Kate Stephenson (She/Her)
Head of Communications, Whitley Fund for Nature
- Member directory
- United Kingdom
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.
I lead on the Whitley Fund for Nature's Network Development programme, supporting and creating connections among the 200-strong global network to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration, and strengthen capacity. Previous to this role, I worked for Galapagos Conservation Trust for over seven years across project management and operations/finance. I hold an MSc in Conservation Science from Imperial College London. I am passionate about habitat restoration, the conservation of endemic species and inspiring the next generation of conservation leaders.
With a Master’s Degree in Environmental Conservation Management, I joined the Born Free team in 2012 working in various roles within the campaigns team before taking on the role as Head of Education in 2017. Within this role I am responsible for the strategic development, planning and delivery of Born Free’s global education programme across Born Free’s country offices (in Kenya, Ethiopia, UK and South Africa) as well as through partner organisations. This programme aims to deliver both direct conservation and animal welfare education as well as holistic community projects aimed at addressing some of the most significant environmental challenges facing both people and wildlife.
I am a science communicator - in the early part of my career but learning quickly.
My main platform is The Curious Environmentalist but I also have a personal website and I have recently started a newsletter on Substack.
I currently write and do podcasts, but I am hoping to expand into videos too. My whole ethos is about making science accessible to anyone who is curious.
I'd love to connect!
I am a marine biology graduate with an MSc in conservation from Plymouth Uni. I use to be the assistant community manager of WildHub and. have a passion for science communication and bringing people together. 🦇 In my spare time I have a blog as well as a Redbubble shop where I sell my artwork. Check it out under my website link :) 🦇 Other interests include the use of technology (specifically cameras) to study animals as well as animal husbandry and advocacy.
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.