Podcasts Senior Level May 14, 2024 2 min read

Podcast | Navigating conservation challenges in Africa | Ademola Ajagbe

Today we’re speaking with an old friend and colleague Ademola Ajagbe, the Regional Managing Director at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for Africa. Ademola discusses the urgent challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, emphasizing the need for scalable solutions and partnership-based approaches for meaningful impact. He shares TNC’s mission, its’ conservation model, and strategies for

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level April 25, 2024 8 min read

How a miniature monkey is changing Northern Colombia’s relationship with nature

Have you ever caught yourself feeling too small to make a difference? It’s a common experience among conservationists and, considering the severity of global issues including biodiversity loss, resource exploitation, and climate change, it’s not surprising we feel overwhelmed. However, focusing on individual conservation stories it’s easy to see big changes can come from small

Freya Brodrick
Level Early Years March 28, 2024 3 min read

The Conservation Professional Development Programme

The Conservation Professional Development Programme is a totally new coaching programme proven to significantly improve the wellbeing, impact, and career direction of conservation professionals. Following successful pilots with The Wildlife Trusts and RSPB, we’ve launched our first public enrolment with 16 places available until 31st May. Who | The programme is targeted towards early and mid-career

Dr Nick Askew
Podcasts Senior Level March 20, 2024 2 min read

Podcast | Cristianne Close | Deputy Global Conservation Director WWF International

In this episode, we speak with the Deputy Global Conservation Director at WWF International, Cristianne Close.  Cris describes herself as ‘passionate about creating positive change in the world, especially aiming to make the impossible, possible’.  We discuss how she gave up a fast-paced corporate career to follow her purpose and work in conservation.   Now,

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Mid Career February 29, 2024 7 min read

The fight to protect maned wolves in Brazil’s disappearing Cerrado: An interview with Bárbara do Couto Peret Dias from Onçafari

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

Freya Brodrick
Podcasts Senior Level February 5, 2024 2 min read

Podcast | Lise Aangeenbrug | Chief Program Officer at the National Park Foundation

How do you raise nearly $169,000,000 per year to protect and conserve America’s 420+ National Park Sites?  Sites important for recreation, education, and the conservation of endangered landscapes, natural communities and species.  We discuss this, amongst many other things, with Lise Aangeenbrug.  Lise is the Chief Program Officer at America’s National Park Foundation, the official

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level January 25, 2024 11 min read

Working together to fight species extinction | An interview with Asian Species Action Partnership

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

RosieDowsett
Podcasts Senior Level January 8, 2024 2 min read

Podcast | Patience Thody | Deputy Chief Executive The Wildlife Trusts

If you’ve spent time in the UK and visited a local nature reserve, then chances are you’ve been to a site managed by one of the 46 individual Wildlife Trusts that collectively represent 2,000 staff, 35,000 volunteers and nearly 1 million members.   Helping to coordinate this huge force for nature is the Royal Society of

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Senior Level January 4, 2024 12 min read

Riding the waves of knowledge: A conversation with Frances Lang on education and marine conservation

You may notice the landscape of conservation is evolving, becoming increasingly diverse each day, with a growing number of people expressing their interest in getting involved. Numerous opportunities are available, indicating a positive outlook for the future of ocean health. However, amid this positivity, a challenging reality remains – the task of enhancing ocean literacy

Marije Meijer
Interviews Senior Level January 2, 2024 13 min read

From the corporate world to the African forests – how modern conservation is everyone’s ‘business’

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

Claire Tyrrell
Interviews Senior Level December 7, 2023 6 min read

Unlocking your power for conservation with Dr Rebecca Jefferson

If you are passionate about wildlife and conservation, you have probably wondered about the role people can play in conservation. You are not alone. Dr Rebecca Jefferson, Marine Social Scientist, Founder and Director of Human Nature asked herself the same question when she was seeking a career in ocean conservation. Since Dr. Jefferson was a

Giuliana Vomero
Podcasts Senior Level December 4, 2023 3 min read

Podcast | Charu Mishra | The world’s foremost expert on snow leopard conservation

We ran a live event in partnership with Conservation Optimism, to explore and celebrate the work of Dr Charu Mishra – the world’s foremost expert on snow leopard conservation, and double Whitley Gold Award Winner. Conservation Optimism is a global community dedicated to inspiring people to make a positive difference for nature, and co-hosting the

Dr Nick Askew
Podcasts Senior Level November 20, 2023 2 min read

Podcast | Dr Rebecca Jefferson | The power of social science for conservation

Why should more conservationists learn to study people? To better understand them as individuals, communities and societies, alongside their complex behaviours and interactions. This is what today’s podcast is all about, and it’s something termed social science. Here to discuss the power of social science for conservation is today’s guest Dr Rebecca Jefferson.  Rebecca runs Human Nature, a

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Scientist November 9, 2023 9 min read

A career in academia: Researching the impacts of climate change and habitat loss with Professor Jane Hill

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

Jasmine Santilhano
Climate Change Podcasts October 9, 2023 3 min read

Podcast | Laura Dempsey | Collaboration, Education & Innovation (Volunteers for Future) 

What role do schoolchildren play in conservation efforts?   Why target them specifically, and how do you successfully establish and grow a conservation enterprise from scratch – now empowering over 13,000 young people to help tackle climate change and wildlife conservation.  That’s what today’s inspiring guest – Laura Dempsey – has achieved with Volunteers for Future. 

Dr Nick Askew
Interviews Early Years October 4, 2023 9 min read

Finding your wings as an early career conservationist in Egypt

Nadia Sherif is an early career conservationist from Alexandria, Egypt, working for Nature Conservation Egypt (NCE) as a Conservation Officer. Having always been passionate about the wildlife that surrounded her in Egypt, Nadia knew from a young age she wanted to forge herself a career in conservation, an unheard of career option in Egypt at

Katherine Beasley
Scientist Interviews October 2, 2023 7 min read

“Allow yourself to be surprised and you will find beauty in the simplicity – be grateful and share” – Advice from the clouds

“I love the water, a little bit of wind and clouds, so, it’s a good place for me to stay”, says Greilin Fallas Rodriguez, a proud Costa Rican biologist working in the mysterious Cloudbridge Reserve. She excitedly shares that she has found her slice of paradise, having grown up in the beautiful countryside of San

Jordan Gledhill
Scientist Podcasts September 25, 2023 2 min read

Podcast | Renewing biodiversity through a people-in-nature approach (RENEW) with Professor Kevin Gaston

How do people and nature interact? How does nature benefit people? Which interactions have the greatest impacts, and how can research into these questions help tackle some of the biggest issues facing wildlife today?  These are some of the questions which today’s guest has dedicated his career to tackling.  Kevin Gaston is a Professor of

Dr Nick Askew

Taking down the wildlife traffickers – Activism, innovation and courage in conservation

Listening to activist Ofir Drori speak, it is impossible not to be energised by the strength of his passion and determination when discussing his work. Back in 2002 he founded West and Central Africa’s first anti-corruption and wildlife law enforcement NGO, and within seven months his dedicated team of volunteer activists had achieved the region’s

Claire Tyrrell
Interviews Early Years August 21, 2023 6 min read

“Bird Is the word”: An interview with British-Bangladeshi ornithologist, environmentalist and diversity activist Dr. Mya-Rose Craig AKA “Birdgirl”

“You can’t care about what you don’t know about.” Ornithologist, environmentalist, diversity activist as well as an author, speaker and broadcaster Mya-Rose has certainly had an amazing career. Not only has she had many accomplishments, but she was by the age of 17 the youngest person in the world to see half of the world’s

Ryan Eddowes
Interviews Early Years July 24, 2023 8 min read

Five takeaways from my conservation internship

“I never thought I’d ever have a role in the environmental sector, but now I have a range of new skills and a much greater understanding of the state of the natural world.” Jessica Birabil came to Synchronicity Earth originally on a paid two-week work experience placement through our partner Voyage Youth. Her enthusiasm to

Dr Nick Askew
Animal Welfare Interviews July 20, 2023 6 min read

A career journey into the wildlife trade: An interview with Lindsey Harris from Fauna & Flora

Lindsey Harris is the Head of Wildlife Trade at Fauna & Flora, a wildlife conservation charity which works with partners in over 40 countries to preserve habitats, protect endangered species and improve the livelihoods of local communities. She is the ultimate career switcher, identifying the aspects of jobs she enjoys most early on and expertly

Jennifer von Broembsen
Interviews Senior Level July 5, 2023 8 min read

Working in penguin conservation with ecologist and wildlife educator Katie Propp

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

Susie Stockwell
Podcasts Wildlife Carer June 13, 2023 2 min read

Podcast | Dr Malcolm McAdie | Wildlife Veterinarian

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

Dr Nick Askew
Podcasts Senior Level May 15, 2023 2 min read

Stella Diamant | The Madagascar Whale Shark Project

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

Dr Nick Askew