The Rufford Foundation is a UK registered charity that funds nature conservation projects around the world. The fellowship program funds people working in developing countries who are starting out in conservation research and establishing pilot programs. Scientists in the early stages of their careers are identified and provided with targeted support to enable them to achieve their goals of making a difference in conservation. Applicants are not restricted to qualified scientists, but must be able to compile a written report, describe and quantify the success of their work with appropriate references.
In the years 2020/2021, the Rufford Foundation, in partnership with IFV, awarded five scholarships (master’s and doctorate) to students from the local State University of Santa Cruz (UESC). Among the studies developed we can mention:
- Influence of local and landscape characteristics on the assembly of orchid bees (Apidae: Euglossini) in forest fragments and cocoa agroforests - Matheus Yuri Halmenschlager.
- Influence of local and landscape characteristics on different components of bird diversity - Sueli Souza Damasceno.
- Restoring the past, rebuilding the future: how can genetic parameters subsidize forest restoration? - Taruhim Miranda Cardoso Quadros.
