In Episode 28 of District of Conservation, Gabriella welcomes Nathan Edmondson of Eco Defense Group to the podcast.
Nathan has worked in the entertainment industry and says his involvement in wildlife conservation was necessitated by an urgent need to protect endangered species like the African elephant. The rest is history.
Nathan talks about the following during the interview:
- How he got involved in wildlife conservation and how EDGE was born
- What EDGE is and why it was started
- He discussed how EDGE doesn’t employ Neo-Colonialism by working with locals to ensure they don’t get sucked into poaching
- The seriousness of anti-poaching efforts
- The Buzzfeed report on paramilitary anti-poaching troopers World Wildlife Fund contracted out and why their group wouldn’t outsource hiring to those they don’t vet
- EDGE initiatives and why Americans should care about conserving endangered species there and domestically
- How listeners can get involved with EDGE and learn more about the group.
EDGE was established in 2017 and is committed to ambitious preservation of African wildlife through protection, innovation and community. Their work spans across South Africa, Namibia and other countries as projects dictate. Their extensive experience on the ground, exclusive access to frontline conservation areas and extraordinary team members — with backgrounds in US Special Operations, entertainment, genetics, business and other fields — make them a radically effective organization.
Contact them at [email protected]. Support their latest campaign to protect the rhino here.
You can learn more about the organization at www.EcoDefenseGroup.org. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.