Dr Paula Kahumbu, a renowned conservationist has joined the board of trustees of the National Geographic Society.
The announcement was made by the board’s chair Jean Case. Kahumbu was the only African appointed in the Wednesday announcement but she will be joining Zimbabwean tycoon Strive Masiyiwa who is already a member of the board.
“On behalf of the entire board, I am delighted to welcome these five distinguished leaders to the National Geographic Society’s board of trustees,” said board chair Jean Case.
Dr Kahumbu is a multi-award winning Kenyan wildlife conservationist and CEO of the WildlifeDirect.
Kahumbu, who has previously worked with the organization as an explorer will be the first to serve in the capacity of Explorer Trustee, a position created this year.
“Paula Kahumbu, who has dedicated her career to protecting threatened wildlife and habitats in Kenya, will become the first Explorer to hold the role. Kahumbu has been part of the National Geographic community for 12 years, ” the statement read in part.
For more than 130 years, the National Geographic Society has funded the best and brightest individuals dedicated to scientific discovery and understanding of our world.
Kahumbu has been actively involved in the conservation of wildlife in Kenya through her organization-WildlifeDirect.
She spearheaded the highly successful Hands Off Our Elephants campaign which aims to restore Kenyan leadership in elephant conservation. In June 2021, Paula was named the Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. She was also named the 2021 Whitley Gold Award.
The conservationist is a trustee of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Maun Science Park Botswana.