Joseph Karama is a nature enthusiast born and raised in the savannah wilderness of the Lake Mburo National Park buffer area in South-Western Uganda. He has a Master’s in Zoology and Participatory Education from Miami University of Ohio, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Environmental Journalism and Communication from Makerere University in Uganda and a Law Degree from the National University of Rwanda.

He was elected to public office straight out of university as a Vice Mayor for the Youth in his local District and later served as Legal Advisor for another District, before pursuing further studies and a subsequent career in conservation. He spent six years as the Conservation Education Program Manager for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda where he received the International Primatological Society’s Charles Southwick Award in 2011 for his exemplary work in conservation education. Currently, he is the Community Liaison Manager for the Akagera National Park, Rwanda.

He is a member of the International Zoo Educators Association (IZE) and has contributed to the IZE’s annual publication. He is all about conservation and is a firm believer in community engagement and education as a key conservation tool that needs to be emphasised more. In his free time, he likes to read and write for the local media.