Abu ul Hassan Faiz

Associate Professor, women university bagh
  • Pakistan
Manon Verijdt

Founder / Entrepreneur, Ubuntu Magazine

I am the founder of Ubuntu Magazine. We share personal stories from the frontlines of conservation globally.  I have a background as a Applied Biologist and have been traveling the African continent since September '22 in a Land Rover Defender. Alongside watching wildlife and learning more about new countries and cultures, we (my partner and I) visit projects for Ubuntu Magazine. 
Rebecca Jefferson

Founder and Director , Human Nature

I am a social scientist and passionate about increasing the application of social science research and methods in the conservation sector. To do this, I founded Human Nature. Human Nature is a social enterprise empowering conservation professionals to use social sciences to impact people and planet. We provide training and mentorship to NGOs, academics, policy makers and others wishing to build their foundations in social science. Many people working in conservation have trained through natural science routes, and find themselves needing to better understand the people elements of ecosystems. Social science provides the tools do this. Please get in touch if you are interested in hearing more about what we do.  You can contact me at https://humannature.co.uk/contact.
Anne Sleeman

Founder and CEO, WatchSpotter Data Collection Research Hub

With experience in Marine Animal Rehab., Rescue and Research coupled with a nerdy love of data, data science and all things technology, my data collection software company, WatchSpotter is the cumulation of my life’s work. From the hallways of the Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center at the University of New England, my affinity for caring for marine animals was fostered and grew. Being tasked with the center’s life support systems and flow thru animal pools further opened my eyes to water quality, fecal coliforms, and bio-loads.  I was the primary research technician in a multiphase study: Protecting the Saco River: Tracking non-point fecal pollution to its species source. Upon leaving UNE, I traveled to the Southern Great Barrier Reef Australia to work on an international research team focusing on population dynamics for three cetacean species. Once back stateside, I sharpened my Software UX skills working as a software consultant for Centersoft Technologies. After a brief stint volunteering for the Dolphin Photo ID program at Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, I was hired to join the team. I split time the first years at FAU HBOI between the Harmful Algal Bloom lab and the Dolphin Population and Assessment Lab. Settling in as a Research Assistant for the latter as well as a first responder for the Marine Mammal Rescue Team. In working with the Dolphin Population and Assessment Primary Researcher, along with other industry collaborators, I soon became the PIs data analyst and was paramount in the creation and development of the programs state of the art cloud-based SQL database platform. I worked as a liaison between the research program and software architects to assure ease of use, maximum data output and advanced analytics. The software is still used by the newly formed team today.  At the end of 2019 it was time for me to branch out on my own.  In the spring of 2022, WatchSpotter was born. My idea was to create a customizable SaaS application that could be used by researchers worldwide. Data is data- scientific questions need to be answered. My contingency was that no matter what the research topic- if the research brings people into the field-whether scientists, volunteers, or citizens, they are there to gather data-to answer questions. I knew that the two biggest challenges facing many environmental research groups were time and money. It would not be feasible for most nonprofits or other environmental institutions to pay for custom software- which often runs in excess of $150K nor do they have the time to wait for such programs to be complete.  These known challenges fueled the customization and simple UX that make up the WatchSpotter platform. When I’m working with Environmental Science or software, I enjoy being outside in the woods or at the beach, volunteering and hanging with family and friends.
Dannie

Communications Officer, A Rocha Canada

Alexandra Israel

Research Lead - Bat Conservation Program, Toronto Zoo

Hello! I am a Research Lead for the Bat Conservation Program at the Toronto Zoo, located in Ontario, Canada. I am currently leading a project studying a maternity colony of Little Brown myotis bats, which is an endangered species in Canada. Although I work with bats at the moment, my background is primarily in avian research. For my Master's, I studied Wood thrushes and how nest concealment may influence nest success in this threatened species. I have also lead a fieldwork team studying the critically endangered Eastern loggerhead shrike for a summer. I volunteer much of my time bird banding and assisting with the nation-wide migration monitoring program. Although my background is primarily in birds, I have a strong passion for wildlife and nature in general!
Alicia Elgert

Student, University of British Columbia

Alissa Becker

Teacher, School District No 5

Beth Robinson

Consultant, Biodiversify

I'm a biodiversity consultant working mainly in the corporate space. I work with large companies to help them figure out their nature-related impacts, dependancies, risks and opportunities, then use this information to create biodiversity strategies. 
Kristi Foster

Head of Engagement, Conservation Careers

Zoe Melvin

WildLearning Specialist, WildTeam

I am a WildLearning Specialist at WildTeam with a PhD in Conservation Biology.
Thirza Loffeld

WildHub Founder, WildHub Conservation Community

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.