OUR
VISION
We stand with our world's wildlife.
EMPOWER. PRESERVE. EDUCATE.
SFW is dedicated to the conservation of Africa's most threatened species and empowering the next generation of conservation leaders.
The Poaching Crisis
55 elephants are illegally slaughtered every day for their tusks.
OUR
MISSION.
Our mission is to save some of the world's most endangered wildlife by training and supporting wildlife rangers, empowering local communities, and supporting our local partners and their conservation projects and initiatives.
We believe if you’re on planet Earth, you have a role to play in combating our environmental crisis.
WHO
WE ARE.
SFW is a registered 501c3 non-profit founded in Rockland County, New York, working overseas in Southern Africa. We have spent years on the ground in Africa and our team is an extremely professional and dedicated group of volunteers scattered across the globe who are passionate about wildlife conservation. Our headquarters and base of operations is located just outside of the Kruger National Park, which also happens to be home to the largest numbers of rhinos left on the planet.
WHAT
WE DO.
We aim to contribute towards real and lasting conservation solutions on the African continent. Alongside our partners, we train and support wildlife rangers, provide financial and direct support to community education and outreach projects, and collaborate with our partners on wildlife rescues, de-snaring operations, rhino dehornings, and more. We also work to build a bridge between good people who want to help and credible, vetted conservation organizations here in Southern Africa.
CRITICAL GAPS.
Our organizational philosophy is that we should provide help where help is needed most. This has resulted in extensive time in Southern Africa with conservation experts, rangers, and communities, trying to understand training, education, and funding gaps. Medical training for rangers, anti-poaching working dogs, and education programs from primary school through university are significant areas of need we have identified. Simultaneously, we are working to build a portfolio of skills in areas we have assessed to be in serious need. As we continue to enhance our capabilities, we will be able to provide more advanced and diverse training and education for wildlife rangers.
We can either come together and protect them, or do nothing, and watch them disappear forever.
MEET
OUR TEAM.
We are a dedicated and diverse group of conservationists from all over the world.
JOHN GARCIA
CEO & FOUNDER
Officer
John founded SFW in July 2017 in order to take action to combat what he sees as the biggest crisis of our generation: the extremely accelerated rate of extinction.
John lives in South Africa and spends his time training Game Ranger units in need, providing necessary gear and equipment to these same units, assisting in field conservation missions, and collaborating with other NGOs and nonprofits in the region.
MICHAEL CARROLL
VICE PRESIDENT
Officer
Michael chose to leave a a successful career in corporate tech sales after years in the industry, in order to leverage his skills for a cause he believes in.
Bringing significant experience in client-facing sales, onsite management, marketing, and team leadership to the table, Michael is responsible for recruiting and retaining strategic partnerships at SFW. His passion is to help effectively protect these great animals while educating others on the priority of conserving them.
SARA POLLACK
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Board Member
An accomplished marketing professional, Sara has devoted her passion and drive to creating a world where humans and animals can co-exist in mutual respect and harmony.
Since SFW's founding in July 2017, Sara has worked to share its critical message with audiences in the conservation community. Her goal is to educate others about the realities of poaching in Africa, and empower people to take action in order to truly make a difference.
LES BRETT
FOUNDER OF THE DUNG BEETLE BUSH SCHOOL
Board Member
Les is the founder of the Dung Beetle Bush School and has over 40 years of knowledge & experience in over a dozen African countries in both conservation and as a South African Special Forces Operator. He is a member of The Field Guides Association of Southern Africa and is Level 3 Qualified. Les travels the globe to speak about conservation and environmental issues. Media appearances include UK television’s ‘Wish you were here” and newspapers and magazines including Sunday Express, Scottish Sunday Express, Wanderlust, Red, Survival Africa and National Geographic. Les is an extremely passionate conservationist who is directly focused on the protection of Africa's wildlife and education.
MICHAEL TERRELL
DIGITAL DIRECTOR
Board Member
Michael has never met an animal he did not immediately connect with, which inspired him to join the conservation movement. An accomplished business development specialist with a history in marketing and data analytics, Michael is responsible for data and campaign management at SFW.
His deep passion and concern for wildlife serve as his daily motivation for achieving SFW's organizational goals.
JENIK RADON
STRATEGIC ADVISOR
Board Member
Adjunct Professor at the School of Public and International Affairs, Columbia University, where he teaches in the areas of sustainable natural resource development, small state development and corporate responsibility. In particular he focuses on risk and strategic management, sovereignty and human rights, especially environment, minority rights (including social license), transparency and anticorruption.
Among his many accomplishments, Jenik is the recipient of SIPA’s “Top Five” teaching award and was selected as a Fulbright Specialist (2012) at the Law School of Makerere University, Uganda, in the extraction industry and serves as a member of the Board of Advisers of Stevens Business School.
CHRISTIAN GILLIAM
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Christian has been photographing for the past 10 + years professionally. He has done work in various fields from high fashion to travel and exploration. Graduating with a BFA in photography from SUNY Purchase, his focus has always been documenting international issues in disadvantaged areas.
Christian has always had a passion for genuine causes that make a positive difference in the world and always has been an avid outdoorsman which led him to pack up his things and join the efforts of SFW.
His goal now is to bring the SFW story to viewers around the globe.
ROBBIE HAIRFIELD
Board Member
Robbie is the founder of Wildlife & Co., an organization focused on raising awareness for the world's most endangered wildlife, such as rhinos, elephants, orangutans and other key indicator species. His work also includes humanitarian efforts to bring aid, education and support to the communities living beside these wildlife. His efforts, in collaboration with well-known conservation photographers, aided in ending the Tampur Dam project, saving 4000+ hectares of pristine forest, home to Sumatran tigers, rhinos, elephants, orangutans, and many other species.
Always in pursuit of connecting with the best leaders in wildlife conservation, Robbie met John Garcia at a charity event in San Diego benefiting SFW, and has been a supporter ever since. “Everyone has the God-given ability to make the world a better place. That change happens when we make the conscious decision to speak up and take action.”
KAYLA HODGES
Board Member
Kayla is a conservationist, web designer, and former U.S. Army officer. Her interests are related to conservation management and capacity building for mutually thriving communities and ecosystems. As a current master's student in Hawaiʻi, her research interests include the professionalization of conservation rangers and understanding ranger-community relationships.
She runs a successful site called A Captain's Log, aimed at providing information and resources for current military and veterans and a web design and creative consulting company serving clients around the world.
OUR
PARTNERS & SPONSORS.
