Agricultural Biodiversity Intern

Start Date: August 2024
Duration of Contract: 3 months
Location: Fauna & Flora, Cambridge.
Current policy offers partial remote working with the UK

Founded in 1903, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is the world’s longest established
international conservation organisation. Our vision is to create a sustainable future for the
planet where biodiversity is conserved by the people living closest to it. We aim to do this
through the conservation of threatened species and ecosystems worldwide, choosing solutions
that are sustainable, based on sound science and take account of human needs. We have become a
trusted entity in the world of conservation. Today FFI is active in over 40 countries.

On-farm biodiversity is key for providing ecosystem services within farmlands, as well as
contributing to the resilience of biodiversity within the wider landscape. There is a growing
body of research on how certain farmland management practices can support more on-farm
biodiversity, and the beneficial impacts that this can provide to farmers (e.g., pollination).
However, findings can vary greatly across studies, making it difficult to identify which
agricultural practices can effectively increase biodiversity on farms. During this internship
you will review the current knowledge, engage with in-country teams to capture their
experiences, and develop management recommendations to help farmers to adopt practices which
support more biodiversity on their farms, and so contributing to more ecologically resilient
and biodiverse landscapes.

This internship will help you strengthen your skills in information synthesis and critical
thinking, where you will work closely with agriculture-focused colleagues to develop guidance
on what to consider when designing interventions for improving on-farm biodiversity. You’ll
learn about the practicalities of implementing conservation projects in the field by
interacting with agriculture staff from in-country teams and develop communication skills by
engaging in meetings and developing and disseminating your findings (e.g. by developing
recommendations, presenting results).

During this internship, you will have the opportunity to collaborate and work within the wider
People & Nature team, by attending monthly meetings and discussions. Working within an
international conservation organisation, you will learn from ongoing projects across the globe,
to gain experience in biodiversity conservation within agricultural landscapes.

We are looking for a candidate who is passionate about on-farm biodiversity and
biodiversity-friendly agricultural approaches and has a strong interest in learning and
knowledge exchange. You must be a team player, with the ability to develop and work on your own
initiative and have strong interpersonal skills and consideration for working with individuals
from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Note that this internship has been designed to create a professional development opportunity
for people who are new to the conservation sector. Therefore, applicants should have less than
two years’ paid or unpaid experience in the conservation sector (not including academic work).

This role is not eligible for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker Visa.

The closing date for applications is 14 June 2024.