Testimonies of our interns!

“For my internship, I worked as a research assistant intern with the scientific team (Aymeric, Rollyna, Joy, and Jabes) to gather all the necessary information and experience we needed to begin the Bearcat Study Program (BSP) in El Nido. 

First, at the Puerto Princesa office, I also contributed to scientific tasks and to the team’s scientific reports, wherein we analyzed the ecology and potential presence of bearcats at the El Nido site. Then at El Nido, I joined the team for a 2-week fieldwork, where we trekked and surveyed the study site and trained for tree climbing and setting up the bearcat cage. Lastly, I also discovered a lot about the great community in Puerto Princesa as well as the conservation efforts that they have developed in the city. I was immersed in the city’s cultural and environment-related festivals (with Romain, Priscylia, and the scientific team), and I interviewed some representatives of ABConservation’s partner organizations about their perspectives on working in the conservation sector. 

All in all, this internship has begun to teach me what it means to be an NGO researcher in the office and on the field, which I realized is no easy feat but is an amazing and fruitful learning experience that not many have the opportunity to have. I also learned a bit about what conservation means in the Puerto Princesa community, and how important local action and awareness of conservation are in order for endangered species like the binturong to thrive in its ecosystem.”