From Mexico to Cameroon, Riccardo Pavesi has worked in almost ten countries across three continents. As an agronomist, his role bridges the critical sectors of agriculture and environment, for a more sustainable future. As of 2025, he works freelance, dividing his time between managing an agroforestry initiative in Spain and consultancy.
Discover how marine guide Ilizna turned a love for the ocean into a career in conservation, storytelling, and marine stewardship along South Africa’s Garden Route.
“Is it love to possess and restrict other beings?” The question comes from Juliana Ferreira, Executive Director of Freeland South America, and it is not rhetorical. It is an invitation to rethink how we relate to wildlife, consumption, and conservation itself. “Demand is born from the desire to have, to own,” Juliana explains. “Since childhood, we’re
What does conservation look like when it begins not in boardrooms or policy documents, but in the soil beside a grandmother’s home? For Bruno Omondi Otieno, founder of the K’ombija Community in Kenya, conservation is not a profession separated from people’s daily lives.
Find and secure conservation volunteering and internships that fit your goals – no matter your background, budget or career stage. Course Outline Conservation experience, like volunteer and internships, can open career doors and change lives – but finding the right opportunity can feel overwhelming, competitive or costly. In just a few hours we’ll guide you
The world of marine conservation often looks glamorous on screen, but the reality is very different. “In documentaries, they show Earth as a pristine Eden” explains marine biologist Jeethvendra Kirishnamoorthie. “But in reality, when you visit these areas, you see a lot of trash.” “What we see on TV is just the 1%, the cool
Growing up in Bahrain, a small island nation in the Middle East, Alexandria first fell in love with animals through frequent vet visits with the family cats. Wildlife is rare in the desert landscape of Bahrain, so childhood dreams centred on one day running a big family farm. After finishing school locally, she headed west
In his new documentary project, Attenborough’s Animals: An Accessible Adventure, Ryan Eddowes is on a mission to search the globe for the over 40 lifeforms named in honour of Sir David Attenborough. As Ryan was born with bilateral clubfoot (talipes) and recently recovered from a below-knee amputation, his project is unique in that it not
Mya Bambrick is a rising force in UK conservation – an award-winning wildlife conservationist, filmmaker and writer, who’s turning heads and winning hearts. At just 23, she’s out in the field working for the Birds of Poole Harbour charity in the UK, leading wildlife experiences, school’s education programmes and public events. Her aim? To spark
Who is Tintswalo Mukhari? She’s not a scientist or politician; she’s a high school student from St Catherine’s Convent in South Africa who is proving that youth can drive real environmental change. What is she doing? Together with her co-captain, Lesedi Kgarimetsa, Tintswalo leads the True Blue Recycling Club, a school-based initiative turning everyday waste
“Fear turns into respect the moment you meet a shark on its own terms.” It’s a sentence that neatly captures the arc of Grant’s life, a journey that begins with childhood terror, moves through unexpected encounters, and ultimately unfolds into a career dedicated to education, research and practical conservation management inside one of Africa’s most
What does it mean to speak for the ocean? For Esther Jacobs, a conservation storyteller, mother and campaigner whose journey spans from the cold coasts of Scotland to the vibrant marine ecosystems of South Africa, it means combining emotion with science, storytelling with advocacy, and turning life’s hardest challenges into a voice for change. Esther’s
Protecting the planet requires more than data and fieldwork – it’s resilience, curiosity and connection with local communities that truly make the difference. Marine biologist Alex O’Brien shares how he has cultivated these qualities throughout his career in conservation. Alex stands out most clearly for his unwavering sense of purpose: few children who dream of
What happens when a biologist swaps the microscope for a camera, and discovers that storytelling can be just as powerful as science? From Arctic expeditions to coral reefs, from UNESCO heritage sites to naval and research vessels, Casper Tybjerg’s journey has spanned over two decades and 64 countries, a lifetime dedicated to showing the world
Rahayu Oktaviani, an Indonesian primate conservationist, has dedicated her career to protecting the Javan gibbon, an elusive primate found in Java, Indonesia. Seeking adventure, she studied Forest Resource Conservation and Ecotourism at university and worked part time with NGOs (non-governmental organisations). Today, Rahayu runs KIARA (Yayasan Konservasi Ekosistem Alam Nusantara), which she created to ensure
How rewilding is helping nature and people thrive in Portugal and beyond, with our Rewilding Expert in Residence, Pedro Ribeiro. If you’ve ever wondered what rewilding really means – or what it takes to make it happen on the ground – this episode is for you. We’re joined by Pedro Ribeiro, our Rewilding Expert in
In the heart of Mossel Bay, where the Indian Ocean meets South Africa’s Garden Route, Andrea Rowlands-Bradfield stands as a lighthouse for youth, conservation and purpose-driven leadership. Her story is a sweeping saga of adventure, reinvention and resilience, a journey that spans continents, career paths and conservation frontlines. Today, Andrea is the Co-founder and Director
In a world so often rushed and reactive, some individuals lead with presence, purpose and a deep understanding of place. Andrea Bradfield is one of them. From rhino-tracking in remote bushveld to mentoring marine guides along South Africa’s southern coast, her journey is stitched together not by ambition, but by intention. This is the story
Long before fieldwork and research papers, Dr Jamie McKaughan was the kind of child who brought home worms as gifts and tracked frogs through damp grass with his dad. “I was wildlife-obsessed,” he laughs. “Peregrines were my first obsession -everything fast, I loved. Then came cheetahs, then tigers… I just seemed to go through phases
Meet Helen Walsh, a conservationist who’s bridging the power between science and communication. As one of the first graduates of a unique and innovative Masters in Biological Photography and Imaging at the University of Nottingham (UK), she has spent her career cultivating the power of storytelling to drive ecological understanding and conservation efforts. With a
The forest near the Congolese border was thick with tension. The mission: intercept the illicit cargo, dismantle the syndicate and avoid casualties. This kind of covert “sting”, an undercover operation designed to catch criminals in the act, was familiar territory for Grevis Mutendi. In a remote clearing, long exploited as a smuggling corridor, half a
Dr Marisa Tellez knew from a young age that she was destined to work with the world’s apex predators—particularly crocodiles. While her peers played with dolls, she immersed herself in books, documentaries, and wildlife centres, determined to one day turn her fascination into action. In this episode, we sit down with Dr Tellez, Executive Director
What happens when you stop fearing sharks — and start listening to them? In this inspiring episode, we dive into the extraordinary world of Cristina Zenato – a trailblazing shark behaviourist, cave explorer, and professional diver who has spent over three decades in the Bahamas. As Founder of the non-profit People of the Water, Cristina has
What happens when a former military intelligence officer trades the battlefield for the bushveld? Meet Leon Rossouw, a South African investigator who has transformed decades of tactical expertise into a powerful weapon against wildlife crime. From the plains of Southern Africa to the international networks trafficking endangered species, Leon has been at the frontlines where
Reshu Bashyal is a winner of the 2025 Whitley Awards and the Research and Programme Lead for Greenwood Nepal. Her journey into the world of conservation is a story that begins in a rural Nepalese village, deeply rooted in the natural world. It’s a path that has taken her from the local wisdom of her
Forgive Maluleke is a nature conservationist working for the South African National Defence Force. He roams the bush every day, protecting the plants and animals that live there. But he doesn’t stop there. During his weekends, he runs his own organisation called the Nhlalala Nature Conservation Project. Taking conservation into his own hands and with
From songs sung by marine mammals to the snapping of shrimps, and even the movement of big shipping vessels, the ocean is teeming with a wide array of sounds. Sound is crucial for many marine animals to communicate, mate, feed, and even find a suitable place to live. To understand how natural and human-made sounds
“Conservation is more like a passion than a career.” Forgive Maluleke spends weekdays as a nature conservationist with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), and weekends running his own organisation – the Nhlalala Nature Conservation Project (NNCP). He walks miles through the South African bush, not just to protect nature, but to understand it.
South Africa’s Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve is full of inspiration, from the diversity of the fynbos ecosystem, to the wild bird calls, to the dramatic views of the surrounding community. As Drakenstein Municipality’s nature conservationist stationed at Paarl Mountain, Lindsay Lewis deeply understands the importance of preserving these natural spaces. He is also passionate about
If you want to understand Talkmore Mangunda, start with the forest. For over thirty years, his life has been rooted in forest soil, the air filled with the coughing of samango monkeys and the rhythmic click and buzz of cicadas. “I love the sound of the woodpecker – hollow, rhythmic and at times haunting”, he
