Will Thompson is a Senior Manager of Storytelling Projects for the National Geographic Society. In this role, Will manages National Geographic projects that aim to diversify, strengthen, and amplify stories that illuminate and protect the wonder of our World, including the World Freshwater Initiative, the Out of Eden Walk, Photo Camp, Second Assistants, and Field Ready. Will graduated from the College of Charleston in 2010 with a BA in Communications.

Will served on Reserva’s Board of Directors as VP from 2021–2023. He joined the Reserva Advisory Council in January 2024.

Shaalini served on Reserva’s Board of Directors from 2021 – 2023. She joined the Reserva Advisory Council in January 2024.

IG: @lizziedalywild
TW: @lizziedalywild

Lizzie Daly is a wildlife biologist, wildlife broadcaster, and conservation filmmaker from Wales. Lizzie is currently pursuing a Ph.D. on how the use of GPS tags can help us protect and coexist alongside African elephants in Kenya. For the last three years, Lizzie has worked as a broadcaster across many platforms, from BBC Earth to BBC's Blue Planet Live Lessons, a National Geographic Live YouTube series, and even Reserva’s two charity Concerts for Conservation. Lizzie is passionate about connecting others with the natural world and is proud to be an Academic Teaching & Outreach fellow at Swansea University, where she continues to bridge the gap between the general public and scientific communities.

Lizzie served as a member of the Reserva Board of Directors from 2021-2023. She joined the Advisory Council in January 2024.

Since 2013, Charlotte has run an organic urban family farm in India where she offers e.g. nature education programs for schools. She is an ethnobotanist and medical anthropologist with research experience in the Netherlands, Suriname, Africa, and India. Her work includes conservation efforts with the Carib community on sea turtles and the preservation of traditional plant knowledge among the Saramaccan Maroons in Suriname.

Charlotte has also worked as researcher at the National Herbarium of the Netherlands, publishing the Index of Vernacular Plant Names of Suriname, and contributed to the EU FP-7 funded Multi-disciplinary University Traditional Health Initiative at the University of Amsterdam. In 2013, she began a fellowship on Access and Benefit Sharing with the Centre for Biodiversity Policy and Law, a project administered by India's National Biodiversity Authority. In 2022, she finalized her PhD (in Medicine) at Leiden University (Leiden University Medical Center/Naturalis Biodiversity Centre) for her work in Suriname.

She joined the Reserva Advisory Council in December 2022.

Joey is an island conservation biologist, photographer, and artist with a diverse background in ecosystem restoration, endangered species recovery, and climate change adaptation. Over the course of his career, Joey has worked across a variety of ecosystems, from Hawaiian forests to remote atolls in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, leading efforts in invasive species control, habitat restoration, and population monitoring.

Notable achievements include managing restoration programs at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, where he successfully reintroduced native and endemic plant species, directed large-scale restoration efforts, and started monitoring the atoll’s shark and ray populations. Joey also served as the Science Coordinator on Aldabra Atoll, where he led international teams and designed monitoring programs for rare orchids and sharks and rays. His work has affected policy by reducing disturbance in sensitive shark and ray aggregation sites in the Pacific and has led to Aldabra Atoll’s designation as an IUCN Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) for several shark and ray species.

Driven by a passion for native species conservation and a commitment to fostering partnerships, Joey works to advance long-term preservation of the world’s most fragile ecosystems. With camera in hand, he captures the beauty of the natural world, using his imagery to inspire a deep connections and advocate for the protection of the planet’s last truly wild places and their biodiversity.

Joey joined the Reserva Advisory Council in December 2024.

IG: @one_chiche

Julio is an Ecuadorian biologist, wildlife photographer and passionate conservationist. He has traveled and explored throughout Ecuador while photographing the wonders of nature and how people relate and interact with it.

He has previously worked on understanding the evolution, ecology and natural history of rainfrog communities, as well as their threats. Currently, he is combining science, photography, and education to transmit his deep love for nature to others and inspire them to protect, understand and continue learning about biodiversity before it is too late.

Julio has a BSc in Biology from Universidad Católica del Ecuador. He serves on the Reserva Youth Council media and outreach committees and has conducted scientific research with Reserva at Dracula Youth Reserve.

He was been a member of the Reserva Board of Directors from January 2022 — December 2024 before joining our Advisory Council.