My background is mainly in species conservation, education and capacity development. 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 obtained a PhD on capacity development for conservation and work as Community Manager at WildHub and as Head of Community at Zapnito. 

Dr Renuka Thakore is the Founder of Global Sustainable Futures: Progress through Partnership Network to achieve Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 targets. She provides a collaborative platform for innovative and transdisciplinary partnerships and capacity development for early career researchers joined by senior experienced researchers from Global South and Global North. Dr Thakore believes in broader sustainable development concept and uses multi-dimensional lens (social, economic, environmental, political, institutional, cultural, and technological) of sustainability, innovations, and theoretical framings to address the problems of societal systems and propagates this through various activities – research, teaching, and practice towards achieving global sustainable goals 2030 and beyond. She encourages systems thinking, engagement and active participation of multiple stakeholders for effective governance and management for sustainable transformations, use of transdisciplinary methodologies, co-creating solutions that are multi-modal and ‘value-added’ to relevant stakeholders. Renuka is proud of having support of 320 Coordinators from 79 countries.

I am a conservation biologist with great interest in the application of conservation science into a practical solution. I work with scientists, practitioners and academics in conservation and sustainability sector. Specialties: SE Asia terrestrial ecology (in bats and other mammals), High Conservation Values (HCV), Natural Resource Management & Conservation, Interdisciplinary Research, Quality Assurance, Sustainability Issues (in oil palm sector).

José Luiz Esteves works professionally through EXPONENTIALIS Learning and Education Projects and INTELIBUSINESS, a Social Responsibility and Corporate Sustainability Consulting venture, created in Belo Horizonte in 2006. He has relevant experience in different Triple Helix organizations in Brazil, in management positions. Professional with knowledge of the business environment, social responsibility / third sector, and education in Brazil and Latin America, especially in the aspects of institutional management, market intelligence, network development, has a degree in social communication and public administration. He obtained his specialization, masters, and a doctorate in these areas, and the international diploma GUDS / Urban Management and Sustainable Development (by the World Bank / UN-ECLAC / MINURVI / Italian Coop) In 2001. Has a solid background in Social Program Management, Strategic Planning, BSC, Participatory Appraisal, Project Logical Framework, Resource Mobilization, and Fundraising (by The Resource Alliance) held in Brazil and abroad.

I've lived and worked in conservation in Belize for more than 30 years...and love it! I work with both government, non-government agencies and communities towards strengthening the national protected areas system and species conservation frameworks - lots of landscape and seascape planning, protected area management planning, national biodiversity and species conservation planning, and (in all my spare time) addressing wildlife crime. My work provides excellent opportunities to explore iconic protected areas across this amazing country - places like the Blue Hole (known globally as a 'must-do' dive site) and Cockscomb Basin (protected for its high jaguar density) and to work with the inspiring management NGOs and local communities that protect areas such as these to improve their conservation outcomes. To make life even more interesting our organization, Wildtracks, also manages Belize's national manatee and primate rehabilitation centers, as part of our species conservation portfolio.

We are excited to be establishing a new programme in 2022 focused on capacity building and mentoring for the Belize conservation community in response to the limited number of in-country conservation practitioners, with skills transfer to the incoming generation of conservation leaders.

It is always inspiring to meet others who are as excited and motivated by conservation and conservation planning as I am...looking forward to being an active member of WildHub!

I have a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and I am currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Urban Planning. In addition to curricular and research activities, I am now focusing on courses and training on Climate Change to understand its effects on cities, since this is a field of interest of mine in terms of my professional career. I am a fellow of the Youth Climate Leaders and founded a YCL Hub on my state where I will be responsible for articulating local actions with YCL partners and promoting climate advocacy networks. I am also the Impact Officer for the Global Shapers Hub in Porto Alegre.

Tara Hetz is a Master’s student in the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department at the University of Utah. Her research interests cover two primary areas: 1) the role that adventure tourism plays in biodiversity conservation and improvement of community livelihoods; and, 2) benefit-sharing from protected area tourism and community capacity-building related to conservation and tourism initiatives.  She wants to help better engage communities in protected area conservation design, the custodianship of natural resources, and improvements that benefit their livelihoods.

Marine Ecosystems and Fisheries Science Student joining the CoalitionWILD Mentorship Prorgramme 2022

I am a current graduate student at Colorado State University, studying to earn my Masters in Conservation Leadership Through Learning. I have a BS in Biology- Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation from the University of Washington. I currently work with the Salazar Center for North American Conservation as a graduate research associate.

Prior to graduate school I worked as a naturalist and educator at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies to provide environmental education to individuals of diverse ages and backgrounds. I have conducted research in forestry, marine settings, and sustainable food purchasing. I am involved with 350 Colorado as an intern and serving on the northern Colorado Leadership Council, to support efforts of reducing our fossil fuel consumption.

I am passionate about landscape level conservation and hope to solve future environmental problems related to preserving large areas of land while maintaining human livelihoods. I am particularly interested in the intersectionality of policy, environmental science, and the social sciences. I believe conservation cannot happen without deep consideration of human needs and livelihoods, and that the path forward involves widespread collaboration.

I’m originally from Phoenix, Arizona, USA but I moved to Lompoc, California, USA almost ten years ago. I’ve always been interested in animals and wildlife and I knew for a long time I wanted to be work with animals somehow. I got an Associates in Biology at my local community college before I went to University. Then I got my Bachelors in Zoology from Humboldt State University (Now Cal Poly Humboldt). I really enjoyed my studies and I really loved my lab classes especially the identification portion of my Mammalogy and Herpetology classes.

After I graduated I briefly had a job in Bakersfield, CA surveying Blunt-Nosed leopard lizards and other endangered species. Since then it has been hard to find a job and ways to gain more experience to get a job in this field. My initial interest was Mammalogy but, I find Herpetology to be equally as fun. I am interested in wildlife and urban ecology and recently I have been interested in camera trapping that is used in wildlife management.