Opwall's Field Notes

Dr. Nick Askew is the Founder and Director of Conservation Careers, one of the biggest advice centres and job boards for conservationists in the world. Nick started his career as an ornithologist and his PhD and dissertation focused on the behavioural ecology of barn owls. He then went on to work in a number of conservation fieldwork and communications roles before founding Conservation Careers. Since launch, Conservation Careers has provided advice to 630 000 conservationists in 178 countries to help them find work and make an impact for the planet. In this episode, we discuss how the conservation field has changed since he started Conservation Careers, what conservation employers and employees should understand about each other, and what skills are in high demand in the conservation industry today. If you are thinking about starting a career in conservation at any stage of your life, this episode is for you.

Conservation Careers website: https://www.conservation-careers.com/

Conservation Careers podcast: https://www.conservation-careers.com/podcast/

Karen Rodriguez is Vice President of Program Operations at Kiss the Ground. Originally from Guatemala, Karen grew up in California and followed a deep love of food into the restaurant industry. Through this work, she learned an incredible amount from chefs, farmers, and other people connected to our food systems, which led her to join the Kiss the Ground team. Karen sees connection with nature and the soil as a healing force that can generate healthy ecosystems and communities. She is whole-heartedly aligned with Kiss the Ground's mission of teaching and providing the tools for regenerating soil at the local level, as well as working to shift policy to improve outcomes for food production in the US and abroad. In this episode, we discuss why Karen sees each regenerative agriculture project as an experiment, how to support regenerative practices in your own community, and how to look for meaningful work that you love. 

Katie Bell leads Opwall's fundraising team and manages our site in Borneo. She originally joined Opwall after becoming passionate about marine science, and achieving a bachelor's degree in marine environmental science and a master's degree in coastal resource management. Katie is also Opwall's Environmental Officer working to lower the environmental impact of our daily operations, from offsetting travel to eliminating plastic waste. We discuss how anyone can lower their environmental impact during the holiday season while still enjoying the festivities. We also discuss tips for low-waste gift giving and holiday meals, and how to address controversial topics like anthropogenic climate change with friends and family in a sensitive way. As you prepare for this holiday season, take a moment to reflect on small ways you as an individual can make a difference for the environment. Katie explains how even a small change can make a positive impact.

Ellie Field is Opwall's Rewilding Lead and International Sales Manager. She spent much of her time during the Covid-19 pandemic learning about efforts to improve agriculture in the UK and rejuvenate biodiversity. Ellie first joined Opwall as a volunteer in South Africa, then went on to complete a master's in biodiversity and conservation with African ecology before joining us full-time to run our Madagascar site in 2017. In this episode, we discuss why nature is so depleted in the UK, what can be done to help biodiversity without threatening food security, and how individuals can support a shift towards regenerative agriculture.

Manuel Sanchez is an Ecuadorian ornithologist and science communicator who joined our expedition in Ecuador this year to run the bird surveys. Manuel grew up in Southern Ecuador and fell in love with the hundreds of bird species he found in the forests around his home. He went on to study tourism, but with a strong focus on ecology, and then science communication in Edinburgh, Scotland before making his way back home. Manuel's biggest passion is using rapid biodiversity assessments to protect threatened ecosystems across Ecuador and northern South America by engaging local people and politicians to move projects forward. Manuel has been all over, from contested territory in Colombia to endangered ecosystems in Turkey, to register and protect birds. As you'll hear, he strongly believes that in conservation biology, getting data is only have the work. To make an impact, you have to know how to get politicians and local people on your side. In this episode, we discuss how Manuel uses soundscapes to rapidly assess an area, and his love for engaging local communities in his work. 

Gara Trujillo ran Opwall's Galapagos site in 2019. She recently completed an Erasmus Master's program in Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management while traveling across Greece, Hungary, and Sweden. As an ecologist, Gara has worked in the Amazon rainforest in Peru, in coastal Greece, and in the Galapagos Islands with Opwall. This episode was recorded in early 2021 when she was still completing her graduate program. Gara is now interviewing at WWF Sweden. In this joint episode you will also hear Gara interview Sophia Wood about our site in the Ecuadorian Amazon and how it is evolved since she started managing the project in 2018. Sophia had her start with Operation Wallacea in 2017 while helping set up the Fiji project fresh out of university. After a brief stint in venture capital and start-ups in Latin America, she dove into conservation full-time with Opwall in 2019 to run Friends of Wallacea, Opwall's tourism arm, and to continue to develop conservation projects alongside indigenous communities across the region. In this episode, we cover what life is really like in the Amazonian rainforest, how travelers can leave a positive impact when they travel, and how scientific research fits into local tourism and conservation efforts.

Joe England is a British ornithologist who has worked with Opwall in Fiji since 2017 when he helped set up the first research sites on the Natewa Peninsula. Joe is deeply passionate about birds, biodiversity, and the natural world, which shines through in his work and his words. He is eager to return to Fiji after the global lockdown to continue his research on the behaviour of the rare, microendemic Natewa Silktail, a tiny bird that lives only on this peninsula. Through his work with Opwall and other research organizations, Joe has led and participated in biodiversity surveys all over the world, including in Peru, Australia, Borneo, and now Romania. In this episode we discuss the origins of Joe's respect and love for nature (birds in particular), what makes Fiji such a special and sometimes challenging place to work, and how to live a life committed to protecting biodiversity every day.

In this episode we cover:

#1. The Biological value of the Natewa Peninsula

Authors: Operation Wallacea

Journal: Operation Wallacea Report

Year: 2019

Full Paper: https://cdn.yello.link/opwall/files/2020/01/The-Biological-value-of-the-Natewa-Peninsula-V2.pdf

#2. Nesting behaviour of Natewa Silktail, Lamprolia klinesmithi

Authors: Joe England

Journal: Bulletin of the British Ornithological Club

Year: 2019

Full Paper: https://bioone.org/journals/bulletin-of-the-british-ornithologists-club/volume-139/issue-3/bboc.v139i3.2019.a9/Nesting-behaviour-of-Natewa-Silktail-Lamprolia-klinesmithi/10.25226/bboc.v139i3.2019.a9.full

Sara Carlson runs Ocean Ventures, a dive and research centre on Natewa Bay in Fiji that works alongside Opwall for the marine research portion of our expeditions. Before moving to Fiji, Sara worked with Opwall for several years running the US office and projects in Mexico, Indonesia, Honduras, and Greece. She became passionate about the ocean at a young age and has been diving avidly since 2009. Sara moved to Fiji nearly 5 years ago and has been living on the Natewa Peninsula ever since. Sara and her partner Matthew are passionate about supporting marine conservation by working alongside local communities on the island and have been teaching courses, training divers, and surveying local coastlines throughout the past year. In this episode, we discuss life on a South Pacific island, what makes Fiji's marine life so special, and the future of conservation on these remote islands.