From the Western Ghats to Cambridge: My journey in conservation leadership
Mrunmayee Amarnath (Darwin 2020) tells us how receiving a fully-funded scholarship to take up a place on Cambridge's groundbreaking MPhil in Conservation Leadership course transformed her career and gave her the confidence to lead positive change in conservation.
The MPhil transformed my professional confidence and my approach to making change happen in local communities. I learnt to understand the deep root causes of ecological and social problems before exploring long-term solutions.
Mrunmayee Amarnath
I grew up in the Bhadra-Kudremukh tiger landscape of the Western Ghats in India, a global biodiversity hotspot. While studying business management at university, I joined WildCAT-C, a local wildlife conservation group in my hometown of Chikkamagaluru. At age 18, I started volunteering in field programs to support nature education and scientific surveys in forests collecting data of wild animals. This laid a strong foundation for my understanding of conservation issues.
Blending a career in finance with conservation fieldwork
I continued this work while starting a career in finance at a bank and then at Wildlife Conservation Society-India, where I became Head of Finance and Administration at the age of 25. I later switched to fieldwork, working closely with WildCAT-C and the Forest Department on challenges including illegal wildlife trade and excessive tourism in ecologically sensitive areas, and supporting communities living in remote forests. It was highly rewarding to witness the results of our work; one campaign saved a pristine forest habitat from the construction of a six-lane highway, another won local support for streamlined tourism operations.
A transformational MPhil at Cambridge
At this point, I realised that I needed more academic training to develop my career. My family isn’t particularly wealthy or academic and I wouldn’t have considered studying in Cambridge had it not been for the MPhil in Conservation Leadership. I’m grateful to the MAVA Foundation for this opportunity and the funding provided through its investment in the CUEF, which pays for the course running costs. I am also deeply grateful to Robert Sansom for fully funding my scholarship, allowing me to attend the course and realise my lifelong goal.
Leveraging finance to tackle biodiversity challenges
As part of this MPhil, I wanted to find a professional placement that would build on my background in finance and grassroots conservation. I was fortunate to join Flora and Fauna, which led to a permanent role as a Programme Officer in Enterprise and Supply Chains. Our team leverages finance and market-based tools to tackle on-the-ground biodiversity challenges and generate income from eco-friendly business ventures to fund conservation in various countries. We back the growth of sustainable commodity markets like cocoa and coffee, ecotourism, community-driven conservation finance, and other creative solutions that provide equitable economic opportunities for forest-dependent communities to reduce excessive resource extraction.
A vision for the future
The MPhil transformed my professional confidence and my approach to making change happen in local communities. I learnt to understand the deep root causes of ecological and social problems before exploring long-term solutions.
Studying at the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge provided a fantastic opportunity to understand how international organisations function. My classmates have an incredible range of backgrounds and experiences, and they have since become both friends and an invaluable professional network. My course mentor, an incredible conservation scientist and leader, has also been a great support to me.
The programme supports us long after graduation by funding alumni-led conservation projects and encouraging collaboration on global policy issues. It’s a phenomenal platform for anyone interested in a conservation career and has cemented my desire to one day return to my hometown and work with my community to protect our tigers and elephants.
Mrunmayee Amarnath
About the MPhil in Conservation Leadership
The MPhil in Conservation Leadership was founded following a donation of £2.5 million from the MAVA Foundation. Since 2010 the course has awarded qualifications to 220 people from 90 countries. A central component is the professional placement with a conservation organisation, enabling students to work on a specific conservation leadership project. Visit the website for more information.
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