Now, I want to get more directly involved by going out into the field! .... It comes as no surprise to anyone that biodiversity has been suffering in recent decades.
Lucas Jacquier is a fourth-year student in the DER in Biology program at ENS Paris-Saclay, with a specialization in Artificial Intelligence. He is involved in several organizations dedicated to raising awareness about climate change and biodiversity and is participating in the Année Spécifique de Parcours Engagement Normalien (ASPEN) in 2023.
The journey of an adventurer...
Heading out into the field in South America...
As part of the new Specific Year of the ENS Paris-Saclay Engagement Track, Lucas Jacquier traveled to South America in September 2023 to work on the conservation of large raptors. "Now, I want to get more directly involved by going out into the field! My year began shortly before the start of the academic year with an internship at a wildlife park to learn the techniques and practices involved in working with raptors. I’m leaving for Argentina on September 25, 2023, to join the field station of the Andean Condor Conservation Program (PCCA), which aims to reintroduce the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) to Argentina’s Atlantic coast. Following these four months in the field, I’ll be volunteering at EcoParque in Buenos Aires, the wildlife park responsible for the captive breeding of the Andean condor.Then, after exploring the Argentine pampas, the Andes, and the Atlantic coast, I’ll head to Brazil to work in the Amazon rainforest. This will allow me to get involved with the Harpy Eagle Project and give me the chance to help monitor the nests of harpy eagles! Among these eagles is the impressive Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja), one of the largest eagles in the world. "
...Then offer workshops and lectures to raise awareness among schoolchildren
Once back in France, Lucas plans to conduct workshops and lectures to raise awareness among schoolchildren about biodiversity and its conservation with the Blairoudeurs association.
"The trip and the experience I’ve gained this year will serve as a foundation for me to discuss broader issues surrounding the current collapse of biodiversity, both in the Americas and in Europe. I also hope to apply the experience I gained in America to the conservation of French vultures, particularly the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), by volunteering at the only bearded vulture breeding center in France. "
Why this commitment?
"It comes as no surprise to anyone that biodiversity has been suffering in recent decades. Birds, like other groups, have been severely affected. A recent article (Rigal et al., May 2023) reports a 25% decline in overall European bird populations. This decline reaches as high as 75% for common birds like the tree sparrow! It is therefore urgent that we commit to protecting biodiversity!"
Some groups of birds are more affected than others. Among them, vultures are suffering a dramatic decline in numbers, with losses exceeding 95% in some regions. Yet these birds play an indispensable role in nature: by removing carcasses, they prevent the spread of disease and the proliferation of non-specialized scavengers.
The populations of the Andean condor, as well as that of the ferocious harpy eagle, are in continuous decline. Hence the need for conservation programs for these various species! As well as awareness-raising efforts to protect all living things!