I have been working in the conservation sector since the mid-1990s, largely based in the UK and working for international NGOs. I began as a grant fundraiser and moved into programme management, including working with a range of partnerships/coalitions. I am also a technical writer and I have worked on various projects from high-level reports to blogs. I have an MSc from the Durrell Institute of Conservation Ecology at the University of Kent (UK). I currently work for ANIMONDIAL - a travel consultancy advising on Nature Positive tourism and other aspects of animal and nature protection in the travel industry; I manage our Animal Protection Network of on-the-ground conservation projects.
I have recently graduated from DICE with an MSc in Conservation Biology. I have a particular interest in the conservation of herpetofauna and carried out research in the UK on slow-worm use of refugia for my MSc dissertation and I also worked in Jersey looking at agile frog habitat suitability. I have a background in local government technology and project management and currently work in this field.
Growing up I used to wander off to look for invertebrates and herps. I still do, obviously, but what used to be a behavioral quirk has since developed into professional goals. At present, I am pursuing a Master of Science in International Wildlife Trade and Conservation through DICE. I hope to reconcile my academic experience with my professional expertise as a USFWS Wildlife Inspector and work towards a better understanding of the conservation-crime convergence. My priorities include developing strategies to improve identification of trafficking pathways and to contribute to a more inclusive international wildlife trade dialogue.
Daniela Pareja Mejía
Graduate Student/Researcher, Tropical Herpetology Lab/Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz
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.
Samuel Bilério
HWC mitigation officer and Veterinarian , Wildlife Conservation Society - Niassa Special Reserve [Mozambique]
I’m Mozambican with veterinarian background, focused wildlife management with one health approaches, associated with Community Based natural resources management, alterative livelihoods, sustainable use of flora and fauna.
I am an Ecologist by training. My research interests have focused on : Relations between protected areas and local communities; Wildlife conservation; Community Building; Environmental governance ; Conflict management ; Climate change.
I help run a UK charity that builds the capacity of conservationists to plan, implement, monitor, and report on their work. I also have a fair bit of experience in tiger and sea turtle conservation.
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.