The Percy FitzPatrick Institute opened its doors on the University of Cape Town campus in 1960. Since then more than 50 PhD's and numerous MSc's have graduated from the Fitztitute. The Niven Library is digitising these theses as and when there are requests for copies and making these available as electronic copies.
The theses produced by these graduates, most of which have subsequently been published as scientific papers, can be found by searching the Niven Library OPAC. This can be done by typing in the surname of the graduate in the Name Keyword search box and using the Optional Search filters - change All Collections to Theses.
Conservation biology is the study of how best to sustain and manage linked systems of people and nature. It is a new science that builds on a range of existing disciplines, ranging from ecology and evolution to sociology and economics. Conservation biology is becoming increasingly important for human wellbeing as the impacts of human activities on the biosphere become more significant.
A programme in Conservation Biology was established at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute in 1991 to educate students and conservation practitioners in the fast developing field of conservation science.
The Conservation Biology programme has been running for 21 years and has graduated over 220 students,with 85% now working in key conservation positions around the world.
The theses produced by these students, some of which have subsequently been published as scientific papers, can be found by searching the Niven Library OPAC. This can be done by typing in the surname of the student in the Name Keyword search box or by typing the words conservation biology into the All Keywords search box after changing the All Collections optional search filter to Theses from the drop down menu. This will allow you to browse through all the theses from 1992.
The Niven Library holds the archival collection of BSc Honours Projects of the Department of Zoology. The projects make a valuable contribution to our understanding of animal species and the ecosystems in which they live.
The library is gradually digitising all of these projects and linking the pdfs through the Niven Library OPAC. As these are the only copies available of the BSc Honours studies, these may not be borrowed from the library.
In order to find an honours project in the catalogue, type the surname of the student in the Name Keyword search box and change the Optional Search filter to thesis.