Rebecca has been working at FFI since September 2007. Though she studied conservation in her BA and MSc, she decided that the life in the jungle just wasn't for her. Having grown up in New York City, she has experienced more pigeons and squirrels than parrots and spider monkeys. So she decided to write about the impact that FFI's projects have on the ground.
Her current role as Communications Officer (Business & Biodiversity) has allowed her to focus her energy towards FFI's innovative Business & Biodiversity Programme. Rebecca helps to get the message out about FFI's strategic corporate partnerships and what they have helped to achieve for global biodiversity.
FFI is proud to announce that the Royal Government of Cambodia today awarded our Senior Conservation Biologist, Dr Jenny Daltry, with the title of Officer of the Order of Sahametrei. The award is given to foreigners for their “distinguished services to the King and to the Nation.”
During her 15 years at FFI, Dr Daltry led a number of field expeditions in Cambodia that resulted in the increased protection of forested areas covering more than a million hectares in the Cardamom Mountains.
In 2000, she re-discovered the Siamese crocodile (which was previously thought to be extinct in the wild) and subsequently spearheaded a pioneering community-based programme to conserve this critically endangered reptile.
Dr Daltry also led a ground-breaking initiative to establish a new generation of Cambodian scientists. She created the first permanent Masters of Science programme at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. 147 Cambodians have enrolled on the course so far.
She is also the founder and chief editor of the country’s first peer-reviewed scientific journal – the Cambodian Journal of Natural History – which encourages Cambodians to publish and share their knowledge of Cambodia’s wildlife and natural resources.
“I am overwhelmed and grateful.” Dr Daltry said. “For a conservationist to receive this rare honour does, I think, signify the importance that Cambodia places on its wildlife, forests, and protected areas. Cambodia is changing fast, but economic development does not have to mean the loss of its wildlife or priceless environmental services.
“The achievement I feel most proud of is helping talented Cambodians, from the government ministries to villages, to become leaders in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. I also thank my colleagues and co-workers for their tireless commitment and support for more than a decade.”
Donate