Morena Rodriguez

Conservation biologist, -
Kganyakgo Lovedonia

Msc student , University of limpopo

I am currently a Master science student in chemistry and my research focuses on removal of organic materials in water bodies to ensure that the environment is maintained, (this includes prevention of harm to aquatic lives) 
Amy Dickman

Director, Ruaha Carnivore Project, Tanzania, WildCRU, University of Oxford

Derek Scott van der Merwe

Limpopo Carnivore Regional Co-ordinator, Endangered Wildlife Trust

Osvaldo Abrão

Carnivore Reintroduction Project Coordinator , Endangered Wildlife Trust

Hi! My name is Osvaldo Abrao, I am Mozambican and Conservation Biologist. I am working in Zinave National Park, as Carnivore Reintroduction Project Coordinator. Zinave, is one an Conservation Area in Recover Process and now the population of prey are growing well. As  result, we have natural return of predators, mainly lions. In addition of lions I am working with hyenas, leopards and other small predators.  I am very interested to learn more about predators, species conservation, restoration, how engage community in conservation and to hear more success histories in conservation around the world!
Ashton Goronga

Ecologist , Midlands Black Rhino Conservancy

Louisa Richmond-Coggan

Conservation & Sustainability Consultant, LRC Wildlife Conservation Consulting

I am a conservation and sustainability consultant with a passion for combining real-world conservation practices and innovative Web 3.0 technologies to help organisations scale their impact, build trust, and drive new opportunities for engagement and funding. Through my work, I develop tools and frameworks that bridge the gap between traditional conservation efforts and the integration of Web 3.0 technologies such as blockchain, digital certificates, IoT, DAOs, and the metaverse. This combined approach supports knowledge sharing, informed decision-making, and the adoption of practical solutions tailored to the unique needs of conservation projects. Are you working with Web 3.0 technologies or exploring how they could apply to conservation? Whether you’re developing new ideas, facing challenges, or just curious about this space, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s connect to discuss your thoughts, experiences, and how we can collaborate to create impactful solutions. Background I am a Conservation and Sustainability Consultant with over twenty years of experience spanning field-based research, conservation management, and leadership development. My career has evolved from conducting large carnivore ecology and human-wildlife conflict research across Eastern and Southern Africa to designing and implementing innovative conservation solutions that address today’s pressing challenges. I hold a Master’s in Conservation Biology from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, and a Ph.D. from Nottingham Trent University, where my research focused on variations in brown hyaena density and distribution across South Africa. My work has taken me into national parks, conservancies, and private farmland, including leading Namibia’s National Leopard Census Project, which combined field ecology with multi-disciplinary approaches to assess leopard population pressures and trends. As the Academic Dean of the School of Wildlife Conservation at the African Leadership University, I trained and developed the next generation of entrepreneurial, mission-driven conservation leaders. My work focused on the 'Business of Conservation,' positioning conservation as an opportunity for sustainable economic and social development. Building on this foundation, I now focus on helping conservation organisations explore and adopt innovative Web 3.0 technologies such as blockchain, IoT, and digital certificates to scale their impact, drive transparency, and unlock new funding streams. Through my consultancy, I develop tools and frameworks that bridge the gap between technology and conservation, empowering organisations to make informed decisions and achieve tangible results for nature and communities. My work combines ongoing conservation initiatives, including research, project design, and field-based management, with the integration of technology-driven solutions. Both areas are essential for addressing conservation challenges at scale, ensuring that organisations have the tools, knowledge, and capacity to achieve lasting impact. By aligning these two areas, I provide a holistic approach that delivers meaningful, real-world results and transformative opportunities through innovation.
Thirza Loffeld

WildHub Co-founder, WildHub Conservation Community

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. 
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
Aiita Joshua Apamaku

Wildlife biologist , Freelance and National Geographic Young Explorer

Wildlife biologist with cross-cutting interests in wildlife conservation technologies, wildlife and ecological research, climate change. 
Harriet Davies-Mostert

Director of Impact, Conserve Global

Ana Yi Soto

GLFx Coordinator at Global Landscapes Forum, CIFOR-ICRAF

Ana Yi Soto is a specialist in communications and cooperation for development. Her 12-year professional experience spans the non-profit and private sectors, including NGOs such as Conservation International and Wildlife Conservation Society. She is knowledgeable in rural development, conservation programs, and youth movements across Latin America, Africa, and Europe.  In 2007, she co-founded the International Network of Students for Peace, RED ESPAZ Peru, and on Earth Day 2023, she launched Crea Planeta, a creative agency for planet restoration based in social marketing and behavioral insights. Ana is a Peruvian national and lives in Madagascar, close to the Makira National Park.
Lucy Tallents

Conservation educator, VerdantLearn

Affordable, flexible and sociable online learning in technical skills for conservation and open education.  Support for virtual and hybrid conferences and events
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.
Matthew Creasey

Course Development Manager, WildTeam

I work for WildTeam UK, helping to deliver training workshops, write conservation best practice manuals and share them as widely as possible. Previously a Writing Fellow working with various conservation organisations across India. Background in research, particularly behavioural ecology. Bird nerd.
Simon Hedges

Conservation Design and Planning Manager, ZSL

I have over 30 years of experience of species conservation and protected area management; human–wildlife conflict mitigation; countering the illegal wildlife trade; conservation-related research; biodiversity surveys; monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL); impact evaluation; and wildlife policy formulation, including the writing and implementation of action plans. Much of my time since 1988 has been spent in Asia and, from 2007, Asia and Africa. I spent the 1990s living and working in protected areas in Java, advising on their management with a particular focus on ungulates, wild dogs, and leopards. From 1998, I focused on elephants, particularly on the development of reliable monitoring methods, human–elephant conflict mitigation, and, since 2004, the ivory trade and the illegal killing of elephants. I worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) for 18 years, working to conserve elephants in partnership with other NGOs, communities, and governments, and ultimately coordinating WCS’s elephant conservation work in Asia and Africa. In February 2018, I co-founded the NGO, Asian Arks, and served as its CEO until September 2020 with the aim of replicating and extending models of directly managing protected areas under long-term agreements with governments and communities, which the NGO African Parks and others have shown to be successful. From early 2018, I also worked as an independent consultant, partly to support the work of Asian Arks, which as a start-up was unable to pay for full-time staff. Consultancy projects completed include advising the Government of Mozambique on CITES policy, development of a threat monitoring protocol for protected areas and biodiversity offset sites in the Lao PDR, and a human–elephant conflict mitigation strategy for the Government of Gabon. Since December 2021, I have been employed by ZSL to lead the development of a robust conservation planning process to help ZSL’s teams design effective and adaptive long-term conservation strategies and deliver conservation impact.