Speakers

Andean Cat Alliance

Bernardo was born and raised in Santiago. As a boy, he was lucky enough to take frequent visits with his mother to the mountains that surround the city. It was on these trips that he first connected with the amazing wildlife in this marvelous ecosystem.

His appreciation for wildlife and the environment only grew as the years passed, and today his passion for conservation is stronger than ever. Using years of knowledge that his time in nature and formal education gave him, Bernardo is now committed to studying and protecting one of the most rare and iconic animals in the Andes—the Andean cat.

Andean Cat Alliance

Dr. Rocío Palacios has been interested in wildlife, particularly felines, since age 11. She studied biology at the National University of Córdoba and completed her doctoral thesis on the Andean cat. She arrived in the Andes in 2003, researching Andean cats and working for the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Argentine National Parks Agency, always as part of the Andean Cat Alliance (AGA). After finding signs of Andean cats in northern Patagonia in 2005, Rocío coordinated research and trained staff in protected areas. In 2018, she received the Disney Conservation Hero prize for her work with the AGA. Rocío is part of the cat specialist group of the IUCN and the Argentine Society of Mammalogy.

Cheetah Conservation Botswana

Katlego, fondly known to the team as Kat, was born in Francistown and has a long history of loving cheetahs. Katlego holds a Masters in Human Rights, Culture and Social Justice from Goldsmiths University of London, and a BA (Hons) Dramatic Arts specializing in directing and design from University of the Witwatersrand. With over a decade of communications experience, Katlego is also a multi-skilled educator, artist and development practitioner which allows her to contribute to broadly to CCB’s engagement and awareness work. Katlego joined CCB in 2019, after some years of offering support services to the organization.

Ewaso Lions

Toby Otieno began as a volunteer at the National Museums of Kenya before becoming a Research Project Field Manager at the Mpala Research Centre. Toby holds a BSc. in Wildlife Management and Conservation from the University of Nairobi, and an MSc. in Wildlife Management from Karatina University. He has many years of research and field experience, ranging from small to large mammals, and he joined Ewaso Lions in 2016 as their Research Manager, where he took the lead role in all monitoring activities and research program management. Currently, Toby is their Director of Impact and Operations.

Toby is speaking with Niassa Lion Project

Embaka (Small Cats)

Badru Mugerwa is the founder of Embaka, a conservation initiative in Uganda that improves local communities while mitigating poaching of the African golden cat. Born in Kampala, Badru spends most of his days studying wildlife near the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. He also the founder and chair of the African Golden Cat Conservation Alliance, a network of 36 Africans spearheading community-based conservation for the African golden cat in 19 of the 22 known range countries, serves as president-elect of the Africa section of the Society of Conservation Biology (SCB) and currently chairs the steering committee for the International Congress for Conservation Biology. He holds an MSc. in Zoology and Wildlife Conservation from Western University and an MSc. in Botany and Forest Conservation from Mbarara University of Science and Technology, is finishing his PhD in wildlife biology in Germany, and is a recipient of the NatGeo 2024 Wayfinder Award.

Global Penguin Society

Pablo is the founder and president of the Global Penguin Society. He is also a researcher at the National Research Council in Argentina, associate professor at the University of Washington, and the co-founder and co-chair of the IUCN Penguin Specialist Group. He has spent 33 years in the field of marine conservation, focusing on protected areas and seabird ecology and conservation, with special emphasis on penguins. He leads a global conservation effort for penguins and together with his team he has helped protect 32 million acres of ocean and coastal habitat for penguins. He received his Ph.D. with honors in Biology from the National University of Comahue. Pablo is a recipient of the 2018 Whitley Gold Award, an Associate Laureate of the 2019 Rolex Awards for Enterprise, and a winner of the 2023 Indianapolis Prize—the first recipient from South America.

Hutan

Born and raised in Sabah, Malaysia, Amanda Shia is HUTAN’s Scientific Officer under their Wildlife Survey and Protection Unit. Amanda is responsible for the scientific aspect of monitoring and reporting HUTAN’s significant findings to support conservation decision-making on the landscape level, as well as to inform donors and partners of HUTAN’s latest efforts. This extends to proactively being involved in ground field work and assisting in HUTAN’s other monitoring and surveys.

Hutan

Dr. Marc Ancrenaz is the Co-founder of Hutan and the Scientific Director of the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme, a community-based program active in wildlife research, conservation, and community development in Sabah. He is also a scientific adviser for the Sabah Wildlife Department. Before moving to Sabah in 1998, Marc worked for three years as the Head of the Mammal and Veterinary Departments at the National Wildlife Research Center for the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation in Saudi Arabia. Marc earned his veterinary degree from Maisons Alfort in France, his Ph.D. from Berlin Free University in Germany, and gained valuable conservation experience working in several African countries.

Macaw Recovery Network

Pamela Herrera Barquero is a Costa Rican biologist with a master’s degree in Biodiversity Conservation in Tropical Areas. She joined the Macaw Recovery Network in 2019, developing research on social perception and behaviors of great green macaw conservation in northern Costa Rica. She has a firm conviction that conservation cannot move forward without people and communities.

Macaw Recovery Network

Dr. Sam Williams has had a lifelong fascination with parrots. He leads an amazing team of conservationists at the Macaw Recovery Network in Costa Rica, and together they are working to prevent the extinction of the Critically Endangered great green macaw. Their work also helps protect other endangered parrots, as well as their habitats and the communities that live in the same areas where these birds are found.

MarAlliance

Dr. Rachel Graham is a conservation scientist with over 28 years of experience on projects around the world. She is the founder and Executive Director of MarAlliance, an international organization dedicated to the research and conservation of large marine wildlife, such as sharks, rays, turtles, and large finfish. Rachel has dedicated over two decades to working with traditional fishers on community-based fisheries and the research and conservation of apex marine predators, inspiring many shark researchers and conservationists. In 2011, she won the Whitley Fund for Nature Gold Award for her work, and in 2021, she was awarded a prestigious Pew Marine Fellowship to work with sharks, communities and protected areas.

Niassa Lion Project

Dr. Colleen Begg is a South African conservation ecologist with more than 25 years of experience in grassroots conservation and community engagement. She is passionate about securing African wilderness areas and large carnivore populations by inspiring transparent, locally-derived, and collaborative conservation actions. She co-founded the Niassa Lion Project in 2003 and is an alumna of Homeward Bound, a global leadership initiative for 1,000 women with STEMM backgrounds, which aims to heighten the influence and impact of women in making decisions that shape our planet. In 2018, she co-founded Women for the Environment, Africa (WE Africa), a transformational leadership program for African women conservation leaders whose purpose is to put women at the heart of transforming Africa’s environmental movement.

Okapi Conservation Project

Berce N’safuansa is the Program Manager for the Okapi Conservation Project (OCP). Berce facilitates the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all OCP’s programs, including Agroforestry, Education, Maintenance and Logistics. Though he has only worked full time for OCP since 2019, he’s had a passion and dedication for protecting okapi since childhood. After the early passing of his father, Jean N’lamba, who helped start OCP in 1987, Berce wished to carry on his father’s legacy. He believes involving communities is the key to a successful conservation program and he regularly meets with community members, leaders, and local chiefs to ensure OCP programs are meeting the needs of the community.

Okapi Conservation Project

John Lukas has over 40 years of experience in holistic wildlife conservation. He received his master’s in Zoology from Northeastern University and spent 30 years at the helm of White Oak Conservation Center. In 1987, John founded the Okapi Conservation Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. John is the founding member and president of the International Rhino Foundation, a founding board member of the Wildlife Conservation Network, a director of the Tusk Trust, and an advisor for the Conservation Centers for Species Survival. He also serves on the IUCN species specialist groups for giraffe and okapi.

Painted Dog Conservation

David Kuvawoga grew up in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, where he was constantly surrounded by wildlife and often heard the sounds of lions roaring from his home. This fueled his passion for conservation, leading him to earn a degree in Nature Conservation from the Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa. Today, David is the Operations Manager at Painted Dog Conservation, where he runs the daily operations of the entire team in Zimbabwe to ensure the success of PDC’s efforts to protect and increase painted dog populations while supporting local communities.

Proyecto Tití

Rosamira Guillen is a proud Colombian with degrees in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Management. When she was Executive Director at the Barranquilla Zoo, she discovered Proyecto Tití and cotton-top tamarins. She joined and later became Proyecto Tití’s Director in 2008. Under her leadership, Proyecto Tití has gotten cotton-tops classified as a critically endangered species, protected over 13,500 acres of forest, created a National Program for cotton-top conservation, and expanded Proyecto Tití’s community and education programs. Rosamira received the CARACOL Award for Environmental Conservation in 2014, the Whitley Award in 2015, the National Geographic/Buffet Award in 2017, and the Latin-American Green Award in 2019. She joined WCN’s Board of Directors in 2022.

Rwanda Wildlife Conservation

In 2014, Dr. Olivier Nsengimana designed a unique conservation project to abolish the illegal trade of endangered grey crowned cranes in Rwanda and won the Rolex Award for Enterprise. He established Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association in 2015 to build upon his work with grey crowned cranes and expand research and conservation efforts to other species in Rwanda and the East African region. Olivier has received the 2017 National Geographic Buffett Award for Leadership in Conservation in Africa, the 2018 Whitley Award, the 2019 Future For Nature Award, and most recently, the 2020 Virginia McKenna Award for Compassionate Conservation. Olivier is a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine and has a Master of Veterinary Science, Conservation Medicine from the University of Edinburgh, UK.

Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association

Deo is a wildlife veterinarian and the Senior Program Manager at Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA). He’s worked with RWCA since the organization was established, taking a key role in ending the illegal trade of endangered grey crowned cranes in Rwanda. As a result, the crane population has doubled. Deo currently coordinates all of RWCA’s conservation projects, which have now expanded to include other threatened and endangered wildlife. This involves veterinary assistance, wildlife monitoring, habitat restoration, and extensive community work. Deo’s first job was in a small animal clinic, but his dream was to work in conservation and find solutions to human-wildlife conflict. Deo has a bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Rwanda and a master’s degree in Public Health from Mount Kenya University.

Save the Elephants

Esther is the Community Outreach Manager for Save the Elephants’ Tsavo Program, where she has worked for six years. She leads community conservation, health outreach, and empowerment activities. Esther strives to help communities live peacefully alongside elephants through education, awareness, empowerment, and the provision of additional services that promote elephant appreciation. She was also nominated for the COVID-19 Heroes Award in 2021 by Newcastle University for her contributions to women empowerment activities.

Save the Elephants

Frank Pope is CEO of Save The Elephants (STE). He joined STE in 2012 at the height of the elephant poaching crisis. An experienced bush pilot, Frank is at the helm of an organization renowned for using the power of science to secure a future for elephants. Prior to joining STE, Frank spent many years in marine science and conservation, becoming the world’s first Ocean Correspondent at The Times newspaper in London. During this time, he published two acclaimed books and fronted the BBC series Britain’s Secret Seas. Frank and Save the Elephants’ world-leading team of scientists and conservationists are working to reveal the intricate world of elephants and advance their protection.

Seratu Aatai

Frank Pope is CEO of Save The Elephants (STE). He joined STE in 2012 at the height of the Dr. Nurzhafarina “Farina” Othman is the Founder and Director of Seratu Aatai. Farina was born and raised in Borneo and has committed her life to protecting the Bornean elephants. The Houston Zoo sponsored Farina’s doctoral degree and provided support for extensive leadership training for her over the years. She is a compassionate and effective wildlife conservation leader that now has her own elephant conservation organization called Seratu Aatai. Dr. Farina is inspiring and mentoring many other young women scientists in her country to pursue wildlife conservation careers.

Small Mammal Conservation Organization

Benneth Obitte is a conservation ecologist who uses socio-ecological systems to guide effective conservation interventions. This includes using innovative interdisciplinary tools to understand bat hunting and bat meat consumption in southern Nigeria. Ben has conducted multiple surveys in Nigeria, works with local communities to develop conservation solutions, and is dedicated to strengthening the capacity of budding ecologists in Nigeria. He is a National Geographic Explorer and the first African winner of the Kate Barlow Awards. Ben co-founded the Small Mammal Conservation Organization and oversees its conservation programs.

Small Wild Cat Conservation Organization

Dr. Jim Sanderson has over 4 decades of experience in the conservation of small cats. He is the founder and director of the Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation (SWCCF). In 2004, Jim was the first person to capture and radio-collar an Andean cat; his images of Andean cats have also been featured in National Geographic. Jim was also the first person to ever photograph the Chinese mountain cat in the wild. Jim has a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico and is the Program Manager for Wild Cat Conservation at Global Wildlife Conservation. He is also a member of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group and a review board member of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund.

Wildlife Conservation Network

JG has always been passionate about animals. With over two decades of experience in the non-profit sector, his focus has been at the interface between wildlife conservation and development issues. He joined WCN in 2012 and provides strategic leadership to enhance WCN’s overall impacts, sustainability and growth. Originally from Paris, France, JG started his career working with inspiring ecologists studying chimps, gorillas, and mandrills and dodging the occasional elephant in Gabon. At the World Resources Institute, he managed an NGO network to monitor logging companies in Central Africa. He returned to Gabon with the Wildlife Conservation Society to help the development of national parks and ecotourism. For his Ph.D., JG studied the effects of tourism on people’s wellbeing around protected areas in northeastern Namibia. JG is thrilled to combine all of his interests through his work at WCN. When not at work, he tries to keep up with his wife and two children exploring the outdoors and cultural diversity of the Bay Area.

Yunkawasi

Fanny M. Cornejo is a Peruvian biologist with a postgraduate degree in anthropology and more than 16 years of experience in research and conservation of endangered fauna in Peru, with an emphasis on the Tropical Andes. She is co-founder and current executive director of Yunkawasi, a Civil Association focused on the creation and management of conservation areas, biological and social research, conservation education programs and promotion of sustainable development of local communities. Fanny is also a member and vice president for Peru of the Primate Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and a member of the CITES expert committee of the Ministry of the Environment of Peru. She has recently been named the winner of the Emerging Conservationist Award, an award given by the prestigious Indianapolis Prize, for her trajectory and contribution to the conservation of threatened primates in Peru.