World Pheasant Association :: Scientist Training Workshop

The initial development of the Young Scientists Workshop was during the Pheasants in Asia Conference held in Beijing, China during October 1989. The workshop was really an informal trip taken by a group of young Asian and western biologists to Shaanxi Province to visit Pangquangou Nature Reserve. The general idea during this conference was to give a group of young biologists from around Asia the opportunity to interact and trade experiences and techniques. This was followed by another tour around Pakistan during the 1994 conference.

In 1997, the Scientist Workshop began an evolution to become more formal. Drs. Phil McGowan and John Carroll took the lead with a group of Asian biologists for a week at Phil’s old study area near Kuala Lompat in central Malaysia. Much of the focus was on discussion of projects and issues, thereby demonstrating the commonalities among research and conservation projects from around Asia. This Workshop formalized the concept of sequestering away the group to minimize outside distractions and foster as much interchange of experiences and ideas as possible.

At the Nepal 2000 Conference, once again the Scientist Workshop was led by Phil and John, but this time included Dr. Pete Garson. A formal schedule and some lectures were included in this workshop. This workshop, held at the King Mahendra Research Center at the edge of Royal Chitwan National Park was famous for the “slice and dice” sessions where the group critically evaluated each of the projects they were undertaking. The Scientist Workshop began to evolve to a formal course where in addition to the goals of comraderie among galliform biologists among countries we moved towards collective upgrading and standardization of our field research techniques.

In 2004, the fifth iteration of the young scientists workshop now known as the Scientist Training Workshop was held from April 11-15 at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute located in the town of Mukteshwar, India. Sponsored by the WPA, organized by Rajiiv Kalsi and John Carroll, and led by Rajiv, John, Michael J. Conroy, and Brant Faircloth; participants in the workshop were treated to several days of instruction in and discussion of several topics essential to the conservation and research of galliforms.

Topics covered throughout the week included: statistical sampling, field study design, presence/absence studies, estimation of population parameters, design and utility of radio-telemetry studies, and methods of habitat analysis.

As part of the increasingly formal nature of the workshop, this year’s participants were provided with a notebook containing both the lectures given at the workshop in addition to manuscripts, slides, and computer programs allowing for both a better understanding of the material covered and subsequent analysis of field data collected using the methods discussed.

Indicative of the growing reputation of this workshop, participants in this year’s program represented a diverse group of countries including: Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uganda, and Vietnam.

Support provided by the World Pheasant Association (WPA); WPA-India; the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteshwar; the World Pheasant Association/BirdLife International/IUCN-Species Survival Commission Partridge, Quail, and Francolin Specialist Group; the University of Georgia Research Foundation; the Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, a division of the United States Geological Survey; the Warnell School of Resources at the University of Georgia; and Peter Garson enabled the success of this year’s Scientist Training Workshop continuing the wonderful level of support associated with this workshop since its inception.

For more information, please contact:

John P. Carroll
D. B. Warnell School of Forest Resources
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA, USA 30602
TEL: 706.542.5815
E-mail: John Carroll

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