Wildlife Conservation masters student

Hi, my name is Ouma Oluoko. I am the CEO of Oluokos Signature. Am a highly experienced tour operator, in touch with indigenous communities and ecosystems around East and Central Africa. I am extremely passionate about environmental conservation. My company, Oluokos Signature, provides the essential linkage between supply and demand by liaising with several eco-conscious organizations to design responsible tour packages that integrate environmental, cultural, and social considerations. I help my clients to responsibly experience pure value holiday bliss in packages within their budgets and style; Thereby implementing positive environmental and social impacts. My strong interpersonal skills enable me to quickly adapt and build rapport with my clients, fellow tour operators, staff and guides thereby improving my efficiency and boosting professionalism. I absolutely love the outdoors and bird watching is my cup of tea, anytime. I also enjoy hiking, biking, and sky-watching. My personal mantra is ‘Travel opens your heart, opens your mind, and fills your life with stories to tell.

I am a conservationist based in Nepal. I did my MSc in Conservation and International Wildlife Trade from DICE-Kent. I am currently working to understand the trade dynamics of some of the most traded medicinal plants like orchids and yews. I am interested in understanding how socioeconomic and behavioral factors interact and impact the wildlife trade (incl. the online trade spectrum and various stakeholders in it) and using this knowledge in designing effective conservation actions. 

My conservation career started in 1992 when I helped set up and joined a University expedition to the Bolivian Amazon. What started out as a 3-month experience ended up being a life-changing inflection point that set my professional and personal course to the present day. My conservation experience was built bottom-up and hands-on, and includes field data collection and logistics, grassroots organization leadership and project management, community engagement and capacity building, M&E, training and behavior change, and lately climate education through authorship of graphic novels and other resources. My conservation career includes positions as a senior staff member and a principal investigator at the Bolivian BirdLife Partner Armonía, field investigator in the Gran Chaco with WCS Bolivia, field logistics officer for Conservation International's RAP expeditions, and Programme Manager and Senior Manager of M&E at Rare. I currently work as Senior Behaviour Change Specialist with TRAFFIC International, applying behavioural science approaches to support TRAFFIC's work across wildlife supply chains globally. 

I now work for the National Biodiversity Network Trust as Partnership Officer on the Better Biodiversity Data project, which aims to improve infrastructure and access to biodiversity data in Scotland.  I recently worked with WildTeam UK engaging conservationists with its training and resources, and supported WildTeam Bangladesh in their work on the conservation of the Sundarbans mangrove forest and Bengal tigers. I have previously co-ordinated conservation research for a UK-based woodland charity, completed a PhD on phenology in plants and trees that involved a lot of citizen science, and have done many short-term research and conservation jobs over the years.