Coffee And Conservation

Episode Description – Coffee & Conservation with Rita Santas
In this episode of Coffee & Conservation, Mike sits down with Rita Santas, conservation K9 handler and founder-owner of Dogs for Nature in Portugal.
Rita shares her journey into the world of working dogs for conservation—how she got started, what inspired her to build Dogs for Nature, and what it really takes to train and deploy K9s for wildlife protection, research, and environmental monitoring.
They dive into what conservation K9 work looks like on the ground, from field deployments to training methodologies, and the realities of building capacity in a growing but still under-resourced field. Mike and Rita also unpack the challenges facing conservation K9 programs globally—funding gaps, operational hurdles, misconceptions about working dogs, and the broader challenges facing conservation practitioners today.
Expect honest insights, practical lessons, and plenty of banter between two people passionate about dogs, conservation, and building more effective tools to protect wildlife and wild places.
Grab a coffee and join the conversation.

In this episode of Coffee & Conservation, host Mike Veale sits down with Global Conservation Force instructor Amanda Smith — whose decades-long career in UK law enforcement took an unexpected turn after hearing the powerful story of Thandi the rhino and the lifesaving work of Dr. William Fowlds. Inspired, Amanda made the bold decision to leave everything familiar behind and work her way into wildlife conservation.
Mike and Amanda talk about how her law enforcement background shaped her approach to ranger training, integrity in the field, and leadership under pressure — and how everyday people can chart their own path into meaningful conservation work. It’s an inspiring look at courage, purpose, and the ripple effect one story can have.

This week on Coffee & Conservation, we sit down with BAFTA-nominated wildlife filmmaker and GCF Conservation Ambassador Anna Dimitriadis. With credits on major series such as Big Cats 24/7 for BBC2 and PBS, and field experience spanning Antarctic ice dives, Patagonian mountains, and the Okavango Delta, Anna has built a career telling powerful wildlife stories through camera, drone, and underwater work. In this episode, she shares the moments that shaped her path, how storytelling drives real conservation impact, and why she chose to partner with GCF. A thoughtful, inspiring conversation about action, representation, and showing up for our planet.

Sophie Bland, is a wildlife conservationist, photographer, former zookeeper, and part of the Global Conservation Force Team. Recently, she joined us for her first team deployment as a GCF Field Journalist working in the field as part of snare patrols, community based ranger selection and the annual anti-poaching ranger bootcamp. Tune in for part 1! In part 2, we will pick up where we abruptly, not planned, left off!

Pour yourself a fresh cup and join Mike Veale for an inspiring episode of Coffee and Conservation, featuring Karen Odendaal, Chief Operating Officer of Zululand Conservation Trust (ZCT) and Managing Director of Manyoni Private Game Reserve. With a conservation career spanning nearly two decades, Karen has been at the forefront of rhino protection, pangolin rehabilitation, and community-based conservation efforts in KwaZulu-Natal.
In this episode, Karen shares the story behind founding the Zululand Rhino Orphanage, her leadership role in Manyoni’s range expansion projects, and her passion for connecting conservation with local communities.
Mike and Karen also discuss the impactful partnership between ZCT, Zululand Rhino Orphanage, and Global Conservation Force (GCF)—from pioneering K9 tracking for live pangolins and launching Manyoni’s in-house K9 anti-poaching unit, to GCF’s hands-on support in rhino orphan care, staff training, and ranger security preparedness.
Together, these efforts are creating a stronger, more adaptive future for wildlife conservation in South Africa.