With a BSc in Environment, Economics and Ecology, Sarah has long been fascinated with the challenge of balancing human needs and environmental protection.
Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is proud to announce that Dr Mary Molokwu-Odozi has been shortlisted in this year’s prestigious Tusk Conservation Awards, which highlight the outstanding achievements of individuals working in the field of conservation.
Now Country & Operations Manager in Liberia, Mary first joined FFI in 2012 as Technical Advisor for Education and Research, and has been instrumental in raising the standard of conservation education in Liberia and helping to develop a new generation of conservation scientists in the country.
Demonstrating considerable commitment and ingenuity, Mary has worked with her network of regional and international conservation biologists and drawn on her own knowledge to develop workshops and training modules for a range of academic and governmental institutions.
Mary has also played a critical role in establishing a Conservation Centre in Sapo National Park – Liberia’s only National Park and a notoriously difficult area to work in, logistically and socially.
Mary’s tireless work to repair relationships between communities, international NGOs and the Liberian Government has allowed a collaborative biomonitoring programme to recommence, which now provides better protection and monitoring for the park and its wildlife.
Pygmy hippos are one of a number of threatened species found in Sapo National Park.
As a Nigerian woman, Mary’s choice of career has not always been understood among her peers; in Liberia hers is frequently the only female voice among a crowd of senior male professionals. Inspired by the strong leading female biologists who trained her, Mary has expressed her wish to empower upcoming African conservationists in the same way.
FFI’s Deputy Chief Executive Ros Aveling commended Tusk Trust’s decision to shortlist Mary for its awards, saying, “Mary has a seemingly unquenchable passion for conservation and capacity building in Africa. Her efforts and achievements in Liberia are remarkable and show her to be a leading conservationist worthy of this highly-esteemed award.”
The winners of the 2015 Tusk Conservation Awards will be announced on 24th November at an awards ceremony in London.
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