Stephanie Manka (formerly Schuttler)
Wildlife Biologist and Science Communicator, Fancy Scientist LLC
Wildlife biologist 🐘 Mentor 👩🎓 Your Biggest Career Cheerleader 📣 Communicator 👥 | Showing animal lovers how to get their dream job✨ | Connecting people with nature for conservation 🌿 and 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.
A Florida native and University of West Florida alum, she has pursued advanced studies in Tropical Forest Landscapes Conservation and Restoration at Yale University. She has expanded her knowledge in Science Communication and Sustainable Development Goals through Erasmus University Rotterdam. Additionally, she has gained expertise in Large Marine Ecosystems' Assessment and Management from Cape Town University.
In addition to her role as an ecopreneur, she actively engages in volunteer work with environmental and conservation organizations, as well as outreach groups, using her professional skills to contribute meaningfully to the assistance of others.