Intern with a master’s degree in Environmental, Biodiversity and Territorial
What is it that you led you to work on LIFE Alister programme?
Although I didn’t choose this field directly, I’ve always been passionate about nature and species protection. After a degree in physiology and neuroscience, I’ve finally just obtained a master’s in environmental, biodiversity and territorial management. It’s a joint degree (Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, and the University of Montpellier) which trains us to be environmental management players capable of integrating biodiversity conservation challenges with the specific socio-economic context of a given territory.
To obtain my master’s degree, I did an end of study internship with ACTeon; a research company that provides environmental consulting.
What is your role in the project?
I’m involved in the final evaluation stage. This stage is designed to analyse the social, economic and environmental dimensions of initiatives undertaken by project partners. In practice, we highlight the strengths and weaknesses of a given project with a view to improving measures to protect the European hamster. For this, ACTeon mainly conducts interviews and internet surveys among project partners, those involved in the conservation of the European hamster (including farmers, regional planners, local councillors and European researchers) and biodiversity conservation, as well as among Alsace residents. We are particularly interested in how measures introduced are perceived by the different parties involved, and what they mean in terms of the challenges of protecting this emblematic rodent of Alsace. At the end of the project, I’ll also have an opportunity to be involved in the European workshop organised by ACTeon, to present the project results.
What is it about LIFE Alister that appeals to you?
It’s the practical aspects of the project that immediately made me want to get involved. While measures are indeed focused on the European hamster, this species is far from being the only one to face these problems. The challenge of the LIFE Alister project is to raise awareness in respect of the interest and the urgency of protecting biodiversity.
