Affordable, flexible and sociable online learning in technical skills for conservation and open education. Support for virtual and hybrid conferences and events
Amanda Mendonça Ferreira de Andrade e Silva
Wildlife Veterinarian, Savannah Medicina Veterinária
I studied Marine Biology in San Diego, California and Wildlife Biology & Conservation in Edinburgh, Scotland. I volunteered, interned, and worked in various capacities at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Hopkins Marine Station, and on a small whale-watching outfit prior to my MSc, and I now work as a Program Delivery Facilitator at the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity in Sacramento, California. My passions lie in informal science education, outreach, and public engagement in the sciences.
David Kabambo is the founder and Executive Director of Peace for Conservation (PFC ) and holds a B. A. degree in Social Work, a Postgraduate Diploma in Wildlife Management, and is presently working towards a Master’s degree in Natural Resource Management and Assessment.
David has a particular skill-set in supporting the transformation of people’s understanding and viewpoints regarding the benefits of conservation. He has had real impacts at the grassroots level, working with bush meat poachers, for alternative livelihoods such as wildlife conservation educators. He has developed and implemented a highly successful employment schemes whereby former poachers a recruited as community conservation educator, they visit at schools and local communities to advocate wildlife conservation, the wider benefits to Tanzania’s national income (for example eco-tourism) and provide real-life testimonials regarding the negative impacts of the bush-meat trade.
Since 2016, David has donated 47 tricycles to disabled person greatly increasing their comfort and ability to lead normal lives. He has set himself a goal of donating 100 tricycles by 2025. He is keen that local disabled person do not miss out on experiencing local wildlife, such as the magical ‘Big Five’ and has arranged dedicated tours to the Serengeti. National park .He also feels that these persons living close to protected areas in the Serengeti ecosystem have a vital and active role as ambassadors for wildlife conservation.
José Luiz Esteves works professionally through EXPONENTIALIS
Learning and Education Projects and INTELIBUSINESS, a Social
Responsibility and Corporate Sustainability Consulting venture, created in Belo Horizonte in 2006. He has relevant experience in different Triple Helix organizations in Brazil, in management positions. Professional with knowledge of the business environment, social
responsibility / third sector, and education in Brazil and Latin America,
especially in the aspects of institutional management, market intelligence, network development, has a degree in social communication and public administration. He obtained his specialization, masters, and a doctorate in these areas, and the international diploma GUDS / Urban Management and
Sustainable Development (by the World Bank / UN-ECLAC / MINURVI /
Italian Coop) In 2001. Has a solid background in Social Program
Management, Strategic Planning, BSC, Participatory Appraisal, Project
Logical Framework, Resource Mobilization, and Fundraising (by The Resource Alliance) held in Brazil and abroad.
I am a social scientist and passionate about increasing the application of social science research and methods in the conservation sector. To do this, I founded Human Nature. Human Nature is a social enterprise empowering conservation professionals to use social sciences to impact people and planet. We provide training and mentorship to NGOs, academics, policy makers and others wishing to build their foundations in social science. Many people working in conservation have trained through natural science routes, and find themselves needing to better understand the people elements of ecosystems. Social science provides the tools do this. Please get in touch if you are interested in hearing more about what we do. You can contact me at https://humannature.co.uk/contact.
Hi all! I am currently Fauna & Flora Internationals (FFIs) Senior Programme Manager for Conservation Capacity and Leadership. I have a lovely broad remit, but at its heart my job is to support FFI staff and partners strengthen skills in establishing, managing and supporting FFIs conservation work. I do this in lots of ways- designing and running training events, supporting the application of new skills/learning to peoples work, setting up mentoring relationships and peer to peer learning groups, organising exchange visits, work shadowing, master classes etc. We have a big focus on knowledge management in FFI, so don't just focus on how to bring in new knowledge and learning into our organisation, but how to share and apply all the incredible knowledge and skills our 400 strong team already have
I have an MSc in Environmental Technology and PhD in Anthropology from UCL where I specialised in human-environment interactions, with a stint as a Teaching Fellow in Human Ecology (maternity cover). Prior to joining FFI, I spent a number of years working in the Central African Republic to assess and improve the integration of conservation and development in the Dzanga-Sangha region, and following gorillas up and down volcanoes in Rwanda with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. Before joining FFI's Conservation Capacity team in 2013, I spent 5 years in FFI’s Africa team, co-ordinating and managing projects in Liberia, West Africa.
Shelley acts as community manager for the two growing networks that sit alongside the core Cambridge Masters in Conservation Leadership teaching programme; the University of Cambridge Conservation Leadership Alumni Network (UCCLAN) and the Conservation Leadership Transformation Network. The management of these two networks delivers two of the three goals set out in the Masters in Conservation Leaderships ten-year strategy; to catalyse the impact of the UCCLAN; and to establish a Global Conservation Leadership Community of Practice.
Shelley is a former archaeologist, who moved into the communications sector and has been specialising in external affairs and communications at the University of Cambridge for the last 15 years. Shelley is a brand specialist with extensive experience in delivering large-scale communications campaigns for the University’s high-profile events such as the Cambridge Science Festival, alongside training staff and students from across the University in to how to engage audiences both in person and online.
I am a natural-resource ecologist and sustainability advocate who builds bridges between local communities, nature, and science-policy. By blending systems thinking with social-behavioral change communication, I design human-centered programs and initiatives that connect ecological outcomes with social justice and sustainable development. 🐾⚖️
My training and field experience help me translate research into community-driven projects and business models that restore landscapes and strengthen livelihoods. To advance the adoption of nature-based solutions, I craft creative advocacy and training programmes grounded in evidence-based research. 👩🏽🔬
I deeply enjoy storytelling, co-creating, mentoring early-career practitioners, and hosting spaces that spark creativity and transform complex challenges into tangible impact. 🧩
Outside my work, I love birding, dancing, travelling, photography, and writing. 🌸
I have worked in field biology since 2013 with a focus on avian research, specifically wetland and coastal habitats. Most recently, I worked with Audubon Great Lakes to bring urban migratory bird monitoring to Grange Insurance Audubon Center. For several years, I worked with shorebirds and wading birds in Florida as the Avian Biologist with Rookery Bay Reserve. I have also presented multiple lectures for festivals or training courses such as the Florida Master Naturalist course and Rookery Bay's Festival of Birds. I currently reside in Central Ohio while staying active in national or international conservation programs such as Zoo Miami's Florida Flamingo Working Group to research American flamingo ecology or ResearchWild Inc's international internship research program.
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.
I have an MSc in Applied Ecology and Conservation from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK. I am originally from the United States but now live in North Wales with my partner.
Nguyen Van Kien
principal researcher, Vietnam National plant genebank - plant resources center (prc)
My work is serving plant genetic resources conservation and use intervention for food and agriculture development (PGRFA) in Vietnam. We design, develop, carry out platform and strategy, programs on PGRFA and relevant areas, including consultancy, training activities. Currently, we are trying to focus on diversity and evolution works of crop and wild crop relatives (CWRs)in the contexts of climate changes, nutrition and health styles and ecosystem services payments and environments as well as values series of culture, spirit and religions that plant genetic resources contribute to sustainable human social development against future challenges. I hope that we could exchange experience, idea and innovation to contribute in developing a better world. We are looking forward to hearing your feedback, support and cooperation soon
I lead and deliver a part-theory, part hand-on course in Wildlife, Ecology and Conservation at Kingston Maurward College, on the South Coast of the UK. I have managed Rangers and Engagement staff and overseen species and habitat management for over 20 years, but my passions are around people and conservation. From writing bids for engagement projects/roles to developing the future workforce, I believe the key to a brighter ecological future lies with people. I received the Alumni of the Year Award from Bournemouth University, in 2018, nominated for my work in supporting young people in Conservation, and our team have developed an industry standard placement scheme. I am also the co-host of a Conservation podcast; The Hive.
I lead on the Whitley Fund for Nature's Network Development programme, supporting and creating connections among the 200-strong global network to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration, and strengthen capacity. Previous to this role, I worked for Galapagos Conservation Trust for over seven years across project management and operations/finance. I hold an MSc in Conservation Science from Imperial College London. I am passionate about habitat restoration, the conservation of endemic species and inspiring the next generation of conservation leaders.