This piece gives voice to “Local Conservation Champions”, people that are incredibly passionate and motivated to conserve their natural spaces and species, but may not, due to various reasons, be in the “mainstream” of research and conservation. Munib Khanyari writes from their perspective, helping us understand the myriad challenges and disadvantages these champions face, not least when…

Seven months ago, I became a mother. Over the months since then I have emerged from the early days of baby chaos with a rejuvenated zeal for conservation, watching my daughter grow and start to engage with her surroundings.

This summer the Asia section of the Society for Conservation Biology held their biannual conference, Conservation Asia, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

What, or who, inspired you to get a career in science?

I had never been to an official government event with ‘high-profile’ people before, so in the days leading up to last week’s UK Government 2018 Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade, I was certainly getting excited.