News and Stories

James Madeli, Wild Nature Institute

In East Africa, James Madeli works as a research coordinator for the Wild Nature Institute. As a native Tanzanian and conservationist, James has held special interest in giraffe conservation for nearly 15 years. In his current position for Wild Nature Institute, his passion for the species drives his work across distinct but complementary areas including genetics, coat spot patterns, climate change adaptations, and social relationships between giraffes. As of February of 2026, James’s paper on coat spot patterns and temperature anomalies has been published in the British Ecological Society’s Journal of Applied Ecology. The research behind this publication reveals the importance of giraffe genetic diversity through habitat connectivity as global temperatures rise. Such insights could be vital to the conservation success of organizations like Wild Nature Institute, working towards habitat restoration and connectivity to preserve genetic diversity and help giraffes adapt to a changing climate before it is too late.

Ximena Neri, Fundacion Tonkawa 

In Chihuahua, Mexico, Ximena Neri works as a steward of coexistence between Mexican wolf and rancher populations, a principle that is imperative to the Cincinnati Zoo’s conservation vision. On the frontlines of Mexican wolf conservation, Ximena works to support ranching communities and in turn, reduce human-wolf conflicts, aiding in the success of reintroduction efforts for the critically endangered species. She is also passionate about increasing accessibility for aspiring conservationists, advocating for supporting individuals, particularly women, who are in the early stages of conservation-related career paths. The United States and Mexico governments are involved in the conservation of the Mexican wolf, along with private and public institutions like zoos through the binational SAFE (Saving Animals from Extinction) Mexican olf Program. Without leaders like Ximena who are conducting research in the field and implementing conflict management strategies between wolves and the people they live alongside, the efforts to breed and reintroduce wolves into the wild would not be nearly as effective. 

Stefanie Steele, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation 

Stefanie Steele is the Pollinator Conservation Specialist at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in Detroit, Michigan. Her passion for serving small and urban farms shines through her work towards planning, assistance, and education on the incorporation of pollinator and invertebrate habitats in community gardens of historically excluded communities. A central aspect of Stefanie’s work is the Xerces Pollinator Habitat Kit Program, which provides native plants, planning resources, and implementation support to community-serving urban farms and gardens. Through this program, she helps remove barriers that often prevent underserved communities from participating in conservation efforts, including limited funding, technical expertise, and staff capacity. By co-developing habitat projects, educational workshops, and culturally relevant conservation strategies, she helps strengthen local food systems while creating opportunities for residents to connect with nature, learn new skills, and build healthier, more resilient neighborhoods. More broadly, her work demonstrates how pollinator conservation can advance both ecological and social outcomes by supporting biodiversity, improving urban green spaces, expanding access to fresh food, and empowering communities to become leaders in environmental stewardship. 

Fetra Arivony Rakotondrazanany,  Madagasikara Voakajy 

 As the Menabe site manager and Baobab Project Officer of Madagasikara Voakajy, Fetra works closely with local Malagasy communities, leveraging sustainable value chains as a method to support community livelihoods while also preserving endemic species like the baobab tree. Madagasikara Voakajy’s approach to conservation finds that community wellbeing is central to the preservation of many of Madagascar’s endemic species, like the baobab tree, lemurs, and fruit bats. When communities have stakes in the survival of species, they are more likely to assume active roles as protectors and managers of natural resources. Training communities to process baobab into higher-value products has strengthened local livelihoods while making community members stewards in the landscape they now actively work to preserve. 

Jordan Awit Jimi, Hutan 

In the Kinabatangan region of Malaysia, Jordan works with Hutan towards the mission to preserve threatened species and habitats, empower local communities, and sustainably manage natural ecosystems. In this role as Outreach Coordinator for HUTAN’s Education and Awareness Team (Sumbu Hutan), Jordan leads environmental education, community engagement, and conservation awareness initiatives that promote human–wildlife coexistence. The team is working to design and implement environmental education and awareness programs for local schools and communities living alongside protected forests in Sabah’s Kinabatangan region. They translate nearly three decades of HUTAN’s scientific research into accessible educational materials and outreach activities that build understanding of endangered species conservation and encourage coexistence between people and wildlife. They collaborate closely with local communities, government agencies, and conservation organizations to strengthen community participation in conservation efforts. Jordan and his team help bridge diverse perspectives and ensure conservation programs are culturally grounded, inclusive, and community centered. Jordan leads this impressive outreach team. His commitment to achieving goals of biodiversity protection and sustainable development is just one way he shines as a conservation leader and makes him valuable to the Hoffman Coexistence Impact Fellows Program at the Cincinnati Zoo. 

Dylan Dobbins, Cheetah Outreach Trust 

In South Africa, Dylan Dobbins works as a Conservation Officer for Cheetah Outreach Trust, an organization who is at the frontlines of preserving a global cheetah population that are fewer than 7,000, compared to an estimated 100,000 at the turn of the 20th century. Cheetah Outreach Trust emphasizes the importance of coexistence between predators and farming communities in South Africa, while also supporting those communities through initiatives like the Livestock Guarding Dog Project and the Irwin’s Guardian Stud project. Anatolian livestock guard dogs help to mitigate human-wildlife conflict on farms, which simultaneously facilitates cross-border migration and safe movement corridors for cheetahs thanks to a clustered placement strategy. To date, 2,220 square miles in South Africa are now considered cheetah and predator-tolerant, thanks to the implementation of these programs and work of conservation officers at Cheetah Outreach Trust like Dylan.  

Parvathi Prasad, Conservation Initiatives 

In the forest-tea estate mosaic of the Kaziranga landscape in north-east India, Parvathi Prasad works as a part of the Conservation Initiatives team to advance the evidence-based elephant conservation in a complex, human-dominated landscape. Conservation Initiatives strives to create a secure landscape for elephants across Kaziranga National Park and the neighboring tea gardens, one that is built on, and sustained by, genuine partnerships with local communities and government agencies.  Parvathi recently completed her PhD at Deakin University, where she studied elephant behavior and human–elephant interactions in tea estates, examining how elephants and people navigate shared spaces and influence one another’s behavior. Building on this work, she is expanding her research to agricultural landscapes, investigating the social and ecological factors that shape human–elephant interactions and conflict. Her work contributes to Conservation Initiatives’ broader efforts to understand the links between human behavior, wildlife behavior, and conservation outcomes, generating research that can inform practical management strategies to reduce conflict, improve coexistence, and support landscape-scale conservation planning for wildlife and the communities that live alongside them. 

Gabriel Jurado, Elakha Alliance 

On the Oregon Coast, Gabriel works with the Elakha Alliance to reintroduce sea otters to an area that they have not inhabited in over 100 years! Elakha is laying the groundwork for successful sea otter reintroduction through a heavy focus on community engagement, scientific research, and educational outreach. Gabriel is enrolled in the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and is currently studying oceanography at Oregon State University. As Elakha embarks on the journey to bring sea otters back to the Oregon Coast, forging partnerships and elevating Tribal voices will play an essential role in creating a strong network to accomplish the organization’s goals. Gabriel’s indigenous background and experience as a Cincinnati Zoo Hoffman Fellow bring a unique perspective to the mission, while also encouraging communities from across the nation to invest time and resources into Elakha’s incredible work. 

The stories shared here are just a glimpse of what the 2026 Hoffman Coexistence Impact Fellows are building. With project plans sharpened, new collaborations forged, and the support of the Cincinnati Zoo behind them, these eight conservation leaders are returning to their landscapes ready to make an impact. The challenges they face, including human-wildlife conflict, habitat loss, climate change, eroding traditional livelihoods and inequitable resource access, are among the most complex in conservation today. But so too is the depth of talent, dedication, and vision they bring to solving them. The Cincinnati Zoo is proud to stand behind their work, and we can’t wait to share what comes next.