Endangered Species Conference

What an incredible day at the Endangered Species Conference, 22 June 2019 at Thought Foundation! A massive thank you to all who attended, I am thrilled you enjoyed it as much as I did and thank you for your kind messages of support - our speakers are thrilled also!

Will Travers presentation

It was an absolute pleasure to meet our headline speaker Will Travers OBE, President and Co-Founder, Born Free Foundation who is an inspiration, as well as all our inspirational speakers Dr Melvin Gumal WCS Malaysia, Professor Russell Hill Durham University, Elyse Feenan, student and Christine Egan-Fowler Artist Teacher (co-instigator of the exhibition alongside Linda Peacock Arts-co-ordinator Jarrow Cross Primary) from Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne and PC Peter Baker of Northumbria Police. A heartfelt thank you all, for dedicating your time to our project. It's been amazing having you onboard!

A huge thank you to Thought Foundation for hosting the event and to co-directors Leanne Pearce and Gareth Billinghurst and the Thought Foundation team for all your support.

Dr Melvin Gumal, Director WCS Malaysia on a live link from Malaysia taking audience questions

Will gave an inspirational and crucial talk about how wildlife suffers in captivity and the illegal trade in wildlife. Dr Gumal told us about how work is progressing in Sarawak to protect critically endangered orangutans and the struggle to protect the last 200 Malayan tigers.

Professor Hill's Presentation Image Credit: Climate Change North

Professor Hill talked about fascinating leopard studies in South Africa and the introduction of guarding dogs for livestock via Green Dogs Conservation as well as Mammal Web, a vital citizen science project collecting data and monitoring UK mammals through the use of camera traps.

Elyse Feenan, Environmental Campaigner

Environmental campaigner and our very own Greta, Elyse Feenan talked about her recycling investigations and recycling project at RGS, joined by Christine Egan-Fowler, who talked about the importance of art in schools.

PC Peter Baker talking about Wildlife Crime

PC Baker delivered an enlightening and sobering talk about wildlife crime and cruelty to wildlife as well as the important message that we must report wildlife crime. PC Baker has asked me to make his email address available here for reporting wildlife crimes to him in the Northumbria Police area here: peter.baker.3070@northumbria.pnn.police.uk If you witness a suspected wildlife crime in action call 999 immediately and ask for the Police.

Also a massive thank you to Jess Kirton who dedicated her own time in between starting a new job at Rangers Football Club as Assistant Videographer for making the exhibition film which I will be posting later - I'm thrilled with it Jess!

Over the next few days I will be putting information on my website on the project's dedicated page Where Did All the Animals Go? page with information about each or our speakers and their organisations also containing links and information about how you can get involved in helping them with their vital work.

Young artist Ramsay from Jarrow Cross Primary with his Mum and Will Travers

Also 12 Ways You Can Help Wildlife leaflet which is available during the exhibition is also available on line here