In early 2013, conservationist Leeanne Alonso, then Director of Global Biodiversity Exploration at Global Wildlife Conservation, gathered 12 fellow female conservationists to discuss how to connect and empower women to conserve and manage natural resources. Many participants were leaders in their field and had never met before, but they were eager to create a network for women in conservation. This group ultimately led to the founding of WiNN, which has been run entirely by volunteers from 2013 to 2024. The founding members were Leeanne Alonso, Robyn Dalzen, Jessica Deichmann, Lisa Famolare, Ana Liz Flores, Renee Gonzalez, Rebecca Kormos, Claudia Sobrevila and Irene Soler. You can read more about each of these founders here.

 When asked by fellow WiNN founding member Rebecca Kormos about the spark for her idea, Leeanne responded that she knew many women whose collective experience in conservation was extensive and that developing a formal pathway for them to connect could be a powerful tool to amplify their work. Her goal was to “connect and support women, because our main goal is to have more women in conservation, more women in science, more women taking a leadership role. We want to support and empower, give confidence and resources to women so that they feel they can take on more leadership roles and have the power to do so.”

Our Story: Connecting Women in Conservation

Banner Photo: WiNN Tanzania members plant trees around the National Museum of Tanzania with local schoolchildren in 2024. Photo: Naomi Njarabi