TRAINING IN PRIMATOLOGY SERIES VI DESIGNED FOR YOUNG CONSERVATION LEADERS

Training in Primatology Series (TIPS) workshop in 2016 is taking place in California with the participation of 8 young conservation leaders from Nepal, Benin, Madagascar, Hungary, and Vietnam.

TIPS was found by Dr. Chia Luen Tan, the senior scientist of the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research – San Diego Zoo Global in 2009 with the aim to find and support the next generation of young conservation leaders with sufficient experience and knowledge for working in pioneer primate conservation programs.

Base on the success of TIPS workshop in Ha Noi, Vietnam (2009), Singapore (2011), Da Nang, Vietnam (2014), and China (January and November 2015), this year, 8 young conservation leaders are working on protecting primates from Viet Nam, Nepal, Benin, Madagascar, and Hungary were gathered in the United States to attend primate conferences and training courses in order to raise their capacity. Dr. Chia Tan and her colleagues spend their time doing the one-by-one training course for each participant in different fields of conservation to support them dealing with specific challenges in each country.

TIPS program in 2016 has the participation of four Vietnamese young conservation leaders, on which GreenViet sent its three core members to train. All international expense was covered by the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research and LVDI International Inc. which are GreenViet’s partners for more than two years. It has been good news for the conservation work to protect the Red-shanked douc langur in Da Nang, Viet Nam with more support from both sides, local authorities, and international scientists and conservation organizations.

Within a month, all participants will be trained and supervised with professors, researchers, and scientists from San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research and LVDI International Inc. such as Dr. Andy Phillips, Dr. Chia Tan, Dr. Georganne Irvine, Dr. Tamara Bankson, etc. Besides, during the training course, the team will have opportunities to introduce and discuss with potential donors who are interested in primate conservation. The team will all travel to Chicago for the IPS Conference in the last week of August.