A bursary from the Government of Jersey has paved the way for Caribbean native, Joshel Wilson, to spend five months in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom, to complete the Durrell Endangered Species Management Graduate Certificate (DESMAN). Developed and delivered by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey, the course offers hands on training in conservation science and species management, attracting students from across the globe.
Joshel’s bursary selection, through Jersey’s Bilateral Programme Fund (BPF), is a tangible benefit of the Education, Sport and Cultural Memorandum of Understanding signed between Jersey and Antigua and Barbuda in 2024. The BPF facilitated the enhancement of Jersey’s international identity and relationships by providing funding for a diverse programme of projects across priority jurisdictions.
“Thanks to the Jersey Government, I’m here today doing the course, and I’m very grateful for it,’ snake specialist Joshel explained. “There are a lot of amazing people in the Caribbean who are passionate about the environment but never get to experience this kind of work. It’s not a common career path. I’ve never had a scholarship from an organisation before and I’d like to keep my relationship with Jersey going into the future.”
Joshel’s journey into wildlife conservation began with a childhood fascination with the natural world, through programmes shown on the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. That developed into a university career which involved searching for a species that had been undocumented in one region for over 40 years.
He holds a full-time role with the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) in Antigua, having initially moved to support a rat eradication programme. Durrell housed the rare Antigua Racer as part of a breeding programme from 1995-2002, while the Jersey Trust currently has a centre based in Saint Lucia, to help protect the rarest snake in the world, the Saint Lucia Racer.
“The course has been fantastic for me,’ Joshel added. “Durrell’s armoury is growing, and people are taking what they’ve learned back to their countries and improving their projects. There’s a wall in the Durrell Academy with photos of people who have gone on to do great work. I hope that funding can spread out into the Caribbean, where I’m hoping to one day start a conservation and environmental department, based on climate change.”
High Commissioner for Antigua and Barbuda, Karen-Mae Hill, said: “The relationship between Antigua and Barbuda and Jersey continues to showcase the immense opportunities for small states to support each other in advocacy, knowledge-transfer and capacity building. We understand each other through our shared realities as island nations and I am pleased to see yet another successful collaboration which will benefit both our Islands as well as the wider Eastern Caribbean”.
