Sheherazade SHEHERAZADE

I am the Co-Director of PROGRES, a conservation NGO based on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, my home. We combine knowledge-based and people-centered approaches to build a network of empowered communities and strengthen local leadership in conservation. Since 2018, we have partnered with ~10 communities in conserving Sulawesi's ecologically and culturally important species and ecosystems. I am currently pursuing a PhD in environmental science and policy at the University of California Berkeley, studying indigenous and co-governance of forest landscapes to understand how they work in conserving biodiversity and improving people's well-being. Besides PROGRES and my academic journey, I have been involved in various initiatives to advance conservation practice for the past 12 years, from leading essential biodiversity research to addressing unequal access to capacity-building opportunities. I worked as a conservation science specialist in Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia, co-founded Tambora Muda (a national-level network for Indonesian young conservationists), and supported the establishment of the IUCN SSC Indonesian Species Specialist Group. I was selected as an Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP) Woman Leader 2023, a Young Changemaker at the IUCN Leader Forum 2023, and a member of the second cohort of Re.Generation Program 2024 by the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco.