Cambridge event celebrates vital role of leadership development in conservation

On Monday 30 June, 2025, the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) and Malagasy NGO, Madagasikara Voakajy (MV), hosted an event at the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI) headquarters – the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge, UK – to mark their respective 40th and 20th anniversaries. 

The historic event brought together nearly 50 CLP and MV partners and supporters (who thankfully braved record temperatures to attend on the day), providing an opportunity to reflect on the importance of leadership development in conservation while celebrating the two special milestones achieved.

The first team given a CLP Award (then called the ‘Expedition Competition’) in 1985, looking at the account in the Africa Red Data Book of the Madagascar serpent-eagle (far left: Richard Grimmett who launched and managed the Expedition Competition) © Richard Grimmett

Established in 1985, this year CLP celebrates its fourth decade of supporting the next generation of conservation leaders through targeted project funding, specialised training and ongoing opportunities to boost professional development.  

One of these leaders is Julie Razafimanahaka, who started her career as a team member of a CLP-supported bat conservation project in Madagascar in 2004. This was an award which supported the establishment of Malagasy NGO Madagasikara Voakajy (MV), where Julie has served as Director since 2011.

Julie has since received further CLP support through a Kate Stokes Memorial Award; a special award set up for CLP alumni in memory of former CLP Programme Officer, Kate Stokes, who sadly died in 2006. This allowed us to reflect on the key role that small grants can play in capacity and leadership development. We are thankful to the Stokes Family for the support provided through this grant since 2006 and were delighted that Kate’s mother and brother, Sue and Antony, were able to attend the event.

Kate Stokes Memorial Trustees next to a tree planted in memory of Kate Stokes in the Cambridge Botanical Gardens (left-right): Marianne Carter, Sue Stokes, and Stuart Paterson © Sue Stokes

The event was a great opportunity to highlight the crucial role that early-career conservationists play in protecting our world’s natural heritage and how long-term investment and partnership in conservation can bring positive outcomes.

For the past 20 years, MV has focused on the conservation of threatened endemic Malagasy species, such as the Indri lemur, the golden mantella frog and the iconic baobab tree, partnering with CCI members, Fauna & Flora (also a CLP partner) and the Tropical Biology Association along the way, as well as several other external collaborators.

Under Julie’s leadership, MV has established seven protected areas in eastern Madagascar; led applied research to aid species conservation; and worked extensively with local communities to promote the sustainable use of natural resources. Indeed, for the past two decades, MV has helped train 44 young Malagasy researchers, guided 370 youth from local communities into leadership roles, and supported 35 grassroots communities in managing their natural resources sustainably. These figures reflect MV’s strong vision: to make conservation a tool for local empowerment and lasting transformation.

For the past 20 years, Madagasikara Voakajy (MV) has focused on protecting many endemic Malagasy species such as the iconic baobab tree © Garth Cripps

Marking two special milestones

To kick off the event, Fauna & Flora CEO, Kristian Teleki, delivered a welcome address outlining how CLP and MV’s achievements serve as an important reminder of how leadership development can shape conservation, but also outlining the urgent need to understand future pathways; in particular, defining what we need to do (or change) so that we can effectively and responsibly nurture our future conservation leaders. 

Fauna & Flora CEO, Kristian Teleki, delivering a welcome address at the joint CLP/MV event © Kate Tointon

The audience was also treated to a special presentation by Marianne Carter, Director for Conservation Capacity & Leadership at Fauna & Flora and the Chair of CLP’s Executive Committee. Marianne has been working directly on CLP for the past 25 years and provided fascinating insights on how the programme has evolved over that time, including acknowledging the huge number of people who have contributed over the years to make CLP what it is today.

Marianne acknowledging all the people who have contributed to CLP over its 40-year history © Marianne Carter

Next Julie took to the stage to tell her inspirational story. In her talk, she referred to the Malagasy proverb, “Ny hazo novanon-ko lakana, ​ny tany nanirianyno tsara,” which translates into English as: “The quality of a tree is dependent on the land/the soil it grows on.” She used the metaphor of “the good soil” being the partners and supporters that she as ‘the seedling’ has been able to grow in, in particular calling CLP “a lifelong partner” in her growth as a conservationist.

CLP alumna and MV Director, Julie Razafimanahaka, delivering her talk about MV’s 20-year history at the event © Kate Tointon

And indeed, Julie has certainly grown into a magnificent ‘tree’! Since CLP supported Julie’s first conservation project in 2004, and providing her with ongoing funding and training opportunities, she has received several international accolades. This includes being recognised by the UK government as one of Madagascar’s most promising conservation scientists (in 2007); being offered a place on the Kinship Conservation Fellows programme, along with her promotion to MV’s Director (in 2011)​; awarded the Marsh Award for Terrestrial Conservation Leadership  and the Young Women in Conservation Biology Award from the Society for Conservation Biology (in 2014/2015); and winning the Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa (in 2021- nominated by CLP).

CLP alumna and MV Director, Julie Razafimanahaka, delivering her acceptance speech after receiving the Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa in 2021 © Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Tusk Trust

At the end of her talk, Julie discussed the next phase of CLP’s and MV’s growth, outlining some key lessons she has learned during her 20-year journey, which could prove crucial for directing the next decades of leadership development: 

1. A leader is not necessarily the expert ​
2. Knowledge from science is not enough. We need to build trust, listening and shared vision​
3. Partnerships matter​
4. Change is constant​
5. Mentorship is a force multiplier 

Following Julie’s talk, the audience were honoured with a tradition in Malagasy culture: Julie’s colleagues, Sydonie Rabarison and Harilefitra Ratovo, recited a poem they had written to mark the special occasion (extract below).

“Mila mandalina raha te hikajy – We must understand if we want to protect, 
Mila fitiavana vao mahakajikajy – Only with love can we really care and respect. 
Raha olona malina: mitsinjo sy mikajy – A wise person looks ahead and protects, 
Fa lovain’ny taranaka ny harena voakajy – Because what we treasure will reach the next.”

The event concluded with a drinks reception in which guests could chat freely, taking the opportunity to make new connections and renew old acquaintances from past decades.

One highlight from this networking session was a revelation from past CLP staff, Richard Grimmett (Senior Conservation Advisor, BirdLife International), regarding the existence of a photograph of the first CLP Award team in 1985 (top image). The award was given to a project led by Steffen Brogger-Jensen focused on searching for the Madagascar serpent-eagle; a species that at that time had not been seen since the 1930s. 

CLP alumna Blanca Huertas (Principal Curator of Insects at the Natural History Museum London) (on left) chats with Marianne Carter and Paul Herbertson (Managing Director of Journeys by Design and former CLP staff) during the drinks reception © Kate Tointon

Lastly, at a special post-event dinner hosted by Kristian Teleki, a small group of guests including alumni, NGOs, business and donors from the event sat down to discuss what further is needed to better foster emerging conservation leaders around the globe and what investment is required, particularly in these evolving geopolitical times.   

After the event, we were delighted to receive positive feedback from the guests, with one saying, “It was a great event, particularly fantastic to have the opportunity to speak to such a wide variety of different partners, funders and CLP alumni” and another saying, “I really enjoyed learning more about [CLP’s] history…and learn more about MV. Across all the presentations I so loved how relational and personal it all was.”

As we continue to celebrate these two milestones achieved, we want to say thank you to everyone who attended the event and to every donor, partner organisation and conservation leader that has supported CLP and MV.

Looking for more information?

Over our 40-year history, CLP has supported nearly four and a half thousand aspiring conservation leaders and helped establish 126 new NGOs, including Madagasikara Voakajy and its Director, Julie Razafimanahaka. Browse Our Impact pages to learn more about the impact we have achieved in conservation and our Projects list provides information on the nearly 950 projects (species and countries) that have received our support. We expect to announce the call for applications to our 2026 Team Awards later in 2025 – sign up to our newsletter and follow us on social media to keep up-to-date with the announcement and our latest news.