budgets, prepare or revise fundraising applications and reports, visit programs to evaluate performance and provide advice, represent the program externally and internally, help ensure that programs remain within budget. Key qualifications include: a relevant advanced degree, several years’ African field project management experience, fundraising and administrative experience, knowledge of and commitment to African conservation, excellent spoken and written English, and fluency in another language widely spoken in Africa, ideally French. For more information about Africa Program, visit www.wcs.org/Africa. Apply online via http://www.wcs.org/about-us/careers.aspx.

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Fitz News in Africa - Birds & Birding: "Seabird research through the years"

"Seabirds offer several advantages for ornithological research. Most species breed in colonies, where they are readily observed and can be caught, facilitating the rapid collection of large data sets. As top predators, they also provide an efficient way to assess the health of the oceans. Given the wealth of seabirds off southern Africa, it is not surprising that studies on them have played an important role in the development of the Fitztitute.

"The list of Fitz alumni and publications (see www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za) reveals how seabird research has evolved over the past 50 years. Initial studies were largely land-based, considering the behaviour and ecology of breeding seabirds. Mike Jarvis, one of the first PhD students at the Fitz, worked on Cape Gannets. But it was when Roy Siegfried was appointed Director that seabird research really accelerated, thanks to his enthusiastic support of South Africa’s Antarctic programme." more...

See Fitz News in Africa - Birds & Birding for more news from the Fitz..