I am a conservationist based in Nepal. I did my MSc in Conservation and International Wildlife Trade from DICE-Kent. I am currently working to understand the trade dynamics of some of the most traded medicinal plants like orchids and yews. I am interested in understanding how socioeconomic and behavioral factors interact and impact the wildlife trade (incl. the online trade spectrum and various stakeholders in it) and using this knowledge in designing effective conservation actions. 

I am a multihyphenate working across environmental conservation and equity spaces, serving clients with program and project design and assessment, policy advocacy, strategy, communications, and thought partnership. My firm primarily serves nonprofit and government entities, with select partnerships with mission-based for-profit companies. I bring my expertise in law, anthropology, policy, communications, and wellness to the work advancing equitable conservation.  I am also a passionate and avid SCUBA diver, coral restoration volunteer, and fundraiser aiming to advance equity in ocean conservation through local, hands-on, in-the-water work. I serve on the Advisory Board for 10% For the Ocean and volunteer regularly with the Cozumel Coral Reef Restoration Program. For more information, please visit www.silleckconsultingservices.com.

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 conservation career started in 1992 when I helped set up and joined a University expedition to the Bolivian Amazon. What started out as a 3-month experience ended up being a life-changing inflection point that set my professional and personal course to the present day. My conservation experience was built bottom-up and hands-on, and includes field data collection and logistics, grassroots organization leadership and project management, community engagement and capacity building, M&E, training and behavior change, and lately climate education through authorship of graphic novels and other resources. My conservation career includes positions as a senior staff member and a principal investigator at the Bolivian BirdLife Partner Armonía, field investigator in the Gran Chaco with WCS Bolivia, field logistics officer for Conservation International's RAP expeditions, and Programme Manager and Senior Manager of M&E at Rare. I currently work as Senior Behaviour Change Specialist with TRAFFIC International, applying behavioural science approaches to support TRAFFIC's work across wildlife supply chains globally.