Assignment
The mission is to examine a conservation project that is working to conserve a species, habitat, or ecosystem.
Choose a Project
Some possible projects include:
1. Invasive species removal projects such as the biocontrol of purple loosestrife.
2. Habitat restoration projects such as Ontario Eastern Bluebird Society.
3. Habitat connection projects such as the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation initiative.
4. Population recovery projects such as wild turkey re-introduction in Ontario.
5. Ecosystem assessment projects such as Snapshot Safari.
6. Biodiversity assessment projects such as e-bird Canada.
Projects examined in detail that are off limits for this assignment are:
1. The population recovery project of California Condors, USA
2. The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, USA
3. Anti-poaching and community building actions at Virunga National Park, DRC
*You could use the following structure as an outline:
Part I
In Part I, introduce the project. Questions that you could answer include:
1. What is the aim of your chosen project?
2. What actions are being taken?
3. Who is conducting the actions and where and when are they occurring?
4. What actions have previously been taken?
5. How does the project fit into other current overlapping projects or previous projects?
Part II
In Part II, outline the scientific research guiding the project. Summarize the key scientific research that has been published on the targeted species, habitat, or ecosystem at the centre of this project. Questions you could answer include:
1. Who conducted the research, and where and when did it occur?
2. What are the key results of the research?
3. How were the results determined? What was measured or tested?
4. How did this research guide the conservation project?
Part III
In Part III, assess the project. Questions that you should answer to assess your project include:
1. What challenges has the project faced? How have they dealt with those challenges?
2. What criticisms have been made about the project? Are they valid?
3. Do you think the project has been or will be successful? Explain your reasoning
4. What should be the next steps of the project? Explain your reasoning