WWF UK Blog
Dr Mark Wright, WWF-Cambodia:
I grew up with Gerald Durrell books and David Attenborough films – enormous influences on me. They opened my eyes to a world I’d never seen, but wanted to see. And I want that world to continue. Even though I’ve never seen a blue whale, or a wild polar bear or tiger, I want to know that they continue to exist somewhere, and that someone can see them.
Before joining WWF-UK as conservation science advisor in 2002, I spent eight years overseas in Tanzania, Togo and Belize on behalf of the British government or other NGOs, mainly working with small-scale farmers. I oversaw the southern Africa programmes for Save the Children during a time of civil war, food crisis, floods and political upheavals. And I managed to get a PhD in insect ecology too.
Right now I’m WWF-Cambodia’s ‘Eastern Plains Landscape manager’. My blog posts are about the day-to-day realities of life and work in the field – heading a 70-strong team as we help protect one of the largest forest blocks in South-east Asia from increasing threats like illegal logging, poaching and land-grabbing.
From the field In Khmer, Prey Meas means Gold Forest. It’s also the name of a vibrant community inside the southern boundary of Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary (PPWS). Although technically illegal, it pre-dates the establishment of the sanctuary and so, realistically, it’s here to say. In some ways it’s like many other small rural communities in Mondulkiri, with [...]
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Chiclob is a small community in the north-east corner of the Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary (PPWS). During 2012 it was one of four communities in PPWS to be granted its own Community Protected Area (CPA). This legal status gives them rights over a block of forest, in this case of 2,989 hectares, for the next [...]
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From the field A Persian folk tale tells the story of ‘The three princes of Serendip’ who through unexpected good fortune had a series of great adventures – giving rise to our word serendipity. I’m a great fan of serendipity – though it is true we often have to give luck a helping hand.
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