I was born under a coppery African sky in the big city of Jozi (Johannesburg) in the nation of Mzansi (South Africa). My ancestors are Celts from Scotland and the north of England. My adopted home, where I have lived and worked as a teacher for many years inbetween my wandering, is Aoteoroa/New Zealand. I am a conservationist, an environmental scientist, an ecologist, a geographer, a teacher, an observer, a reader, a storyteller, a decorator, an organiser, a quiet activist, and mostly a Creative. I am passionate about my birthplace Africa – its red earth in my DNA, and yet also a happy wanderer with many stamps in passports. A life of magical experiences and breathtaking moments especially in Nature, where my Soul sings. Standing on the edge of Lake Wakatipu or catching my breath at the top of Mt Tongariro.  Breathing in the silence in the red dunes of the Kgalagadi. Drinking in the view from the top of the Drakensberg escarpment looking over Mpumalanga. Watching the wildlife of the Okavango Delta ebb and flow with the seasonal flood drawn into its rhythm. The itchy heat of a summer day in the north of Kruger Park. The numb on my nose from standing in the snow at Glencoe or sailing with the wind in my face on Loch Ness. Letting the sand ooze between my toes at Waimea Bay, north shore of Oahu, or standing on the edge of the world at Kilauea Crater, Hawaii and many more…. What an immense privilege! On this Journey I’ve realised that with this immense privilege comes an even greater Responsibility. I chose Pure Spaces for the meaning of my first name combined with my deeply held sense of significance in Spaces, whether external or internal. Pure Spaces Education is a dream come true. A Dream to share what I’ve learned about our Mother Earth, about our deep Connection to her and each other. I believe if we truly take in this Connection and feel the benefit of it to our individual Wellbeing, we will live intentionally for the good of All.

I am a self employed veterinary nurse who works with a range of species from domestic to wildlife. As much as I enjoy my job, I feel I would like to use my skills to make more of a difference in the world. Starting my career in conservation I discovered a love for Asian Primates especially in Indonesia. Keen to network and gain as much knowledge and experience as I can to find a role that incorporates my conservation passions.

Hello! I've joined WildHub as I'm enrolled in the Project Management for Wildlife Conservation training course (Mar-Apr 2022). A brief bio on me is below: Caitlin is a Canadian who moved to the UK in 2013, immediately following her undergraduate degree in Environmental Science, to complete her Masters in Biodiversity, Conservation & Management at the University of Oxford. She has since worked in a variety of supply chains – firstly working with one of her Oxford professors to conceptualise an app connecting timber suppliers to consumers, then moving into the private sector in the food industry, managing projects to improve fisheries sustainability and human rights in international supply chains. Throughout her career, she’s become familiar with various sustainability and ethical standards, as well as market-based mechanisms to drive sustainability and wildlife conservation. Below is more information about the project I'm currently managing: 'Wild at Home - Using markets for wild ingredients to support conservation and rural livelihoods' is a TRAFFIC project that aims to inspire and support corporate and consumer action to improve sustainability and human rights in the supply chains of wild-harvested plant ingredients. This will be partly through promotion of the FairWild standard (see https://www.fairwild.org/), but also by more widely engaging with consumers and businesses through an information platform (‘WildCheck’), which will be promoted to consumers through partners (e.g. botanical gardens), and to businesses via strategic partnerships with relevant industry associations.

I am a PhD student at the Wildlife Research Center and Department of Primatology at Kyoto University. I study the social lives and minds of lutungs (Trachypithecus spp.), with a focus on the limestone langurs (T. francoisi group). I am also an animal rights advocate and proponent of the compassionate conservation movement (sensu lato). I also like to draw and occasionally make things of clay, but not too often, because you'll have dry hands for at least a week. If you want to procrastinate on whatever you ought to do instead, here's my website: https://www.brendadegroot.com

I currently hold a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science and Geography. I am working as the Natural Resources Management Program Coordinator in the Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Papua New Guinea. I am passionate about conserving species that are endemic to the island of New Guinea and that which are on the IUCN Red List of Species.