I first met Dung Nguyen Van, Free the Bears Vietnam Programme Manager, in Cat Tien National Park (Vietnam) in 2017. He was very much a man on a mission as the brand-new bear sanctuary was due to open that July, and his pride for what they had achieved was unmistakable. What I didn’t realise was
Katie Propp is an ecologist and wildlife educator, currently working as the Conservation Education Director at Penguins International. With 18 years of experience in the field of wildlife conservation, Katie shares her tips and tricks in delivering effective science communication, as well as her advice for landing your very own dream job with wildlife. Katie’s
Originally from Michigan, USA, David Mills has had a long relationship with Africa and mammalian carnivores since the 2000s. He started his conservation career in 2002, volunteering and working with cheetahs, leopards, and human wildlife conflict. Years later, for his PhD, David studied African golden cats in Uganda, a species which no one had studied,
Growing up in a rural part of Indonesia, rainforest conservationist Indah Sartika Sari knew very little about what conservation was or how to embark on a career in the sector. But she didn’t let this stop her, and her passion for protecting the nearby forests she knew and loved fuelled her towards the managerial position
“Some of the choices that you make are conscious and pre-planned. Very often, they’re by happenstance, and it’s taking advantage of those opportunities when they come through.” Paul Gosling is a specialist environment and sustainability recruiter with over 25 years of experience. He currently works as the National Director for Sustainability at Hays recruitment company,
Can you picture yourself rescuing, rehabilitating or even releasing individuals from a Critically Endangered species in the wild? Or translocating wolves from Canada to be released in Yellowstone National Park in the US? Those are just two examples of the work of Dr. Malcolm McAdie, a Canadian wildlife veterinarian who’s worked with species such as
Daniela Ventura is a Caribbean wildlife biologist and bird bander based in Havana, Cuba. Fascinated by nature from a young age, Daniela started studying biology at the University of Havana as soon as she finished high school. She continues to work there since her graduation as both a biology lecturer and bird research scientist. Daniela
Janne Raassina is an entrepreneur focusing on environmental restoration in Eastern Finland. He has a background in forestry and he focuses on restoring landscapes and water systems, such as rivers and lakes, into a more natural state. There’s been an explosion of new projects in the field of environmental restoration in recent years, with newfound
Originally from the UK, Kate Sheridan is a conservation biologist and scuba diver, living and working in the Maldives for a coral restoration and research project, Reefscapers. Although everyday life looks like a tropical dream – marine conservation set in island paradise – we discuss some of the hardships of creating a long-term career in
“I knew what I wanted, and I went for it” says Dr Marisa Tellez. From about 5 years old, instead of playing with dolls, Dr Marisa Tellez was evolving her knowledge of the world’s top predators. Starting with her love for great white sharks, Marisa became fascinated by this species that survived the mass extinction
Stella Diamant is a passionate conservation biologist who founded the Madagascar Whale Shark Project, introduced a code of conduct for Whale Shark tourism, initiated an environmental education programme for Malagasy youth, and has identified almost 500 individual Whale Sharks. She’s now working in collaboration with other NGOs and has helped ensure the code of conduct
Flavia Tirelli is a Brazilian research scientist and conservationist focused on mammalian carnivores especially small wildcats. After completing her Masters at Federal University of Rio Grande o Sul (UFRGS) and her PhD at the private university (PUCRS) in Brazil, Flavia continues to follow her passion by monitoring wildcats and addressing issues of human-wildlife conflict that
There is no doubt sea turtles are one of the most marvellous but most endangered animals in our oceans. A study in Uruguay showed that 70% of green turtles had marine debris in at least one section of their digestive tract 1 – which is shocking. However, what if you can educate children, teenagers and
Last year, Sir David Attenborough said that saving the planet is now a communications challenge. And within conservation there is a growing realisation that we need to do much more to share our messages, to encourage more support and action. As a result, conservation employers are rapidly looking for people with communications skills. They want
“I had a yellow rain jacket that was just white with guano, and I learnt pretty quickly that I had to close my mouth when looking up”. They do not teach you everything in school; sometimes the field turns into your school. Mathieu Charette, an ornithologist from Montreal, Canada, and director of the Toucan Ridge
Barbara Arizaga is the Director of Communications for the Galápagos Conservancy, an organization based out of the beautiful town of Puerto Ayora in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. The Galápagos Conservancy is committed to protecting one of the world’s most unique island chains and the animals that inhabit them, such as the critically endangered Pink Land
Surita Volland is a bushbaby enthusiast and, on top of her regular job at Johannesburg airport, the founder of Save the Fourways Bushbabies. This small-scale NPO in Johannesburg, South Africa, is working to save the Fourways land corridor from commercial development – a corridor that the bushbabies have made their home. Read on to hear
The beautiful British Virgin Islands (BVI) are a chain of more than fifty volcanic islands between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The country is home to a huge variety of rare plant and wildlife species. Nancy Pascoe, Deputy Director for Science, Research and Environmental Policy at the National Parks Trust of the
Jetske Bouma is a Dutch environmental economist working for PBL, the Environmental Assessment Agency the Netherlands (Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving). With over twenty years of experience in research and policy evaluation in this field, Jetske has worked internationally on important environmental economic projects from Costa Rica to India. As a teenager wanting to make a
Alicia Hayden is a UK-based wildlife artist, filmmaker, animator, writer, and photographer. She has a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Oxford and a master’s degree in Wildlife Filmmaking from the University of the West of England. Alicia currently works as an Illustrator and Junior Researcher for the BBC Natural History Unit in
Are you an NGO seeking to build or expand an ecolodge? Apply here for USD $50,000 in funding until 15th April 2023 Rowens Cristancho is a Latin American conservation officer working for the small, non-profit organisation, Conservation Allies (CA). Their mission is to help local NGOs across the globe maximise funding by eliminating the administrative
“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” – Anne-Marie Bonneau. Conservationist, zoologist and award-winning wildlife photographer Lara Jackson is an inspirational female patron, who is passionate about using her unique skills in photography to tell stories about critically endangered species. Throughout her global
“If you take care of the little things, the big things take care of themselves” – Renford Reese For many, it’s hard to imagine the intricate inner workings of agricultural ecosystems, especially in a place like Australia. With diversity across temperate and tropical environments, we tend to take the contribution of floral resources and their
Campaigning, communications and engagement are key tools in conservation work today, and they almost always rely on digital technology! Emma Marsh is the Executive Director of Digital Technology and Communications at RSPB, where she oversees the charity’s global digital technology, communications, campaigning, and engagement work. Emma shared her experience of switching careers into conservation as
“The future depends on what we do in the present”- Mahatma Gandhi There are many ways in which individuals can make a difference in turning the tide against the biodiversity and climate crisis, from becoming politically active to eating less meat and with the seasons, riding a bike to work or staying local for holidays
Xavi Reñé is a Barcelona-based illustrator with over ten years of experience. He illustrates in the field of wildlife conservation art, having worked for various commissioners from sanctuaries to foundations. Xavi currently works as a conservation illustrator and artist for Rewilding Europe, a non-profit foundation working on rewilding on the local, national, and continental level
Professor Juliet Vickery is Chief Executive Officer of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), President of the British Ornithologists’ Union (BOU), Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge and Honorary Professor at the University of East Anglia. Juliet generously made time to share her career story with me and to reflect on BTO’s recent
Conflicts between humans and wildlife are very common in Africa. These conflicts will most likely increase due to the growth of the human population. By 2050, the human population of Africa is expected to double in size, resulting in an ever-increasing need for space to grow food and built houses. The expansion of human civilization
Karla Pound, 34 years old, is a zookeeper and an expedition leader with an incredible story to tell. Currently with Coral Expeditions, Karla works on large tour boats, taking guests on expeditions through some of the most beautiful and remote parts of the world. Having just finished guiding the Kimberley season in remote north-western Australia,
Jordan is an ecologist, conservation activist, science communicator, and project coordinator for COPROT, Communidad Protectora de Tortugas de Osa, a community-based turtle conservation program on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. Jordan is also the founder of One Planet Conservation Awareness, an online platform supporting conservation organisations with raising awareness and funds for their projects
