Sheila Kharismadewi (She/Her)

I am a passionate communicator and researcher with an extensive background in the environmental humanities and social sciences. My work is driven by a desire to deepen our understanding of the relationships between people and nature and to foster more compassionate, sustainable ways of living alongside other species. Based between Sweden and the UK, I work in academia, teaching courses in environmental law, political and historical ecology, and disaster risk management. Alongside my academic work, I contribute to non-profit organisations advancing conservation and animal welfare. At Faunalytics, I translate complex research into accessible insights that support evidence-based advocacy. As a feature writer for Ubuntu Magazine, I spotlight conservation initiatives and the people driving change. As Community Advocates Coordinator at WildHub, I lead strategic communications and initiatives that connect, engage, and empower conservation practitioners worldwide. When I'm not working, you'll find me hiking forest trails with my dog or enjoying a good cup of coffee.

Cleo has an M.Sc. in Applied Animal Behaviour & Animal Welfare from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (University of Edinburgh) and a B.Sc. in Animal Biology from Stirling University (UK). She has extensive experience in assisting and managing complex research projects for multiple research institutes and private laboratories. She has built up a strong technical background in the South African Bushveld deciphering wild animal behaviour and bio-acoustics, in cancer research and behind an electron microscope looking for a link between positive animal welfare practices and the abundance of microglia (the brain’s primary innate immune cells).

I am a Zimbabwean conservation professional specialising in protected area management, biodiversity conservation, GIS and conservation technology. My work combines field-based conservation leadership with the use of technology and spatial data to strengthen conservation planning, operations and decision-making. I currently lead Biodiversity Monitoring & Ecosystem Services, overseeing conservation operations across landscapes within the Zambezi Valley, with a particular focus on the Sebungwe Corridor and the wider Lower Zambezi–Mana Pools (LOZAMAP) Transfrontier Conservation Area. I have a particular interest in using GIS, remote sensing, drones, SMART, EarthRanger and other emerging conservation technologies to strengthen field operations and better understand changing landscapes. My broader professional interest is in helping conservation organisations build practical, technology-enabled approaches that connect effective protected area management with communities, biodiversity and long-term landscape conservation. I am especially interested in collaboration around conservation technology, GIS, protected area management, biodiversity monitoring and community-based conservation across Africa.