Anne Mauro is currently based in Central Ohio (USA) and has been working in field biology since 2013 with a focus on avian research, specifically wetland and coastal habitats. Anne worked for several years with shorebirds and wading birds in Florida as the Avian Biologist with Rookery Bay Reserve. She presented multiple lectures at festivals and training courses, such as the Florida Master Naturalist course and Rookery Bay's Festival of Birds. Anne joined WildHub in June 2023 and only a few months later she became part of our wonderful Conservation Catalyst team. 

Last month (April) Anne reached the status of Conservation Catalyst Bronze in our community after sharing her 4th lessons learned post. 

Anne's interviews include a conversation with @Emily Caruso at the Global Diversity Foundation about The power of Indigenous community led conservation.  Communities really are the source of knowledge and information and should be the decision-makers about their future." (Emily Caruso, Strategic Advisor and Program Lead, Global Diversity Foundation)

She also spoke with Lemu's Key Partnership Lead, @Karen Curiel to discuss her work building a network of local organisations who aim to expand their funding options in the interview "Technology: a tool for conservation finance":

One thing I have noticed in listening to stakeholders is that they have such powerful stories to share but they sometimes do not have the mechanisms and tools to share them.  We need to identify these stories and find the right places to communicate them." (Karen Curiel Luna, Key Partnerships Lead, Lemu)

After this, Anne focussed her interviews around primate conservation, starting with a lessons learned piece featuring @Tatyana Humle , who is working with Re:wild and the ARRC Task Force (part of the Section for Great Apes of the Primate Specialist Group of the IUCN). 

What I have learned over the years is that people are at the centre of conservation. You cannot have successful conservation without having local people on board. The most important is the ground level and making sure views and perspectives are well captured and that local people are empowered to act as key stakeholders in decision-making processes." (Tatyana Humle, Coordinator ARRC Taskforce/Senior Associate Re:wild)

Read the full interview here. 

This interview was closely followed by a meet & greet with @Ssali Ogwal Ronald, who works as a Community Health and Conservation Officer in Uganda with Conservation Through Public Health. In the interview (read it here), they explored together Ssali’s work using the One Health approach and his experiences in disease surveillance from gorillas to humans in Uganda. 

Gender is a very sensitive aspect that I wish I knew more about because it's a social construct, it varies from society to society, making it one of the risk factors to zoonotic disease when you look in our African setting." (Ssali Ogwal, Community Health and Conservation Officer, Conservation Through Public Health)

After publishing her fourth interview in collaboration with these conservation experts, it was time to hear from Anne herself how her Conservation Catalyst journey has been thus far. 

Thirza: "What benefits have you experienced from being on a journey to becoming a Conservation Catalyst with WildHub?"

Benefits I experienced from being part of WildHub's Catalyst team are meeting people from around the globe and having the opportunity to create blog content for a resume (Anne Mauro, Conservation Catalyst Bronze, WildHub)

Thirza: "What helped you to contribute content on a regular basis and therefore helped you become a WildHub Conservation Catalyst?"

Anne: "Support from Thirza, my coach @Christine Tansey, and the member activity on WildHub."

Thirza: "Which barriers have you experienced to contributing content to WildHub on a regular basis?"

Anne: "Difficulty with follow up from fellow WildHub members whom I reached out to with a "cold email" introducing myself. It is harder to meet with someone without an introduction from a mutual contact."

Thirza: "What advice would you give to other members who would like to become a WildHub Conservation Catalyst?"

Be patient as you try to locate people to interview" (Anne Mauro, Conservation Catalyst Bronze, WildHub)

Congratulations Anne! We are grateful to have you as our Conservation Catalyst in our WildHub Community!

Please join me in congratulating Anne by adding your message in the comment section below!  Would you like to become a Conservation Catalyst with WildHub complete the form here and we'll be in touch! 

Curious who will be joining our WildHub Core Community next? Click on the “Watch” button in Our Community channel and be notified by email when we will celebrate our next member

Congrats, Anne! Thank you for making a significant contribution to our community by catalysing the sharing of knowledge, experiences, solutions and ideas to help others in their conservation work."