I’m a wildlife veterinarian who has spent the past 16 years working in wildlife conservation and animal welfare. My experience ranges from veterinary medicine and rescue center management to leading conservation projects, developing animal welfare standards, and building partnerships that help organizations have a greater impact. I’ve had the opportunity to work with teams across Latin America and internationally, always with a practical, collaborative approach.

I am a wildlife ecologist based in Kenya specialized in community involvement in conservation practices.

I am a passionate communicator and researcher with an extensive background in the environmental humanities and social sciences. My work is driven by a desire to deepen our understanding of the relationships between people and nature and to foster more compassionate, sustainable ways of living alongside other species. Based between Sweden and the UK, I work in academia, teaching courses in environmental law, political and historical ecology, and disaster risk management. Alongside my academic work, I contribute to non-profit organisations advancing conservation and animal welfare. At Faunalytics, I translate complex research into accessible insights that support evidence-based advocacy. As a feature writer for Ubuntu Magazine, I spotlight conservation initiatives and the people driving change. As Community Advocates Coordinator at WildHub, I lead strategic communications and initiatives that connect, engage, and empower conservation practitioners worldwide. When I'm not working, you'll find me hiking forest trails with my dog or enjoying a good cup of coffee.

Damas has MSc in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation for Water Resources and Environment Management from University of Twenty in Netherlands, is a well-trained Civil & Water Resources Engineer and Environment Expert. his expertise lies in areas of Hydrological Modeling, WASH, community-based natural resources management, institutional strengthening, GIS and Remote Sensing, governance, Integrated Water Resources Management, Climate Change, Environmental Impact Assessment, Payment for Ecosystem Services, Strategic Environmental Assessment, Development of Land use and Forest Management plans, Stakeholders engagement in development process and Resources mobilization, Forest Landscape Restoration, Wetland mapping and monitoring, Project Monitoring and Evaluation and Design of hydro-meteorological monitoring stations. He possesses 12 years of progressive practical experience in the Water and Conservation sector in Tanzania. He has hands-on experience in planning, designing, managing, and executing Water Resources Management Projects as well as Conservation Programs. Damas has worked with various organizations including the Ministry of Water in Tanzania as Hydrologist he was involved in the development of Integrated Water Resources Development and Management Plan (IWRMDP) of the Lake Nyasa Basin Water Board, Songwe River Basin Management Plan (SRBMP), He has also been working with African Wildlife Foundation (AWF-International Conservation Organization) coordinating water resources management programs, and he is currently working with WWF as Program Executant WASH and IWRM. He is mainly responsible with coordination and delivery of Mara River Catchment Conservation (MRC) Project (USAID funded Project) and Mara Wetland Conservation Project (WetCoP) in the Serengeti - Mara sub-landscape of the Southern Kenya – Northern Tanzania (SOKNOT) Landscape.

Ariel Herrera Martinez (He/Him)