Speakers

Johan Marais

Johan Marais is a leading reptile expert and author, known for his best-sellers on Southern African snakes. He heads the African Snakebite Institute Foundation and shares vital knowledge through free talks, resources, and the popular ASI Snakes app.

Veronika Mikos

Veronika Mikos is an economist and passionate ocean advocate who has led Healthy Seas since its founding. Under her leadership, the foundation has become a key player in tackling marine litter, turning lost fishing gear into sustainable solutions through clean-ups, partnerships, and education.

Joe Wasilewski

Joe has worked with reptiles since the 1970s, including under William Haast at the Miami Serpentarium. He serves on IUCN specialist groups, leads an environmental consulting firm, and has appeared on major media outlets. His global conservation work focuses on biodiversity, sustainability, and local community involvement.

Constanze Mager

Constanze Mager works on policy development and public engagement at the zoo and believes deeply in the educational power of zoos. Her goal is to reconnect visitors with the living world, especially reptiles and amphibians, which are vital but often overlooked in conservation.

Alvaro Velasco Barbieri

Alvaro Velasco Barbieri is a Venezuelan conservationist with over 30 years’ experience. He co-founded the Venezuela Crocodile Specialist Group, advises scientific bodies, and has coordinated CITES meetings. He has published extensively and was twice nominated for the Indianapolis Prize.

Dr. Gina Della Togna

Dr. Gina Della Togna holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology and specializes in amphibian reproductive biology and assisted reproductive technologies. She co-chairs IUCN working groups, co-authored the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan, and serves on several conservation advisory boards.

Shavez Cheema

Shavez Cheema oversees scientific and tourism operations. He is the author of field and travel guides to Borneo, including Tawau Hills Park. His specialties include reforestation, wildlife rescue, and community-based nature tourism.

Sterrin Smalbrugge

Sterrin Smalbrugge (1993) focuses on science communication to raise awareness of often overlooked animals. She writes books for all ages, hosts podcasts, appears on TV, and gives talks to promote their conservation. She is a National Geographic Junior ambassador and part of Jane Goodall's Circle of Hope.

Mbarak Abdalla

Mbarak Abdalla is a Kenyan conservationist who has led the planting of nearly 4 million mangroves. He founded Brain Youth Group and serves as Youth Ambassador for Wetlands International, promoting community-based restoration efforts.

Donna Kalil

Emmy Winner for her role in the film 'Python Huntress, Donna Kalil'

Shahriar Caesar Rahman

Shahriar Caesar Rahman is a Bangladeshi conservationist known for protecting threatened species and restoring habitats. He led Bangladesh’s first rewilding of the Asian giant tortoise and built the country’s first tortoise breeding facility. His work has earned global recognition and several major awards.

Jesse Erens

Jesse is a Dutch herpetologist with a passion for biodiversity and conservation. After completing his PhD on the effects of chytrid fungus on amphibians, he is now a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at Trier University. He also serves as Tropical Andes Programme Manager at Habitats Conservation in Luxembourg.

Thomas Schrei

Thomas Schrei is a Guatemalan biologist focused on conserving range-restricted reptiles. Since 2011, he has led efforts to protect species like the Guatemalan beaded lizard and Campbell’s alligator lizard through habitat restoration, education, and community-based conservation.

Robin Bernard

After surviving a life-threatening snakebite, Robin Bernard dedicated himself to snakebite education and victim support in southern India. He has conducted over 1,000 safety trainings, rescues snakes, and works with his wife Shyamala to support victims through rehabilitation and recovery.

Thijs van den Burg

Thijs van den Burg is an ecologist with 10 years of experience studying native and non-native herpetofauna. He uses research to support conservation and inform policy. Thijs works closely with governments, NGOs, and universities, guiding students and bridging science with practical conservation efforts.

Rogier van Rossem

Rogier van Rossem was born in 1974 in Tilburg. He developed a passion for reptiles and amphibians at a young age and pursued studies in animal care and veterinary assistance. He has written several children’s books on conservation and published Het Grote Terrarium Handboek in 2022, a key reference for reptile care.

Raf Stassen

Raf Stassen works with local and indigenous communities to protect Latin America’s ecosystems. He focuses on Andean cloud forests and amphibians, collaborating with conservation groups to safeguard species, habitats, and biodiversity hotspots.

Stefan Lötters

Stefan Lötters developed a passion for amphibians early on, becoming a poison frog keeper and junior researcher before finishing school. Harlequin toads (Atelopus) became his main focus, and for 35 years he has studied them as a professor at Trier University, dedicating much of his work to their conservation.

Pascal van Erp

Pascal is a technical diver and founder of the Ghost Diving Foundation, specializing in the removal of ghost fishing gear since 2007. As Deputy Director of the Healthy Seas Foundation, he works globally on marine protection, education, and the circular economy, turning recovered fishing gear into sustainable products.