Flavia Manieri
WildHub Community Advocates Coordinator|Interdisciplinary Researcher, Uppsala University
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- Sweden
About Flavia Manieri
Since July 2025, I have been serving as the Community Advocates Coordinator at WildHub, where I coordinate initiatives to engage, support, and empower our community advocates in advancing WH’s mission.
Beyond WildHub, I wear a few different hats. I work as a researcher and lecturer in Sweden, teaching courses on environmental law, political and historical ecology, and disaster risk management. I also mentor undergraduate and postgraduate students, collaborate with faculty members, and contribute to ongoing research projects.
I’m passionate about giving back through volunteer work. I support a few conservation and animal welfare organisations with research and advocacy to help drive positive change. When I’m not working, you’ll find me hiking forest trails with my dog or enjoying a good cup of coffee.
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Would you be willing to be approached and share your lessons learned in your area(s) of expertise with our community?
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Balancing The Scales: WildHub Special - Event Recap
If you missed our WildHub Special earlier this month, here’s a recap of the key insights from the documentary, the main themes discussed during the Q&A session, and my key takeaways.📽️🦫🚧🐟➡️🌊
Influencer Of
Teresia Rimui
Natural Resources Management specialist , Diligent Environmental Consultancy Services
Chipasha Keran
Founder and Executive director , Musa Community Development and Sustainability Organization
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Training opportunities Conservation Education Let's welcome new members! Building our communityRecent Discussions
Turning an Invasive Species into Fashion. Can Ethics and Conservation Coexist?
I've recently come across an article on National Geographic about designer Elle Barbeito, who is transforming Burmese python skins from Florida’s Everglades into what the media calls "luxury fashion" items. I have to admit, I was taken aback. You can read the article here: What do you do with thousands of dead Everglades phytons? Wear them.
The problem with Burmese pythons in Florida is serious and well-documented. These snakes are an invasive species, reproducing rapidly with few natural predators, and their presence has devastated local wildlife, from birds and mammals to endangered species. The ecological consequences are significant, and it’s easy to understand why culling them seems like the most straightforward solution.
But here’s where I find myself conflicted: the idea of taking these animals and turning them into "fashion items" - and actually profiting from them! Bear in mind that humans caused this problem in the first place: now the snakes are the ones facing death, yet humans are the ones benefiting financially from the situation. The process is marketed as a form of circular economy or sustainable fashion, framed as a creative way to turn a problem into something of value. I can’t help but wonder - should this even be allowed? I understand that rescuing thousands of phytons isn't feasible but doesn't turning them into products still feel morally unsettling? I suppose letting the bodies decompose naturally, as most snake hunters do, is probably the “best” possible solution. At least decomposition returns nutrients to the soil.
This raises a broader ethical dilemma that goes far beyond this specific case. How do we balance urgent conservation needs with respect for the lives of the animals involved? When facing an invasive species problem, is it enough to focus purely on ecological outcomes, or do we also have an ethical responsibility towards the animals at stake? Can we find solutions that are both effective and ethically sound, or are we always going to face uncomfortable compromises?
I’m curious to hear your perspective:
Have you encountered similar situations where conservation and ethics seem at odds? Specifically, have you heard of other cases around the world where large-scale removal of invasive species has raised similar ethical and logistical dilemmas?
Do you think animal-based "fashion" marketed as circular economy can ever be reconciled with ethical conservation practices?
Ultimately, this story made me realise how complex conservation solutions can be. What may seem innovative or practical can also feel uncomfortable or even morally troubling. It’s a delicate balance, and one that likely doesn’t have a single “right” answer but that’s exactly why the conversation matters.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Where do we draw the line between ethical responsibility and practical conservation? Can ethics and conservation truly coexist, or do we have to pick one over the other?
Beavers and salmonids: an unexpected alliance?
Have you ever taken a close look at a beaver dam? Logs and branches are woven into a lattice extending from streambank to bank. Able to withstand the pressure of all the water they hold back, these dams are remarkably sturdy. But while we all know beavers are skilled builders, their relationship with fish is often misunderstood. This lack of understanding by humans can result in harm to both species.
Can beavers and salmonids coexist, and even thrive together?
We will be discussing this and more on Wednesday during our WildHub Special 👉 https://wildhub.community/events/wildhub-special-balancing-the-scales-film-screening-expert-q-a
with
Elliot McCandless, Communications Manager at Beaver Trust
Andy Thomas, Conservation Officer at Wild Trout Trust
Angelika Von Heimendahl, Beaver Reintroduction Manager at The Wildlife Trusts.
Do you have any questions you'd like us to ask our speakers?
Decolonising conservation in Africa
Conservation efforts in Africa have typically been led by "parachute conservationists", outsiders who drop in thinking they have all the answers, hire locals to implement them and then disappear. But conservationist Resson Kantai Duff has a better way to save wildlife in Africa: let locals lead these efforts themselves. She calls for a major shift in how conservation in Africa works, showing why the people closest to the land are the ones best fit to care for it. https://www.ted.com/talks/resson_kantai_duff_why_africa_needs_community_led_conservation/transcript?subtitle=en
"In Africa, the approach to conserving wildlife has almost always involved a separation of people from nature, the involvement, but never leadership, from local people.
[...]
The story of conservation [in Africa] has almost always then involved only a foreign scientist with a clipboard or a guy in green with a gun, there to protect that wildlife from everyone else. The rest of us have never existed in this story. And those who came to save species came from the outside. And when they came, they were labeled heroes. They had to teach local people how to live alongside wildlife on the fringes of wild lands that they once owned.
[...]
Conservation is about people. I have learned that the people keeping lions roaming in Kenya today are warriors, women, children and elders. They are people educated by their culture; they are urbanites with respect for that culture. And as more Africans allow co-existence to happen in our spaces, we will turn back the clock on wildlife declines and really make life better for all of us. It is time for conservation to be broad. Broad enough not just to include a species in trouble, but our land and our cultures, our innovation, our story, us. Who we were, who we are and who we want to be."
- Resson Kantai Duff
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What has your experience been with community-led conservation in Africa?
I would love to hear your stories.
Recent Comments
Welcome to WildHub! 🌿
We’re so happy to have you here! This community is full of passionate, supportive people who care deeply about conservation and collaboration. We hope you find inspiring conversations, meaningful connections, and plenty of opportunities to learn and grow.
We can’t wait to see the contributions and insights you’ll bring!
Welcome to WildHub! 🌿✨
We’re absolutely thrilled to have you join our global community of conservationists, and look forward to seeing you grow, connect and thrive here 🐾🌍!
I’m really looking forward to series 2! I’m particularly interested in the discourse around people-shark coexistence, it’s such an important and timely topic.
🦈 Thank you for sharing this powerful reflection, Flavia. It’s eye-opening to see how deeply media narratives have shaped our collective fear of sharks, and how those portrayals have real consequences for conservation. I’ve never seen a shark in real life, but I’ll admit that most of the movies I’ve watched made them seem terrifying! It’s fascinating (and a bit sobering) to learn that this fear was largely manufactured, and that even Peter Benchley came to regret the impact of his story.
I’m curious, how do you think we can shift public perception and storytelling to highlight sharks as vital ecosystem engineers rather than villains? Are there examples of media or campaigns that have done this well?
Thanks again for helping us rethink the power of narrative in conservation. 🌊
Thank you so much, Mark! This is a fantastic toolkit and definitely food for thought!
It’s so easy to fall into those communication traps (myself included). In fact, I’ve just realised that using a phrase like “man eaters” above is probably not the best choice of words 🫣 Editing now, haha. It just shows how deeply embedded some of these narratives are, and how easily language can reinforce harmful perceptions without us even meaning to. It’s incredible how much impact words can have, they really can shape (or damage) the way a species is viewed.
You’re very welcome to share the toolkit in our Marine Conservation room under resources. It sounds like something that could benefit so many of us, especially as the principles clearly extend beyond sharks to a wide range of marine species. It would be a fantastic resource for the broader conservation community.
Thanks for sharing, Iman.
This reflection is a powerful reminder that conservation is not just a technical challenge, it is deeply relational. The recent experience in Iran shows that when digital systems fail, oversight weakens, and environmental harm can rise — not because people stop caring, but because our systems are fragile.
It also raises an important ethical question, as you note: can we focus on protecting nature while human lives are under threat? I believe the answer is yes, protecting ecosystems and wildlife is not separate from protecting people. Healthy, resilient ecosystems support communities, and safeguarding nature is part of safeguarding life itself.
The lesson is clear: conservation must balance technological innovation with strong community involvement, personal responsibility, and a shared commitment to caring for nature.
Beautifully put, Tara 🌊💙
This is such a timely and needed initiative — bringing restorative ocean farms into a community-rooted, place-based framework feels like exactly the kind of systems thinking our coasts need right now.
Excited to see these ROC Working Groups take shape and support coastal communities to thrive.
I’ve also shared this post via the WildHub LinkedIn to help amplify the invitation and reach a wider community.
Welcome to the community 👋 - it’s great to have you here!
Definitely make sure to follow the Job Opportunities room so you get notified as soon as new roles are shared. There are frequent posts that align with research, monitoring, and project coordination work.
Looking forward to seeing your contributions here, and feel free to jump into discussions or share ideas anytime! Best of luck with your search!
Thank you for sharing Oliver! This sounds like a fantastic opportunity.