Meet Yvonne Githiora, Wildlife Works’ Conservation Scientist, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Yvonne will be speaking at the DAAD (German Academic Exchange) Global Centres in person conference on Tuesday September 10th, 2024. The working table will focus on collaborative conservation knowledge for effective, just and inclusive environmental interventions.
Based on examples from across Africa, this working table will interactively discuss scholar’s experiences with collaborative knowledge production for more effective, just and inclusive measures for climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation. As Yvonne describes, "REDD+ is one of a few solutions that address biodiversity loss & climate change, while at the same time delivering benefits to local communities.”
In this Q&A blog, get to know Yvonne and her path to becoming a #conservation scientist.
Q: What inspired you to join Wildlife Works?
A: I have always been interested in working at the intersection of communities and ecosystems. I worked in participatory research for several years as part of my PhD. I was drawn to Wildlife Works’ mission of community-centered conservation, which resonated with the work I am passionate about.
Q: What is your favorite species of wildlife?
A: My favorite bird is the Secretary Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius), a large bird of prey that is endemic to Africa. When I was in primary school, I was a Girl Guide (similar to Girl Scouts) and our group was called the Secretary Birds. I learnt all I could about this beautiful and instantly recognizable bird and have loved them since.
Q: What aspect of community-led conservation work do you find most rewarding?
A: Community involvement in co-creating the projects is the most rewarding part for me. By walking with the community through the social and biodiversity impact assessment process to develop a theory of change that addresses the community’s actual challenges, it’s rewarding to see how Wildlife Works is able to deliver the benefits of projects where they are actually needed.
Q: What challenges have you faced in building trust with communities of another culture?
A: The most challenging thing is the amount of time it takes to build trust when working with communities. It can be difficult to do in research when the funding and the structure of the work doesn’t allow you to spend enough time immersing yourself in the community. That’s why I like the REDD+ model where the projects are long term, allowing the project team to build a relationship with the community over time.
Q: What message would you convey to someone skeptical about carbon markets?
A: Carbon markets are not a silver bullet to the climate crisis, but they are definitely one very real way that we can fund forest conservation among other climate mitigation measures. We must use the opportunity provided by carbon markets to help channel private finance to combat climate change and biodiversity loss.
Q: What book are you currently reading?
A: I love fiction and non-fiction by African authors. I just finished reading Walking with Gorillas by Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka. The book follows her journey as Uganda’s first female wildlife vet and the establishment of her organization, Conservation Through Public Health.
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