1. Why did you join WildHub?

I joined WildHub because it is the perfect tool, resource, and community-building platform to prepare me for my upcoming postgraduate course. I'm excited and honored to share that I will take place in the MPhil in Conservation Leadership Program at the University of Cambridge this October. WildHub represents much of the work I myself will be working toward through my program this year, in terms of building capacity and a sustainable and lifelong global resource network and community for conservation leaders all over the world.  As an international community of conservation professionals, WildHub is a great inspiration and learning opportunity for me to observe the real-life, and real-time positive impact that systems like this afford.

I'm thrilled to be joining a space where I can exchange ideas, create new solutions, and make new partnerships to enable better, faster, and more cost-effective conservation that helps save more wildlife, with other similarly passioned change-makers like me. 

2. What is your current position in conservation (e.g. student, professional, looking for work, career-switcher)?

Currently, I'm preparing to begin my MPhil in Conservation Leadership postgraduate program at the University of Cambridge, Churchill College in October 2023-2024. 

Participating in the Cambridge MPhil in Conservation Leadership Program will help me continue to build on the skills I’ve gained from my more than five years of experience in the field, and allow me to apply my learnings from my time at the Smithsonian Institution National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute to my program experience to understand and impact socio-ecological policy and programming. The program will allow me to examine the root causes of ecosystem change and biodiversity loss through a lens of environmental justice, diversity, equity, access, and inclusion. I’ll join a space with other conservationists, as a scientist, researcher, community-builder, and storyteller for the first time. The program’s strong focus on leadership and management skills will contribute to my broader understanding of conservation needs to bring about catalytic change and achieve conservation goals.

I seek to understand the intersectionalities of environmentalism and social justice, and from increasing learnings and dialogue around environmental justice. Through connecting with 

3. In which country are you based?

I'm based in the United States of America, and my program will be in Cambridge, United Kingdom. 

4. Which connections are you hoping to gain?

Immediately, I'd love to connect with potential funding bodies/partners to help support my placement in my upcoming postgraduate MPhil in Conservation Leadership Program at the University of Cambridge this October. I've continued to apply enthusiastically and with vigor for all avenues of possible funding to no avail to this point. I will continue to apply for grants, fellowships, teacherships, research assistantships, internships, scholarships, grants, bursaries, and beyond to secure the funding I need to join my program and confirm my official offer of admission. 

However long term, I appreciate the longevity of the salience of this platform, especially as it will allow me to continue to use my membership to connect with those who share my passion for the planet, and those we share it with.  

If you think I'd be a good fit for any available funding opportunities, partnerships, or shared interest projects, please let me know and I'm more than happy to connect via Google Hangout, Zoom, or another video call platform and discuss further while we get to know each other better and continue to build strength among the WildHub community members. 

5. What do you hope to learn and/or contribute to the WildHub community?

I hope to continue learning about our shared challenges, and how we can continue to best empower each other to achieve individual and community goals. I hope that together, through shared work, information, recommendations, and brainstorming we can further our shared mission to make the world a better place for people, other animals, and the environment. 

I want to stay up-to-date on best practices in the field, cutting-edge research, alternative approaches to the field, funding, policy, and community needs. It's my hope that I too can impart some learnings from my experience in the field, and working with diverse communities over the years in different sectors of the field of conservation including communications, fundraising, conservation science, youth development, outreach, and education. 

Together, we can shift the burden/weight of responsibility in addressing these challenges/crises/issues is shifted away from the individual and placed them in the supportive hands of the surrounding community working passionately to achieve a shared vision of change. In sharing the burden for impacting positive change, the most effective leaders develop meaningful relationships with their network, support a greater understanding of the issues at hand, and posit the best approach to solve challenges faced by the entire ecosystems. In prioritizing information and knowledge sharing, great leaders lead by example - they empower their team to lead with their unique strengths, which enhances the collective’s ability to reach shared goals, empowers team members to have confidence in themselves and use their gifts and unique expertise to help address these challenges.