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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
Stephanie Nicolaides
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
Sera Samarna
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
Emily Pickett
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
Giuliana Vomero
“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.
Emily Pickett
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
Katie Cohan
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
Julie Singleton
Flora’s journey to a career with Mossy Earth (an organisation dedicated to restoring wild ecosystems and biodiversity through transparent, high-impact rewilding and reforestation projects) reads like a conservationist’s fairy tale. Born in Austria, she moved to Portugal as a young child, growing up along the banks of the Mira Basin (a biodiversity hotspot encompassing diverse
Sarah Donaldson
Dr Maria Joana Ferreira da Silva grew up in Portugal, and later became a conservation genetics and primatology researcher in the African bush. In this interview, she shares her pathway and offers advice to anyone following in her footsteps. Initial inspiration It all began in Portugal in the 1990s when Dr Ferreira da Silva was
Katie Cohan
When Dr. Iury Simoes-Sousa, Computational Physical Oceanographer and Postdoctoral Investigator at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, started his career as an oceanographer and data scientist, he would never have expected that a manatee named Tico would introduce a new meaning to his research and professional career. Born and raised in Fortaleza, Brazil, Iury was surrounded by
Giuliana Vomero
What does it take to bring down an international wildlife trafficking ring? For Tim Santel, the answer lies in decades of experience, a refusal to play it safe and a belief that bold investigations can change the world. As a kid growing up in the rural Midwest, USA, Tim couldn’t have predicted that one day
Stephanie Nicolaides
As a kid growing up in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, USA, Dr Cynthia Frasier didn’t picture herself working in conservation. In fact, she wasn’t sure she even wanted to go to college. But now, as a Research Scientist at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, she’s spent years helping protect Madagascar’s lemurs and
Molly Schools
From beginning with tools such as brushes and paint to now navigating across the Atlantic aboard a research vessel, Dr Philippa Rickard’s journey from fine art to marine biogeochemistry is as fluid and captivating as the waters she studies. Now she’s a postdoctoral research conducting the ocean’s crucial surface microlayer, its importance for air-sea gas
Andrew Monks
What does it take to leave behind a high-flying corporate career and devote your life to protecting wildlife? For Erika van der Westhuizen, the answer lay in courage, community and a deep love for nature. After more than two decades in the world of banking and law, Erika made the bold decision to step away
Stephanie Nicolaides
Farhana Azmi, Marine Biologist at TRACC (Tropical Research and Conservation Centre), has an energy that is contagious. Describing herself as a “glass-half-full” kind of person, her passion for the ocean shines through in everything she does. From her work at TRACC on Pom Pom Island in Malaysia, collaborating with volunteers, to her mission to inspire
Emily Pickett
In just about every kindergarten or preschool class, half the kids say they want to be a marine biologist. Were you one of them? As we grow up, that number shrinks and only a few adults actually get to live out that childhood dream. Maybe that is because becoming a marine biologist actually means becoming
Molly Schools
Have you ever passed by an animal that was run over on a highway? Have you ever wondered what impact those kills have on the conservation of biodiversity? Or better yet, whether anything can be done to prevent it? Fernanda Abra has… And today, she runs a successful consulting company that actively works to mitigate
Mayan Press Goldfreind
What can three decades in one wild place teach us about conservation? In this episode, we sit down with Craig Ralston – Natural England Senior Reserve Manager at Yorkshire’s Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve – to explore his remarkable 30-year journey of restoring landscapes, inspiring communities, and navigating change. Craig shares his reflections on the
Dr Nick Askew
Based in Malaysia, Jeethvendra Kirishnamoorthie combines his work in turtle conservation with underwater photography and a commitment to the message that marine conservation is something everyone can do. Having recently completed his master’s degree in marine biology, and finishing seven years with TRACC (Tropical Research and Conservation Centre), he’s now transitioning into environmental consultancy. At
Emily Pickett
What does it take to bridge the worlds of science, policy and industry to tackle one of the planet’s most urgent environmental threats? Meet Ginevra Oertel, a PhD candidate at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, whose research focuses on developing microplastic pollution prevention strategies in the maritime sector. Ginerva’s academic background spans an impressive
Stephanie Nicolaides
Traditionally when thinking of conservation, we may not have considered economists on the sector’s front line. However, Georgia’s Aleksandre Mikeladze clearly illustrates the vital role of the economist through his work with SABUKO (Society for Nature Conservation). SABUKO is an organisation focused on finding long-term, sustainable solutions that benefit both Georgia’s biodiversity and its people
Anna Titova
Dr David Shiffman has loved sharks since he was young, so he naturally gravitated towards studying them and became a marine conservation biologist. But he soon discovered that, in the conservation world, there is often a gap between what the research suggests we should do to help animals, versus what actually gets done. “I went
Katie Cohan
To learn the realities of life as a Conservation Ranger, Erich Goold takes us to the remote and windswept coastline of the Fransmanshoek Conservancy, nestled along South Africa’s Southern Cape near the fishing town of Mossel Bay. This coastal conservancy, known for its rich marine biodiversity, dramatic rocky shores, and unique fynbos vegetation, is a
Stephanie Nicolaides
Can you imagine spending your working days surveying reefs underwater, leading local conservation projects and working with government agencies in marine protected area management? That is exactly where Nazirul Azmi’s career path has taken him – from a childhood spent in the Malaysian outdoors, to dedicating his career to protecting that same environment where he
Caroline Fitzgerald
Can a primary (elementary) school teacher be a conservationist? It wasn’t a question on Edd Moore’s mind when he first took his job as a freshly qualified teacher, trained in sport science. However, having soon decided to create a school garden, he continued along this unexpected path and transformed his campus from an ‘eco’ blank
Claire Tyrrell
Molly Fairclough, an outdoor enthusiast and nature advocate, currently works as a Coastal Project Officer at the Vale of Glamorgan Council in South Wales. To learn more about her people- and place-centred conservation journey, read Swimming in home waters: Conservation starts at home. In this article, we will cover Molly’s ambition to make conservation a
Laura Hayter
Molly Fairclough, an ocean lover, marine advocate and now Coastal Projects Officer at the Vale of Glamorgan Council, South Wales, has always felt a deep connection to nature. Her conservation career began on her doorstep. When the right job arose, Molly leapt at the opportunity to engage with her community and protect the natural beauty
Laura Hayter
How One Caribbean Biologist is Shaping the Future of Conservation From Cambridge to the Tropics. In this episode of the Conservation Careers Podcast, we speak with Dr Howard Nelson—Lecturer in Conservation Leadership at Fauna & Flora International and the University of Cambridge. Howard brings over 30 years of experience across the Caribbean and the UK,
Dr Nick Askew
In Mozambique’s Niassa Special Reserve, Dr Samuell Bilerio, a wildlife veterinarian and passionate advocate for human-wildlife coexistence, is making a profound impact. His approach to conservation goes beyond veterinary care; it integrates community involvement, innovative solutions, and long-term planning. His career highlights the crucial role that veterinary medicine plays in broader conservation efforts, particularly in
Stephanie Nicolaides
Remember those evenings glued to the television, mesmerised by the roaring lions of the Sahara watching that wildlife documentary? For some of us, those childhood encounters with the wild sparked a fire that never quite went out. That’s how Rithwik Sundar, a literature graduate from India, found his calling. Proving that a passion for wildlife,
Sera Samarna
