Thirza Loffeld (She/Her)
WildHub Founder, WildHub Conservation Community
- Member directory
- Netherlands
About Thirza Loffeld
My background is mainly in species conservation, education and capacity exchange. I researched mother-young interactions in gorillas and chimpanzees, in captivity and the wild. After that, I worked for three years in Indonesia, where I developed and implemented youth ambassador and community engagement programmes on local and regional scales. I co-founded WildHub, a community of nature conservation professionals, in 2020 and work as their Community Lead. I am furthermore on the Advisory Board of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) at the University of Kent where I obtained my PhD on capacity development for conservation in 2022.
Which category below best describes the type of organisation you currently work for/or run?
Areas of expertise
Intro Content
Capacity development in nature conservation: New approaches to strengthen individual professionals
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Lessons learned
Capacity development in nature conservation: New approaches to strengthen individual professionals
How do you capture 4.5 years of work in 2.5 minutes? Design an animation!
Influencer Of
Gansey Sean Penyit
PhD fellow Wildlife Resource management// Biodiversity Conservation Program Assisitant , The University of Bamenda//Voice of Nature(VoNat)
Popular Content
Becoming unstoppable: Sustaining your Energy and Expanding your window of tolerance
Topics
Channels contributed to:
Capacity development Professional development Events & Network opportunities Diversity, equity, inclusionRooms participated in:
Women in Conservation Canterbury Network Konservasi di Indonesia Training opportunities Conservation and Covid-19Recent Discussions
Learn how to approach a potential contributor with confidence and respect.
Hello Catalysts! 🌿This week we’re moving into Module 2: Find and connect with your contributor.
Please share:
The person you hope to interview
Whether you need an introduction
Any progress so far (replies, challenges)
If reaching out feels daunting, you’re not alone — just let us know and we can support you.
🌿 Buddy Finder — Optional Support Space for Catalysts
Welcome to the Buddy Finder space!If you’d like to connect with another Catalyst for encouragement, quick idea-sharing, or mutual check-ins, you’re welcome to find a Buddy here.
A Buddy is simply a peer — not a coach and not a supervisor — who can join you in celebrating progress and thinking through next steps.This is optional and flexible: you decide what works for you.
If you’d like a Buddy, please comment below with:
Your name
Your location and timezone
Your preferred way to connect (WildHub DM / email / WhatsApp / voice notes)
What kind of support you’d enjoy (e.g. reviewing writing, practising questions, sharing encouragement)
Feel free to reply to someone else if you sense a good match.
If you prefer to continue solo, that’s absolutely fine — you’re fully supported either way.
🎉 Welcome to the WildHub Conservation Catalyst Cohort 2025–2026! 🌿
We’re delighted to have you here and excited to begin this journey together. This space is where you can connect with fellow Catalysts, share your interests, and start building the supportive community that will accompany you throughout the programme.
To get to know each other, please add a short introduction below. You might include:
Where you’re joining from
Your current role or interests in conservation
One thing you're curious to explore or learn during this programme
Something you hope to give or contribute to the cohort
Feel free to keep it simple — this is just a first hello. Please make sure you click on the "Follow" button of this room so that you receive email notifications when there is news so you can easily keep track of our programme. We’re very glad you’re here. 🌱💬
Update: member directory filters
Update: member directory filters
Good news! 🎉 Our platform provider has just confirmed that the issue with the member directory filters has been resolved. Filters should now be working correctly again—both single and multiple filters.
Thank you all for your patience while this was being fixed, and for flagging the problem so quickly. Your feedback really helps us keep WildHub running smoothly 💚
Coach Meetings 2025 – Minutes & Recordings
This thread is our shared record of Coach Meetings. After each meeting, we’ll add a reply with:
✅ Top 3 decisions/actions
📄 The full meeting minutes
🎥 Link to recording (if available)
This way, everything stays in one place and is easy to revisit.
How can we move from competition to collaboration in conservation?
How can we move from competition to collaboration in conservation? We’d love your thoughts!
On Wednesday 25 June, I’ll be joining a panel at the Nature First Conference in the Netherlands to explore this question—alongside brilliant minds like @Michael O'Brien-Onyeka (Nature4Justice), Mike Odenhoven (SumThing), and Martin Spitholt (SSF), Sonja van Meerbeek (SSF) as moderator and a video message from Laurens Gomes (Metabolic) to kick us off.
We’ll discuss what it really takes to co-create the future of conservation through partnerships—touching on trust, tech, funding models, inclusion, and the role of community.
To bring your voices into the room, we’d love to hear:
What barriers have you experienced to collaboration in conservation?
What has helped you move from fragmented efforts to trust-based cooperation?
What motivates you—or your organisation—to collaborate?
And what does inclusive, community-led conservation mean to you?
Your insights will help shape the panel discussion. I believe our work at WildHub is strongest when we learn from each other—so I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
A big shout out to WildHub members @Nalini and @Linda van Duivenbode for making this collaboration possible!
Hi team! Please meet & greet Anesu in Mozambique!
Hi Catalyst team!
How’s everyone doing? I’d like to introduce you to our new Catalyst participant @Anesu Florência Chivite – welcome to the team, Anesu!
Anesu is a storyteller and conservation communicator with a unique background in psychology, political science, and education. She’s spent the past few years homeschooling children in a remote game reserve, teaching everything from reading and math to wildlife ecology. Now, she’s shifting her focus to conservation storytelling – capturing the untold stories of the land, the people, and the emotional landscape of conservation work.
Anesu is passionate about bridging cultures and exploring the human side of conservation, where values, beliefs, and lived experiences shape how we connect with the natural world.
Welcome to the team, Anesu! It would be wonderful if you could share a bit more about your work and interests below.
Team, let’s give Anesu a warm welcome! Feel free to introduce yourselves below and share a story or insight you’re carrying in your conservation journey. @Fai Collins Ndi @Muthoni Njuguna , @Marrian Tendai Rwizi, @Temitope Rebecca Adelola , @Taranee @Anne Mauro @Ross Rowe @Christine Tansey @Chrissy @Ussi Abuu Mnamengi , @Oluwadamilare AJAYI , @Adekanle Godslove Damilola @Uchenna H Anyaorah , @Grace Alawa , @Opeyemi Blessing Oyawale , @Fleur Morton , @Stephen Ssemwaka @Jack Cole , @Amos Chege @Mary Malasa @Vimbainashe Eunick , @Gaia Piccaluga , @Flavia Manieri and @Nwamaka Uzonnah
Wishing you all a great weekend ahead!
Best wishes,Thirza
Hi team! Please meet & greet Nwamka Uzonnah in Nigeria!
Hi Catalyst team!
How has everyone been? I would like to introduce you to our new Catalyst participant @Nwamaka Uzonnah : welcome to the team, Nwamaka!
Nwamaka is a veterinarian and educator with expertise in vector biology and a passion for wildlife conservation. With a solid background in animal health and welfare, she is committed to advancing One Health initiatives through research, education, and community engagement. Over the next three years, she aims to use her veterinary and research skills to better understand wildlife ecology, health, and disease transmission in a changing world—applying this knowledge to shape conservation actions and develop practical, people- and planet-friendly solutions.
Welcome to the team Nwamaka, it would be wonderful if you could add an introduction to express your interests below.
Team, feel free to introduce yourself below and please welcome Nwamaka to our team @Fai Collins Ndi @Muthoni Njuguna , @Marrian Tendai Rwizi i , @Temitope Rebecca Adelola , @Taranee @Anne Mauro @Ross Rowe , @Christine Tansey @Chrissy ,, @Ussi Abuu Mnamengi, @Oluwadamilare AJAYI , @Adekanle Godslove Damilola @Uchenna H Anyaorah , @Grace Alawa , @Opeyemi Blessing Oyawale , @Fleur Morton, @Stephen Ssemwaka, @Jack Cole, @Amos Chege @Mary Malasa @Vimbainashe Eunick, @Gaia Piccaluga, @Flavia Manieri
Wishing you all a positive week!
Best wishes,
Thirza
Recent Comments
Thank you for sharing this opportunity Reyhaneh, I have added it to the "grants opportunities" room so that members will be notified and your post stays visible for members. Tagging in some WildHub members who may benefit from this award @Gansey Sean Penyit , @WUIBE WOUBASSI Ulrich Sidoine , @Fairuse Akter and @Jigme Tshelthrim Wangyal , @Mugiraneza Eulade and @Vimbainashe Eunick
Thank you Wuibe for sharing your research and for shining a light on an often-overlooked but ecologically important group of species. It's encouraging to see work that will help fill such a significant knowledge gap for northern Cameroon's savannah ecosystems. I'm curious:
* Which lessons learned can you share on this topic that could benefit the wider conservation community/people working on this topic?
* How can the WildHub community help you continue this work?
Congratulations Gansey on this project! May I ask you one lessons learned question: what did you wish you would have known before you started working on this topic and could be useful to share with other professionals now? Thank you!
Following Flavia's lead and tagging some members who could be useful contacts for you: @WUIBE WOUBASSI Ulrich Sidoine , @Ghislain Brice BEUKOU CHOUMBOU , @Alex Tamo @THEJAVITSO CHASE, @Jigme Tshelthrim Wangyal who is part of the Amphibians Specialist Group, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and @Fai Collins Ndi
Thank you Virginia for sharing these valuable reflections and practical lessons from Kitui. I particularly appreciate your emphasis on treating local communities as co-designers rather than beneficiaries of climate adaptation efforts.
I'd love to invite other WildHub members to join the discussion: @Paul Kilelu , @Michelle Wangui @Muthoni Njuguna and could you perhaps share the locally led adaptation strategies that have proven effective in your own regions?
Thank you Paul for sharing this important perspective and for highlighting the realities of living alongside elephants. I'd love to invite other WildHub members with experience in human-wildlife coexistence to join the conversation: @Collins Busuru @Richad Vidamão , @Louisa Richmond-Coggan and @Kate Thompson: could you perhaps share what has worked (or not worked) in your landscapes?
Also, @Luna Milatović is part of the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group and organising their 2027 conference which may be of interest.
Congratulations Nicky on all the momentum your organisation has been building, that’s fantastic news! Thank you for sharing it with our community also :)
Thank you so much for sharing another inspiring interview, Fairuse! Also, congratulations on reaching your third interview in the WildHub Conservation Catalyst Programme! 🌿
@Kazi Zenifar Azmiri Zenin: thank you for sharing your journey so openly. I was especially inspired by your vision of creating birdwatching opportunities specifically for girls. I hope your story encourages many more young women to pursue careers in conservation.
I have a question for either of you: if that birdwatching initiative for girls were to become a reality, what would you hope participants would take away from the experience? Not only as future conservationists, but also as individuals?
Thank you again for this thoughtful conversation. I'm already looking forward to your next interview, Fairuse! 👏
A warm welcome to WildHub, Audrey! Wonderful to have you join us and thank you for sharing about your background. Which master's degree are you currently working towards?
I would recommend joining our member Social events (dates here) which is a great way to get to know other members.