From Desert Roots to Global Impact: Alexandria’s Conservation Journey
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.
While working at the Al Areen reserve Alex was able to spend some time developing her skills in wildlife photography. This is a rescue giraffe that came to be cared for in the reserve.
After finishing school locally, she headed west to study at the University of California, Davis, where she completed a degree in animal science specialising in companion and captive animals. Four years in the U.S. changed everything: exposure to global conservation challenges, and the Western lens on these challenges, shifted her goal from becoming a domestic-pet vet to working with wild species on a larger scale.
Returning home in the middle of the 2020 pandemic, Alexandria jumped straight into hands-on work. A six-month internship at Bahrain’s pearling institute introduced her to marine conservation, researching oyster-bed health and sustainability. This experience expanded her knowledge base, underscoring the vital importance of marine ecosystems, and broadened her understanding of conservation beyond the traditional terrestrial mammals.
Her time interning and training at AlAreen Wildlife Park and Reserve proved even more eye-opening. Working alongside the keepers, many of whom held practical experience without formal qualification, taught her more about animal behaviour and real-world care than any textbook ever could. Those experiences underlined to Alexandria just how much knowledge exists outside of Western academia and how underrepresented and undervalued this wisdom is on a global scale.
A baby Mynah bird in the palm of Alex’s hand; a tiny friend found in the fields of the reserve.
Alexandria’s early career years were a patchwork of roles that built transferable skills:
- Veterinary technician
- Animal-relocation coordinator (moving everything from household pets to CITES-listed species)
- Communications specialist
One highlight of her career so far was helping craft the 25th-anniversary campaign for Emirates Nature-WWF in the UAE while working at a regional communications agency. Every job, even the tough or poorly paid ones, equipped Alexandria with a practical toolkit that she still relies on today. She now balances a full-time role in ethical animal relocation with a position as Global Representatives Coordinator for Women in Wildlife. In the latter, Alexandria amplifies women and gender-diverse conservationists from South America to New Zealand, ensuring that stories from underrepresented regions have a platform to reach a global audience. Through social impact and community-building she stays deeply connected to conservation without always being in the field.
A black jaguar, happily rolling around in the sand of the reserve, Alex recalls friendly purrs.
Alexandria’s message to anyone starting out is simple and hard-won: don’t give up, even when the road feels impossible. Frustration, unpaid internships, and unfair employers are part of the journey, but persistence and a supportive community make the difference. Conservation isn’t only about working directly with wildlife in remote places; social impact, awareness, and advocacy are equally valid and necessary ways to contribute.
Change your mind as often as you need to, say yes to unexpected opportunities, and look for your own “pockets of happiness” along the way. A childhood dream of a family-run farm evolved into lifting up other women’s voices, proof that there are countless ways to protect the natural world, and that every small step counts.
For more inspiration, check out our Key Conservation Roles overview, including roles in Marine Conservation and Conservation Communications. If you’re considering a career switch or building skills in advocacy, explore our Ultimate Guide to Conservation Careers.
Author Profile
Sarah Donaldson is a medical doctor by profession, her passion lies in healing and protecting all things vulnerable.