a leaf warbler's gleanings

Hard to believe, but its been a little over a year since Ravi Sankaran left us so abruptly. I was just re-reading what I wrote about him last year and couldn't suppress fresh tears watching the video of him talking about his work with the Edible-nest swiftlets of the Andamans. While I, like many others, gave tribute in words, the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation has set up a more meaningful lasting tribute by establishing the Ravi Sankaran Fellowship Program for Field Biology, Ecology, and Conservation which will support others embarking upon the paths Ravi pioneered in India. Here's the announcement:

Are you a young person with a passion for wildlife? Do you want to use your energy and skills to make a difference to biodiversity conservation in India? The Ravi Sankaran Fellowship Program can help. This Program has been set up in memory of the late Dr. Ravi Sankaran who followed up his detailed field studies of wild species with innovative projects to conserve their populations.

The Program funds three major activities:

1. A Master's degree at a university abroad
2. An internship with an organisation abroad
3. A short conservation research or implementation project within India (in a Small Grants program)

What it covers: Fellowship recipients will receive a stipend, travel funds and an amount covering course fees (where relevant). Fellows may also be granted an additional amount towards project expenses, subject to a maximum of Rs 200,000 per year (most grants of this nature will be under Rs 100,000 per year).

Selection: Each activity is intended to have an explicit conservation focus, with an emphasis on clear on-ground conservation benefits. Successful applicants will ordinarily hold a Bachelor's degree (in any discipline) and be below the age of 30 on the date of the application deadline.

To apply, you must prepare a statement of purpose, a strong justification of how your receiving this fellowship would benefit conservation in India, and (for Small Grants applicants) a project proposal with budget. Click here to apply, and for more details.

Last date for applications: 15 April 2010

And I hope it doesn't seem crass to add that I would be honored to have a Ravi Sankaran Fellow as a student in my lab at the California State University in Fresno.

May an energetic new generation of field biologists follow in Ravi's footsteps.