“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

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Saving lion strongholds in the Bénoué ecosystem – An interview with Whitley Award Winner, Dr Serge Kamgang

The Bénoué ecosystem in northern Cameroon is the hotspot for lions in West and Central Africa. However in this area, which includes three national parks – Faro, Bénoué and Bouba-Ndjidda – and 32 hunting zones, only 250 lions remain across the vast 30,000 km² landscape. The region has faced severe threats from habitat loss and

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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

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“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

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The intersection of commerce and conservation

“If we want to conserve wildlife, maybe we need to eat it.” This is a surprising and provocative statement to my ears, but perfectly logical to Francis Vorhies, a Conservation Economist of more than three decades. Having worked in multiple countries, from private enterprises to NGOs and international agencies including the International Union for Conservation

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Conservation fundraising success stories

Did you know that 88% of conservationists rely on fundraising? In a sector dominated by charities, the majority of conservation projects are funded by donors. These can include large grants secured from governments and foundations to smaller donations via public campaigns, appeals, events and membership drives. Whether it’s conserving frogs in Ghana, or reintroducing Bears

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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

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How do you find your holy grail in conservation? Advice from re-wilding and carnivore conservationist Dr David Mills

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,

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2023 Whitley Award Winners celebrated for innovative solutions to biodiversity loss

On 26 April 2023 The Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) recognised six outstanding conservationists with 2023 Whitley Awards for their work to protect wildlife and ecosystems in partnership with local communities, spearheading solutions to the key drivers of biodiversity loss around the world. Kenya’s Dr Shivani Bhalla, a former Whitley Award winner, was separately honoured

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Nature through the lens: An interview with award-winning wildlife photographer Lara Jackson

“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

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Breaking into the conservation sector

As a career switcher, I have a very personal understanding of the misconceptions that surround working in the conservation sector, especially when it comes to ‘breaking into conservation’. I can relate to that feeling of despair brought on by the natural assumption that the only way in is to go via the costly and time-consuming

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Slow and steady wins the race – social justice through turtle conservation

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

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