Today, I’m proud to spotlight one of our most dedicated WildHub members and celebrate the incredible contributions of Flavia Manieri, who joined our Core Community as a WildHub Community Advocate in October 2024. Since then, she has brought an extraordinary combination of insight, energy, and care to our platform.

With 65 content contributions to date, Flavia has enriched our platform with a vibrant mix of opportunities—ranging from jobs, funding, and events to other areas of interest that serve our global community. Her contributions also include countless welcome messages to new members, ongoing support for fellow members, and the organisation of our latest special event: the screening and expert Q&A of the documentary Balancing the Scales (more details below). Flavia’s presence continues to shape WildHub into a more inclusive, generous, and connected space for all.

🦫 About Flavia

Flavia is an interdisciplinary researcher with a background in environmental social sciences and humanities. Her expertise spans environmental history, human geography, environmental law and policies, and environmental management—with a special interest in how people relate to water environments. Her recent research focuses on flood risk and water management, and her passions include animal welfare, ethology, and—perhaps most of all—beavers and orcas!

Flavia brings this rich academic and personal background into her WildHub contributions, helping connect people across fields, roles, and geographies. She has also completed three Member Insight posts, interviewing Tom Grove Founder of Whale Wise, Vimbainashe Eunick, Executive Director at WildEmZim, and Jamie Lee, co-founder of Fine Foods Íslandica, through our Catalyst programme. This further showcases her ability to engage with others meaningfully and amplify their voices.

In July 2025, Flavia reached a new milestone by organising WildHub’s special event: Balancing the Scales – Film Screening + Expert Q&A. This virtual screening and discussion not only reflect her advocacy for human–wildlife coexistence but also her commitment to sparking conversations that matter. 

🌱 Flavia’s Community Contributions

Beyond her own writing and interviews, Flavia has quietly and consistently helped our platform thrive behind the scenes. She has played a vital role in monitoring and reporting member-led content, coordinating our social media presence, and ensuring that new members feel seen and welcomed from day one. Flavia also leads our “meet & greet” sessions for prospective Catalysts, helping them take their first steps with confidence and care.

Through all of this, she champions a more inclusive vision for conservation—one where everyone is invited to participate and grow. Her dedication, consistency, and warm humour have made her a true cornerstone of our Core Community.

💬 Flavia’s Reflections

Thirza: What benefits have you found from being a WildHub member?

Flavia: What I like most about WildHub is its inclusive and positive tone. Joining WildHub is like becoming a member of a cool club! There isn't anything quite like it out there.

Like everything in life, the more you put in, the more you get out of it. I like the flexibility of the role but the longer I am doing it, the better I see how much it has to offer if you really show up for the team and your WildHub community.

Being an advocate is empowering, as you actively contribute to helping WildHub grow—and it is quite addictive, I must say! Dedicating time to my advocate role has become a reward for my long day at work. WildHub is like a cosy and warm e-shelter.

As an advocate, you can share your work, knowledge and experiences, test new ideas, ask questions, network with potentially new employers or patrons, and it is also a great way to gain skills within the conservation sector for those who may be new to it. There is a little bit of everything for everyone!

Thirza: What helped you to contribute content on a regular basis and therefore helped you become a WildHub Core Community Member?

Flavia:

For me, it’s the idea of helping WildHub grow and become more and more impactful. I see my contribution to WildHub as a way of fighting against gatekeeping in conservation because I believe that making conservation more inclusive and accessible is key to getting people to care about nature.

Conservation is for everyone. Conservation means a better world to live in for all of us, and we need all hands on deck to make a difference. WildHub does an excellent job at bringing people from different walks of life together and giving us the tools to shape the future of conservation collectively and compassionately.

Thirza: What advice would you give to other members who would like to become a WildHub Core Community Member?

Flavia: Try to dedicate a tiny portion of your day to WildHub every day and make it a habit! Even just 5 minutes a day to like, comment, and share go a long way.

🎉 Join us in celebrating Flavia!

Flavia, your creativity, dedication, and compassion are a gift to our community. You remind us that leadership isn’t just about visibility—it’s about generosity, persistence, and creating space for others to shine. Thank you for shaping WildHub into a more inclusive and joyful space, one post at a time.

Curious who will be joining our Core Community next? Click the “Watch” button in our Our Community channel to stay updated.

🌿 Let’s celebrate Flavia’s impact—share your message for her in the comments below!