Jose Antonio Diaz Luque

CEO, Endangered Conservation
Thirza Loffeld

WildHub Community Manager, WildTeam UK

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 work as Community Manager at WildHub since 2020, and I am 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. 
Marta Villasán Barroso

Biodiversity Conservation Biologist , Ecoenergías del Guadiana / Fauna&Vida NGO / SEO BirdLife

I'm from Badajoz, a little city near Portugal at Extremadura, Spain. I love my region because is plenty of wild nature, birds, forests, rivers... but is endangered too. I have a BSc in Biology and a MSc in Biodiversity Conservation. I have more than 15 years of experience in Environmental Education with school kids and the general public. I'm interested in all related topics about ecology, conservation and all living creatures and their relationships, that makes possible the life on Earth.  I have worked in Paraguay granted by University of Salamanca and UNESCO Chair "Education for Sustainable Development: Strengthening lines of research in the area of ​​biodiversity and the link with society". My duties were teaching experiments design and basic biostatistics at UNA (Universidad Nacional de Asunción); doing a biodiversity's bird research at the San Rafael National Park (the major Atlantic Forest patch remaining), ringing birds and teaching young students how to carry out a basic research; and doing environmental education with young child and population living at the natural park influence area.  I stayed at Madeira (Portugal) working on two LIFE projects, one to protect the endemic sparrowhawk "Furabardos" and the other to take care of marine birds. The LIFE projects are the UE tool to support and fund the conservation on their territories.   Later I have devoted to natural ecotourism at Extremadura (Spain) and scuba diving tourism at Sharm el Shaik (Egypt), in addition to environmental education, or little research and consultancy tasks. I have a  youtube channel  to outreach environmental issues and my own talks. Is in Spanish, but if you want you could take a look at it.  Currently, I have a job at an environmental consulting at Extremadura (Spain), working about the compensatory measures to take during and after the construction of photovoltaic plants. I take care of bird nests, mitigation and prevention of bird and bat mortality at the high voltage lines, soil restoration, reforestation, etc. I'm glad to carry out this work because I'm sure I'm doing the best to protect the nature while the construction of renewable energy plants are trying to reduce the climate change.  In addition, I take part from two NGOs: Fauna&Vida, a environmental conservation and education organization from Paraguay, where I'm currently the Education and conservation programs Director, and SEO/BirdLife, the ornithological society to protect birds, where I coordinate the volunteer group in my city. 
Giuseppe Forestieri

Creative Director, Motion Aptitude

Outdoors enthusiast, snowboard and kitesurf addict with a background in visual communication. As a fan of outdoor sports, I’ve always been fascinated by nature and the complexities of our ecosystem, it makes me want to do all I can to preserve nature and see it flourish. Hence, in 2018 I've created Motion Aptitude. With our animations and illustrations, we’ve been helping universities and organisations sharing stories and scientific studies related to Environmental Science and other allied disciplines such as Biodiversity, Ecology, Wildlife Conservation and Animal Welfare. We aim to foster a sense of curiosity and interest in the natural world and science, so people can connect more deeply with the environment and the world around them. Our Vision is to help reconnect people of all generation with nature to ensure a sustainable future. Our Mission is to inform and inspire viewers with our compelling animated stories. Are you ready to elevate your communication to the next level? Let's talk ▶️ hello@motionaptitude.com
Frank van der Most

Founder and Research engineer, Rubber Boots Data

Data, databases and apps ( Claris FileMaker ) for nature conservation and sustainability research. Funding expertise as a bonus
Brian Heppenstall

Lecturer in Wildlife, Ecology and Conservation, Kingston Maurward College

I lead and deliver a part-theory, part hand-on course in Wildlife, Ecology and Conservation at Kingston Maurward College, on the South Coast of the UK. I have managed Rangers and Engagement staff and overseen species and habitat management for over 20 years, but my passions are around people and conservation. From writing bids for engagement projects/roles to developing the future workforce, I believe the key to a brighter ecological future lies with people. I received the Alumni of the Year Award from Bournemouth University, in 2018, nominated for my work in supporting young people in Conservation, and our team have developed an industry standard placement scheme. I am also the co-host of a Conservation podcast; The Hive.
Alan J. Hesse

Senior Behaviour Change Specialist at TRAFFIC; also independent author-illustrator and climate education entrepreneur, TRAFFIC International

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. 
Elizabeth Stephenson

Director, Marine Conservation Action Fund, New England Aquarium

Hannah Mulvany

Wildlife Biologist/Communications Specialist, Song & Dance Communications

I started my conservation career as a researcher/author for the Arkive online natural world encyclopedia, before managing the Wildscreen Exchange project which gives 350+ organisations across the world access to free photographs and videos for their communications. From working on this project, I developed a keen interest in conservation communications and began researching impact and technique. I also ran the public section of the Wildscreen Festival, Witness the Wild, which is an event programme that includes a travelling bicycle-powered wildlife film cinema, the world's largest recycled and recyclable photography exhibition, and a nature-themed street art gallery. Since then, I have been running my own conservation communications business, Song and Dance Communications, but split my time 50/50 between this and field work, which mostly centres around ecosystem restoration and short-term contracts in the ecotourism industry. I also produce a seldom updated blog, which I hope to spend more time on at some point in the not-too-distant future!
Jim Barborak

Senior Adviser Center for Protected Area Management, Colorado State University

Jim Barborak is Senior Adviser of the Center for Protected Area Management at Colorado State University, an outreach arm of the Warner College of Natural Resources at CSU. His B.S. and M.S. in natural resources are from Ohio State University, and he took additional coursework mid-career at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. His specialties include protected areas and corridor planning and management; wildlife management; conservation finance, policy and governance; capacity building; and ecotourism. He began his career working for county government in his native Ohio, and then joined the US Peace Corps as a Volunteer and was assigned to work with the Honduran Wildlife Department. That began an international career now spanning more than 40 years. He has worked for US, Costa Rican and Honduran government conservation agencies, as a consultant to several UN organizations including UNESCO, the UN Development Program and FAO, as a private consultant, and for universities. He has worked in nearly 30 countries, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, but also in Africa and Asia. He is an active member of the World Commission on Protected Areas and serves on several of its specialist groups, including those on Tourism, Conservation Finance, Capacity Building, and Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities and Equity. He is a native English speaker, fluent in Spanish, and speaks conversational Portuguese. Throughout his career, Jim has worked on efforts to plan and develop increased opportunities for public enjoyment of protected areas, through tourism, recreation, and environmental education programs. At the same time, he has been actively involved in efforts to increase the stream of benefits to local communities and indigenous populations living in and around protected areas, through their direct involvement in tourism and through other mechanisms to create employment and improve livelihoods in conservation units, the buffer zones that ring them, and the corridors that connect them.
Fátima D. Gigante

Program Coordinator, CoalitionWILD

Interdisciplinary conservation professional. Consultant at the European Forest Institute and coordinator for CoalitionWILD 2022 Global Mentorship Programme. Passionate about the social dimensions of natural resource management, community-based conservation, participatory methodologies and human-wildlife conflicts.
Kate Vannelli

Program Director, Global Conservation Corps

Jose Esteves

Prof. Dr., CEO, Exponentialis Learning and Education Platform

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.
Danni Parks

Trustee, WildTeam UK

I'm a Trustee of WildTeam UK - an organisation providing conservationists with the training and skills needed to design and deliver their projects. I am also Director of the Whitley Fund for Nature - a London-based charity offering conservation leaders across the Global South funding (Awards), training and profile boost.
Léa Kaplani

WildLearning Specialist, WildTeam

Hello! I'm Léa and I'm a WildLearning Specialist with WildTeam UK. I help create, design and deliver training courses. I love getting to know all the participants and learning from them :) Previously, I was working with BirdLife International on forest governance issues and in my previous life I worked in the development sector in the United States. Education-wise, I have studied economic development, international relations as well as tropical forestry in the past.  Hope to catch you in a WildHub social!
Lucy Boddam-Whetham

Director, Training & Operations, WildTeam UK

Natalie Rhoades

Program Delivery Facilitator, SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity

I studied Marine Biology in San Diego, California and Wildlife Biology & Conservation in Edinburgh, Scotland. I volunteered, interned, and worked in various capacities at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Hopkins Marine Station, and on a small whale-watching outfit prior to my MSc, and I now work as a Program Delivery Facilitator at the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity in Sacramento, California. My passions lie in informal science education, outreach, and public engagement in the sciences. 
Julia Migne

Director, Conservation Optimism

Ross Rowe

Coach, Ross Rowe Coaching

I am a problem solving and executive life coach accredited with the World Institute for Action Learning and the International Coach Federation. I have over 25 years of workplace experience in environmental science and management. I coach for the beauty of life, wonder of diversity and rewards of exploring.
Adam Barlow

Executive Director, WildTeam UK

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.
Kate Clemens

Graduate Student , Miami University

I am a passionate individual dedicated to ensuring wildlife and wild places are here for years to come in an equitable and sustainable way. An animal lover all my life, it made sense that I would pursue a career focused on the wellbeing and conservation of wildlife. Once I obtained my B.S. in Animal Science, I moved to Birmingham, Alabama to work at the Birmingham Zoo with African mammals. During my time as a zookeeper, I focused much of my energy on educating the public by communicating information to generate understanding and create compassionate attitudes for endangered wildlife and conservation priorities. My natural ability to make connections with people led me to use my time to engage the public and coordinate partner priorities as the Operations Manager for the Global Conservation Corps where I worked both individually and as a team to increase support conservation education and boots-on-the-ground efforts. Additionally, I also acted as the Bowling For Rhinos Communication Liaison with the American Association of Zookeepers where I coordinated communication and connections with field conservationists and zoo professionals. Recently I returned home to Columbus, Ohio to focus on completing my Master’s degree in Conservation Biology through Miami University of Ohio’s Project Dragonfly studying attitudes and participation in conservation while also coordinating collaborative conservation initiatives with university professors, zookeepers, and community members.