Expedition
member, Nikky Thomas, photographing bats in
Uttar Pradesh, India.
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Expeditions,
which include volunteers have been carefully chosen
for their wide appeal. They will usually be in areas
of exceptional beauty and particular wildlife and
landscape interest.
Volunteers
come from a wide variety of backgrounds.
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Student
participation is welcomed. Students (from UK and
elsewhere), especially those with skills in the biological,
zoological, botanical, ecological, geological, and
geographical sciences can both contribute and learn
from the expedition experience. Your skills may be
invaluable to our in-country research and training
programmes. There may be opportunities to develop
further links with in-country scientists and students
after the completion of the expedition.
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Please
check out our
'Diary of Expeditions' for
details of forthcoming expeditions.
In
the last 50 years the Harrison Institute has organised or
participated in over 75 field surveys and expeditions to 36
countries in 5 continents. Each has been concerned with an
aspect of natural history and was part of a wider programme
of conservation or wildlife studies involving scientific institutions
from the host country.
Highlights
include Jordan, Iraq and Kurdistan (1953-55); Israel (1959-62);
Yemen (1963); Syria and Lebanon (1965); Oman (1967, 1975,
1981); Cyprus (1969); El Salvador (1972); India and Nepal
(1973); Morocco (1976); Paraguay (1978); Sweden and Finland
(1978); USA and Mexico (1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1990);
Kenya (1983); Malawi (1984); Jordan (1988); Poland (1990-94);
India (1992-93); Sri Lanka (1993-98); Ethiopia and Djibouti
(1997-99) and Myanmar (1999-2005).
The
Harrison Institute offers the opportunity for volunteers to
join some expeditions. Volunteers contribute towards the cost
of the expedition and have the chance to take part in a range
of conservation and research projects in the tropics, and
explore places seldom visited by Westerners.
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Your
taking part will help support the participation
of in-country scientists and postgraduate students -
promote the transfer of skills in mammal and bird research
and conservation techniques - help provide scientific
equipment (such as binoculars, gps, bat detectors) and
scientific/conservation literature for local zoologists
- promote dialogue between peoples of different cultures,
religions and backgrounds.
Recent
outcomes of our field work include the discovery
of one of the world's rarest and smallest mammals, the
bumble-bee bat in SE Myanmar (Burma) - training for
eight staff and students of Yangon (Rangoon) University
in small mammal research and conservation techniques
- the discovery of five mammal species new to the fauna
of Myanmar - the identification of key sites for biodiversity
conservation in Myanmar.
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