I am an environmental educator and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Oulu (Finland), specializing in ecojustice education, human-wildlife coexistence, multispecies governance, and transformative approaches to biodiversity education. My work bridges education, animal law, and environmental diplomacy, with a focus on the legal, pedagogical, and cultural shifts needed to foster peaceable coexistence between humans and other species. I work on reimagining multilateral governance by integrating Rights of Nature frameworks into diplomacy simulations, including Model United Nations frameworks, co-designed participatorily with teachers, students, researchers and rangers.
I have extensive experience building meaningful and sustainable international cross-sectoral partnerships and currently co-lead the multispecies education work package in the MUST: Enabling Multispecies Transitions in Cities and Regions research project and serve as Principal Investigator and Co-lead of an International Strategic Partnership with the University of Namibia, focusing on human-animal coexistence in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA). I also lead the development of an online biodiversity education course as part of the UniPID GLOBUS (Virtual Studies for Global Sustainable Development in Southern African Collaboration). I co-coordinates teacher education on multispecies environmental education and have led diverse international research initiatives, including in Portugal, Finland, and Namibia. I am also Founder and Director of Wilberhouse, an environmental education organization rooted in multicultural storytelling and community engagement.
Hi, I'm Paul Chinyama a dedicated conservationist with a profound love for nature and a strong commitment to preserving biodiversity. My journey in conservation began with my passion for exploring wildlife, which has since evolved into a career focused on habitat restoration and species protection. With over four years of experience and a Bachelor of science in wildlife conservation and natural resource management, I have developed expertise in designing and implementing effective conservation programs. My work at African Parks leads me to a significant increase in native bird populations through habitat restoration efforts. I'm excited about the opportunity to contribute to preserve wildlife and continue making a positive impact on the environment.
My background is mainly in species conservation, education and capacity exchange. 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 co-founded WildHub, a community of nature conservation professionals, in 2020 and work as their Community Lead. I am furthermore 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.