Hi, my name is Joana, and I am currently the Executive Director to Sea Sense, with whom I have been working for just over a year. You may have heard about Sea Sense from one of our colleagues, Lindsey West. Sea Sense is a Tanzanian NGO that works closely with coastal communities in Tanzania to conserve and protect endangered marine wildlife.I was born in Mozambique and from an early age have developed a love for the ocean, growing up exploring the (by then) pristine and untouched beaches in the Southern provinces. I did both my Licenciate and Master's degree in Lisbon. Before Tanzania and Sea Sense, I worked on an island in the North of Mozambique called Vamizi. This is where I did the research for my master's degree, on green turtle nesting patterns, and where I later ended up managing the Conservation and Community project. I definitely have a special bond with the Indian Ocean.I am really looking forward to the next six weeks and learning more about Programme Management for Wildlife Conservation.

I have just completed my first year at the University of Exeter where I am studying zoology. The campus is in Falmouth, Cornwall, and I love to get out in nature and explore, and also rock climb and play ultimate frisbee! My passion lies in conservation and I hope my degree will allow me to work in the conservation sector.Before going to university, I spent part of my gap year in Ghana, working with A Rocha Ghana in the Atewa forest to protect the rainforest. My focus out there was to educate the communities on looking after pangolins and to help them find alternative livelihoods to poaching, which involved farming grasscutters or setting up another buisness. Through this experience, I ended up looking after my own pangolin that I rescued - she was a juvenille that had her tail cut off with a chainsaw. We ended up releasing her back into the Atewa forest.I am part of the Society of St Columba http://www.st-columba.com/ and am currently in the process of designing them a forest garden. I hope this forest garden will benefit the community with food and a tranquil space to be, but also benefit wildlife by planting a diverse array of plants that attract many insects and birds. I am working with the South Down National Park on this.I am probably one of the youngest here, having not turned 20 yet!, but I am more than up for the challenge conservation brings, and am always keen to learn from anyones expertise. Thanks!!