Description: National parks and other protected areas are the foundation of global efforts to conserve biological diversity. Although conservation policy and practice assume that protected areas are permanent fixtures on the landscape, legal changes that temper, shrink, and eliminate protected areas (known as protected area downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD) is widespread. To advance scientific understanding and inform conservation decision-making, CI has been identifying and documenting PADDD events and causes; analyzing temporal and spatial patterns and trends; and quantifying impacts on natural capital and ecosystem services.
The Social Science team at CI seeks a self-motivated and creative intern to advance this study by contributing to three key components of the project:
- Research to identify and analyze recent PADDD events
- Investigate PADDD in marine protected areas
- Communicate news and research about PADDD to the public and a community of conservation researchers and practitioners
- Desk research: review of the peer-reviewed literature, media reports, government reports, and other relevant documents
- Spatial data collection and management: shapefile collection, digitization of paper maps, geodatabase management
- Data analysis: descriptive statistics of patterns, trends, and causes; may include quantitative and/or qualitative analyses (e.g. through a case study)
- Communications: write and post engaging content on social media channels, support training and outreach to community of practice focused on PADDD
- Project outputs will include a spatial database, maps, graphs, statistical analyses, and a power point presentation, as well as communications materials (e.g. social media posts). We will also help you develop master’s project or thesis topic based the work.
Required
- Graduate student in the social sciences, natural resource management/conservation, environmental sciences, environmental policy, or related field
- Familiarity with ArcGIS and data management
- Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills
- Familiarity with biodiversity conservation in developing countries
- Interest in science communication
Preferred
- Interest to use this project as part of a thesis
- Foreign language skills
- Experience with EndNote, Zotero, or other reference management software