Topic: New Funding Opportunities
Hours: 14:00 – 14:30 (Mozambique)

Day: Thursday, October 07, 2021
Panelist: James Lewis

Position: Ecologist, Rainforest Trust

Hooked on wildlife conservation when growing up in Africa, James has spent his career focusing on strategic approaches to addressing conservation challenges.
Born in the U.K. but raised on three continents, James has firsthand experience in various conservation areas. Although originally a field ecologist, James has spent time working on many domestic and international conservation topics, trade/policy issues, development of on the ground conservation projects, and national conservation responses.
During James’ time at Rainforest Trust, the organization has grown from providing approximately U.S.$4 million in grants per year to over U.S. $50 million. These funds have helped with the establishment of 203 protected areas across 53 countries. As Vice President of Conservation at Rainforest Trust, James is driving the implementation of a new strategy to allocate $500 million to permanently protecting critical habitats across the tropics for species, communities, and our planet.
Before joining Rainforest Trust, James worked as the operations director for the Amphibian Survival Alliance, helping to build the world’s largest partnership dedicated to amphibian conservation. James has also worked for several other International NGOs, including the Wildlife Conservation Society, Conservation International, and Re: Wild.