Day: April 21, 2026

Stephen Ham’s talk traced his lifelong path from a Kentucky childhood spent dreaming of Africa to his leadership role at the Wildlife Conservation Society, shaped early on by encouragement from Jane Goodall. He described the society’s 130-year history, its global conservation work across more than 50 countries, and success stories such as the recovery of the Kihansi spray toad and efforts to protect elephants and tigers. He also emphasized that conservation depends on protecting large, intact “natures strongholds” and warned that funding and governance gaps can quickly undermine wildlife protection, while leaving the audience with a hopeful image of nature’s resilience.