Since 2012, the 4th of December has been recognised as World Wildlife Conservation Day. This honorary day was created in 2012 by then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to raise awareness of issues including wildlife extinction, endangerment and global wildlife trafficking and poaching. Ten years later, despite efforts to decrease the number of cases of wildlife crime and levels of endangered and threatened species, human-led actions are continuing to precipitate the demise of our planet’s biodiversity.
In honor of World Wildlife Conservation Day, we interviewed Hera Hub Mission Valley member Michelle Danes, who has an incredible nonprofit that is also about conservation and saving wildlife.
Michelle Danks is the founder and passionate advocate behind Emergency Wildlife Rescue (EWR). With a lifelong respect for nature and wildlife and a deep love for Africa’s rich biodiversity, she established EWR to address the urgent need for protecting and rehabilitating Africa’s precious wildlife.
Growing up, she was always fascinated by the incredible diversity of wildlife on our planet. A nature lover at heart, over the years she has worked and volunteered for numerous wildlife conservation organizations and animal rescue groups.
In 2017, she served as the International Communications Manager for Lilongwe Wildlife Trust in Malawi where she got to live out her lifelong dream of working in wildlife conservation overseas. To say that experience was life changing would be an understatement! That experience fueled her passion and commitment to make a tangible difference in wildlife conservation.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Wildlife Conservation from Unity Environmental University.
In addition to running EWR and holding down a full-time corporate job, Michelle spends her free time with friends, family and her rescue dog, Jackson.
Website: emergencywildliferescue.org
Instagram: www.instagram.com/emergencywildliferescue
Facebook: www.facebook.com/emergencywildliferescue
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michelledanks
