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The Tropical Biology Association is a charitable organisation working to meet the challenge of biodiversity conservation by building capacity in the Old World tropics. The TBA has its head offices in Cambridge, UK and a regional office at Nature Kenya, Nairobi.

 

Objectives of the TBA

· Transfer expertise in current concepts and techniques in biodiversity research and conservation

· Stimulate exchange of scientific information and forge collaborative links between biologists and conservation professionals and their institutions in Africa and Europe

· Build the capacity of host country institutions so that they can carry out their own training and research programmes

It is widely recognised that effective conservation requires co-operation at both the national and international level. In the tropics, biologists have faced a lack of resources and isolation from the global scientific community. In Europe, contacts with the tropics appear to have weakened in recent decades and many European ecologists have little tropical experience. The TBA is helping redress this imbalance through field training programmes and fostering collaborative framework for long term research and conservation activities in the tropics.

Field Courses

The TBA field courses are held at key biodiversity sites in the tropics. The courses provide relevant and up to date training in tropical ecology and conservation to biologists with the potential to pursue careers in biodiversity research and conservation. The TBA courses are unusual because they bring together trainees and teachers from Africa and Europe, providing a valuable opportunity for biologists from different countries and background to share ideas and make contact. They also play an important role in transferring ecological expertise between Europe and Africa; providing teaching expertise of a kind that many students would not otherwise have access to. The TBA held its first courses in 1994 and has since trained over 500 biologists, many of whom have already secured jobs or research posts in biodiversity conservation as a result of their participation on the courses.

Follow up support programme for TBA Africa biologists

In 1998, with grants from the European Union, the TBA launched the alumni follow up Support Programme. The programme is aimed at helping former TBA course trainees from Africa develop a career in their chosen areas of research and conservation interest and is co-ordinated through the TBA Nairobi office. The programme is an integral part of the TBA courses and benefits a lot from the TBA international network of tropical biologists, conservation practitioners and supporters. Additional support comes from the East Africa Natural History Society and its network of partners in Europe and Africa.

Through the programme, the TBA collates and disseminates information on funding, training and research opportunities to past trainees relevant to their particular fields of biology and conservation. Because of its close involvement with its trainees, the TBA is in a unique position to match their needs with current opportunities and contacts that are directly relevant to their skills and requirements.

Working in partnership with African institutions

The TBA runs its field courses and follow-up programme in partnership with leading conservation and research institutions in Africa thereby ensuring the activities of the TBA are directly relevant to the needs of its partner institutions and meet partners in-country conservation and research goals. Establishing a sustainable network of conservation biologists, the TBA is strengthening regional and international collaboration by catalysing links between African and European biologists and their institutions. Through this network and TBA's collaborative training activities, the TBA is building capacity in the Africa region and providing a firm foundation for biological conservation and research in the tropics in the long term.

For more information contact
The Project Manager
Tropical Biology Association
or tba-africa@tropical-biology.org tba-africa@tropical-biology.org or visit the TBA web page at: www.tropical-biology.org (External Link)

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