We are looking for a young social or natural scientist to assist in developing and implementing a pilot project that aims to bring academic research from Mexican and U.S. institutions of higher education to bear on forest conservation, sustainable forest management and climate change in Mexico (see project brief below). The Fellow would be supported as part of the EDF Tom Graff Fellowship. The Tom Graff Fellowship Program is looking for candidates who are seeking a professional experience in environmental advocacy and will add to the diversity of EDF’s staff.
Specific questions about the Mexico "Science & Community Marketplace" project can be directed to Christina McCain at: cmcc...@edf.org. The ideal candidate will have excellent Spanish language skills and experience or demonstrated interest in working in Latin America. A strong natural or social sciences background is desirable. General information and fellowship application can be found here: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagid=371&jobID=538 . Application deadline is May 30, 2010. ----------------------------------------- EDF Science and Community Marketplace Project Brief (Climate International - DC Office) The challenge - The inclusion of communities who manage productive forest and agricultural ecosystems in Mexico’s emerging program of reduced deforestation and reforestation is critical for community participation and the success of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD). In a large ecologically and culturally diverse country such as Mexico, capacity building on the local level will help REDD to deliver maximum benefits both environmentally and socially. To achieve economic transition for the rural communities through verifiable tradable carbon sequestration services, development and dissemination of locally relevant technical tools is essential. Developing locally adapted best practices and capacity for technical implementation, monitoring, and organization across the communities that ultimately manage and depend on forests can be resource-intensive for any single organization. The opportunity - EDF has the opportunity to partner with higher education institutions in the United States and Mexico, to transform the way research and training relevant to REDD and forest communities is conducted, applied, and communicated to people who can use it. EDF’s linkages to international policy, economic, and scientific expertise in the U.S. and internationally, working together with the vast network of experts in Mexican institutions, could fill the critical gap between the standards of international programs and markets for REDD and the needs of rural land managers for locally- adapted management plans, ecological knowledge, and technical capacity for implementation and monitoring. Broad objectives 1) Build capacity and gather knowledge relevant to REDD on the local level to contribute to the domestic reach and environmental performance of Mexico’s REDD+ program, cooperatively developing an appropriate mix of locally-relevant scientific knowledge and technical capacity for communities, as well as informing policy makers of program strengths and future needs. 2) Provide a model for education and training aimed directly at solving environmental and social problems that can leverage future sustained funding for expansion.
