Megan Shrum Email and Phone Number

My passion is advocating the conservation of wildlife and ecosystems across the globe with particular interest in Madagascar and my home state of North Carolina. After conducting research and living in remote communities in Madagascar, I strongly believe that the key to conserving ecosystems and wildlife is a holistic approach with a strong emphasis on sustainable food systems. I see the same issues in North Carolina and I am eager to work in my own community to support local farms and advocate for sustainable food.I have found that as a conservationist, one has to be willing to wear many different hats and be willing to learn whatever discipline is necessary to get to the end result. Conservation is a multidisciplinary field and I have taken on tasks I never imagined but I often find these are the most interesting aspects of the job. During my time working in Southwestern Madagascar as the Azafady Conservation Programme Coordinator, I learned that conservation without community involvement will never work. Research is only a part of the puzzle. The research is the easy part (and trust me, my thesis research was not easy!). Preliminary meetings with local leaders, community participation in projects, dissemination of results to the community, events which lead to ownership and pride of local resources, distribution about tangible conservation actions which community members can use in their daily lives to make a long-term difference - these are the steps that cannot be passed over by conservationists.I have dedicated my life to learning more about unique biodiversity, determining conservation concerns and learning about the communities who rely on the biodiversity on a daily basis in order to create realistic solutions to benefit both.