Global Conservation Force Announces 2027 Professional Development Course Catalog

Train. Learn. Get Into the Field.

Global Conservation Force is excited to announce our 2027 Professional Development Course Catalog, bringing together another year of immersive, hands-on conservation training opportunities in the United States and around the world.

GCF’s professional development programs are built around a simple philosophy: you learn conservation by doing conservation.Rather than relying solely on classroom instruction, our programs put participants alongside experienced conservation professionals, wildlife veterinarians, K9 trainers, rangers, field instructors, and working conservation teams. Depending on the program, students may find themselves tracking wildlife through the African bush, training conservation K9s, camping and navigating through the mountains of California, participating in wildlife veterinary operations, or learning the realities of frontline wildlife protection.

Our courses are designed for a wide range of participants, from students and individuals exploring their first steps into conservation to working professionals looking to expand their field experience and technical skill sets.

2027 Courses & Professional Development Programs

K9 Field Training & Integrated Operations

Belize | January 6th – 11th, 2027

Step into the operational side of conservation K9 work.

The Wildlife Conservation K9 Field Training & Integrated Operations Course places participants alongside experienced K9 trainers, handlers, conservation professionals, and active working dogs to explore how K9 teams are integrated into wildlife protection operations.

Training incorporates scent detection, tracking and trailing, field searches, patrol integration, counter-wildlife-trafficking applications, operational procedures, and realistic scenario-based exercises.

Participants don’t simply observe K9 operations, they gain a deeper understanding of how dogs, handlers, rangers, and supporting personnel work together as an operational team.

Program Length: 7 days | 6 nights

Dates: January 6th – 11th 2027

Cost: $2,800 USD

Location: Belize

Instructors: Wesley Visscher & Lauren Watine

Introduction to Anti-Poaching

Southern Africa | May 1st, 2027

For those seeking to pursue wildlife protection at a professional level, GCF’s Introduction to Anti-Poaching Course provides an intensive introduction to the realities and requirements of frontline wildlife protection.

This physically and mentally demanding program combines fieldcraft, wildlife protection skills, emergency medical training, operational exercises, teamwork, endurance, and scenario-based instruction.

The course is deliberately challenging and should be approached with the same level of preparation and commitment expected for demanding ranger, military, or law-enforcement-style training environments.

Course sizes are intentionally limited, with spaces also dedicated to recruits from communities connected to conservation areas.

Program Length: 14 Days

Location: Southern Africa

Dates: May 1st 2027

Cost: $3,000 USD

Wildlife Conservation in Action

Eastern Cape, South Africa | May 16–22, 2027

Go beyond the safari vehicle and experience how wildlife is actually managed.

Formerly our Wildlife Game Capture & Relocation Program, Wildlife Conservation in Action provides participants with hands-on exposure to wildlife veterinary operations, chemical immobilization, wildlife capture and relocation, animal monitoring, dangerous-game behavior, anti-poaching integration, and modern conservation management.

Led by wildlife veterinarians and conservation professionals, participants learn not only how wildlife operations are conducted, but why and when conservation teams intervene.

Wildlife operations may involve species such as rhino, elephant, giraffe, Cape buffalo, and large antelope, depending on legitimate veterinary and conservation needs during the program.

The experience also includes wildlife viewing, game drives, comfortable lodge accommodations, meals, and conservation activities within the Eastern Cape.

Program Length: 7 days | 6 nights

Dates: May 16–22, 2027

Location: Eastern Cape, South Africa

Lodge: Leeuwenbosch Country House, Amakhala Game Reserve

Cost: $3,950 USD PP, Shared Accommodation

Instructors: Dr. William Fowlds, Elias Blaset & Ikhala Veterinary Staff

K9 Tracking & Conservation Scent Detection

June 19–25, 2027

Learn how to build the behavior, work the dog, identify the problem, and develop the solution.

The K9 Tracking & Conservation Scent Detection Course is an intensive professional development program focused on developing K9s, handlers, and trainers for conservation and other professional working-dog applications.

Taught in partnership with Scent Imprint for Conservation Dogs, the course brings together instructors Wesley Visscher and Mike Veale and highly trained working K9s representing multiple breeds and working styles.

Participants will learn how to develop, work, refine, and troubleshoot scent-detection behaviors with applications including endangered species conservation, wildlife monitoring, research, and counter-wildlife trafficking.

The tracking and trailing portion progresses from developing reliable foundational behaviors into more advanced fieldwork, including high-risk K9 tracking concepts and applications.

Whether you’re completely new to K9 training or an experienced handler or trainer looking to work through advanced procedures and protocols, exercises can be adapted to provide focused development appropriate to your experience level.

Program Length: 7 days | 6 nights

Dates: June 19–25, 2027

Location: Ens, Netherlands

Cost: $2,000

Instructors: Wesley Visscher & Mike Veale

Wildlife Protection & Conservation Course

Mammoth Lakes, California | August 1–10, 2027

Ten days. Nine nights. Mountains, backpacks, field training, and very little classroom time.

The Wildlife Protection & Conservation Course is GCF’s immersive introduction to the skills, preparation, teamwork, and field conditions associated with wildlife protection and field conservation.

Participants live and train in the mountains surrounding Mammoth Lakes, California, while developing practical skills in man-tracking, wildlife tracking, fieldcraft, bushcraft, land navigation, radio communications, snare detection, emergency medicine, wildlife identification, conservation K9 operations, remote survival, and team-based field operations.

Expect hiking. Expect camping. Expect changing weather and long days outdoors.

This isn’t designed to replicate a comfortable classroom environment. It’s designed to introduce participants to what it takes to live, move, problem-solve, and operate effectively in the field.

No previous military, law enforcement, or professional conservation experience is required, but participants should arrive physically prepared and ready to participate.

Program Length: 10 days | 9 nights

Dates: August 1–10, 2027

Location: Mammoth Lakes, California

Cost: $2,500 USD

Field Photo Journalist | Africa, Asia, North America

The Field Journalist Professional Development Program with Global Conservation Force offers an in-depth learning experience in conservation storytelling. Participants will apprentice with our Field Photo/Video Journalist, gaining hands-on skills in capturing, editing, and documenting conservation efforts. The program also teaches the art of engaging with stakeholders, donors, and partners while staying true to the story. Participants will learn to effectively publish content across social media, blogs, and other platforms, mastering the full spectrum of field journalism to support and amplify conservation efforts.

Program Length: Overlaps assignments above

Dates: Overlap above dates and programsCost: Varies by location