After graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 2005, Canadian Aram Kazandjian took the expected route into the corporate sector. Fast forward 12 years and he was living in a national park in Sierra Leone as Manager of Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Aram shares his route into conservation and discusses how typical ‘business’ skills are
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
In this episode we’re speaking with Dr Kate Evans – Founder and Director of Elephants for Africa. She is an award-winning behavioural ecologist and conservation biologist, with over 25 years of experience in running wildlife research and conservation projects. Since establishing the charity Elephants for Africa in 2007, Kate has been responsible for funding their
Greta Francesca lori is the Director of Program Development for the Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation and advises various African governments, International Organisations and NGOs on issues of wildlife crime and conservation. We discussed the importance of trusting your gut instinct and championing small wins. Could you explain what your role is now? I would say
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic I was fortunate enough to steal an hour of time from Rupert Koopman, the Conservation Manager for the Botanical Society of South Africa (BotSocSA). Prior to this role Rupert spent more than a decade as a botanist with CapeNature, focusing on Fynbos, threatened species and habitats in the
Wildlife ACT is an award-winning wildlife conservation organisation running Critically Endangered and priority species conservation projects in South Africa. They provide wildlife monitoring services and state-of-the-art animal tracking and anti-poaching equipment at no charge to several reserves across KwaZulu-Natal, working closely with many other global conservation organisations, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Endangered
“Local people should be at the forefront of the solutions to the challenges facing their wildlife. Sometimes, change can only come when the people most affected and impacted take charge. Local communities play an important role in fighting poaching and illegal wildlife trade, which are major threats affecting lions and other wildlife.” – Moreangels Mbizah Moreangles Mbizah
COVID-19’s arrival in Africa will have disastrous repercussions for the local staff employed in conservation and the animals they protect. It does, however, highlight the danger of illegal wildlife trading and adds pressure for governments to act. Throughout Africa, conservation and wildlife tourism is primarily staffed by local Africans; guides, anti-poaching units, educators, drivers, cleaners, chefs, to name but a few. These people rely on the income to
Organisations tell Conservation Careers the challenges they are facing during the COVID-19 outbreak and how to help the industry at a time when it needs you the most. At the start of the year, COVID-19 or Coronavirus, was starting to hit headlines. Fast-forward to April and the unprecedented global outbreak and repercussions have taken many by surprise.
Lana Müller has been involved in carnivore research and community-based conservation for almost a decade and has experience working in multiple National Parks and community conservancies across Africa. She has been instrumental in the on-going success of organisations like the Cape Leopard Trust and the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust. She is currently the Operations and
With over 800 species of birds in South Africa and over 100 of them threatened, where do you start with trying to conserve them? Growing up in South Africa, Mark Anderson was taken out into the bush for days on end by his grandfather and from an early age he knew that he wanted to
Born Free is delighted to announce that SNARED, a new radio drama about an age-old conflict – the poaching of Africa’s wildlife – will premier in a synchronised broadcast on Saturday 10th November 2018. Taking place on the 23rd anniversary of Nigerian writer, television producer and environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa’s execution, the radio play will be aired
Angie Willemse from Boots on the Ground arrived in South Africa four years ago to continue her training in wildlife and travel photography. She now lives near Kruger National Park and has looked extinction in the eye, travelled through warzones in Mali and met the gorillas of Rwanda. While travelling through southern Africa, Angie filmed
Dale Wright is the Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) Conservation Implementation Manager for BirdLife South Africa, where he focuses on the safe-guarding of South Africa’s Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), as well as the direction of conservation programs within these areas. How did you first become interested in conservation? Was it something you
Hayley Blackwell is the Scientific Officer for Elephants for Africa (EfA), originally from the UK, but has been living and working in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, Botswana since 2016. Initially joining EfA as a volunteer research assistant for one year, Hayley was offered the position of Scientific Officer, an opportunity she couldn’t refuse… What
South Africa is home to an abundance of frogs and toads (~130 species) and Dr Jeanne Tarrant is taking a lead to be the saviour for these ‘little’ guys. As the manager of the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Threatened Amphibian Programme (TAP), she and her team aim to address a growing need for the involvement of
In theory, the cut and thrust of the corporate world is a far cry from the ideal of the conservation industry. But, conservation is a business, and the skills that make a multi-national corporate thrive, can be utilised to boost conservation projects, too. Prior to 2014, Stuart Isham Fairbairns, the Kruger Business Manager for African
Conservation Careers Blogger Christine Pereira interviews Aaron Weil – Federal Conservation Advocate for Environment America – about his fascinating career story… Why do you work in conservation? As a child, I didn’t really have much opportunity to enjoy nature as I would have liked, so I spent many of my summers at a camp where I was in
Joan Kawaka is a Marine Research Scientist working with CORDIO East Africa (www.cordioea.net) and a proud mother of two. She has over six years of experience working with East African coastal communities and in the marine ecosystems of the Western Indian Ocean. Conservation Careers Blogger Michael Murunga interviewed her to hear her fascinating story. How
Katie Rooke holds a BSc in Zoology and Marine Biology from Aberdeen University and an MRes from Bristol University in Brown Hyaena translocation. She currently works in South Africa, running the Askari Wilderness Volunteer Programme. She is an ideal advocate for anyone trying to pursue a career in conservation within Southern Africa. Here she gives an
Do you remember the first time your passion for the environment felt nurtured? Was it after an education workshop or outdoor experience with an educator? Did you make a change of habit after it? If you do, chances are those educators are thrilled the same way Yolanda Sánchez is, every time she finishes an activity!
Picture a wild savanna, teeming with life. Millions of insects hum in the dense undergrowth, birds flock in the skies, and elusive mammals can be glimpsed through the tall grasses. You might be picturing lions and giraffes, but this is not Africa. It’s the Cerrado savanna in central Brazil, and it’s in critical danger. Brazil’s
Have you ever looked back on your life and wondered how you ended up where you are now? You too? Join Charlotte Daniels, then! Charlotte is a Primatologist based in Nairobi, Kenya. She currently works as a United Nations Volunteer for the UN Environment Programme, working on the Vanishing Treasures project and supporting the Secretariat
Tucked away in a remote corner of southwestern Uganda lies a hidden gem, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its exceptional biodiversity, it is home to nearly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. A forest oasis in the midst of one of Uganda’s poorest and most densely
There are many threatened species in the world, but Southeast Asia’s Critically Endangered species are particularly vulnerable to extinction. With limited conservation attention on these species in the region, the IUCN SSC Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP) was formed to end species extinctions of birds, amphibians, mammals, freshwater fish, and reptiles. ASAP is a partnership
In his final year as a university undergraduate, Kumar Paudel founded the non-profit organisation Greenhood Nepal. It created a platform for young people like himself who lacked experience but wanted to contribute to the conservation field. Kumar shares how since its foundation in 2012 Greenhood Nepal and its team have ‘grown up’ together to become
Professor Jane Hill, OBE (Order of the British Empire), is a Professor of Ecology at the University of York in England. She is President and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, a trustee of the South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership and, formerly, a trustee of the British Ecological Society. Her research primarily
“Ultimately environmental protection is about the protection of human rights – you can’t separate the two.” Tatenda Muponde is an environmental lawyer at the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), a non-profit organisation and law clinic based in Cape Town, South Africa. She is part of a team of activist lawyers who defend the rights of
Within conservation there is a growing realisation that we need to do much more to share our messages and encourage more support and action. As a result, conservation employers are rapidly looking for people with communications skills. They want staff who can plan communications activities, write effectively, get press and media attention, engage audiences on
What role does ‘urban greening’ have in the world of conservation? This is one question that Angus Cunningham, horticulturalist and CEO of Scotscape, considers, as he shares his enthusiasm for this new and burgeoning industry. While Scotscape is amongst the market leaders in the UK, the phenomenon is worldwide. “Wherever you are in the world”
