Helen Turnbull

What does your company do?

The Cape Leopard Trust (CLT) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation established in 2004 with a focus on conserving biological diversity, particularly the leopard, the last large predator roaming freely in the Western Cape. The leopard faces a variety of threats, including habitat loss, reduced prey, and persecution due to conflicts with people. The main goal of the Cape Leopard Trust is to ensure the survival of leopard populations and protect their habitats while promoting coexistence with local communities. Rural communities often depend on nature for their livelihoods, but they may lack the knowledge and understanding that the environment is fragile, and to maintain its fragile balance we must all adopt sustainable resource use. Recognising the interdependence of the socio-economic well-being of these communities on successful conservation outcomes, the CLT applies a three-pillar approach: research, conservation, and education, each working in synergy and collaboration with communities, private landowners, and partner organisations. We manage multiple projects to improve human wildlife coexistence, and to raise awareness of the unique biodiversity at the tip of Africa which is found nowhere else on earth.

What is your biggest success?

Over the years I'd often reflected on how the leopard is the only big cat to have adapted to different landscapes and continents, but we had little knowledge of the challenges faced by other leopard territories, nor did we know what projects were underway across the world to protect leopards and people. It was time to change that, and in 2023 the CLT pulled together the first ever Global Leopard Conference. Thanks to Covid we were able to create an efficient online event that meant everyone, even the poorest leopard project in the Russian outback, would be on an equal platform to connect with other leopard specialists and leopard enthusiasts across the globe. It was fascinating to listen to the talks and hear how different countries managed human wildlife conflict, as well as what solutions had been found to an age old problem. Over 300 people attended from 58 countries over 5 days, and thanks to the enrolment fees and sponsors we attracted, we were also able to offer 4 bursaries to early career leopard researchers across the world. The next conference will be held in 2026 and we will be able to hear what difference those bursaries made. There are many big conservation organisations in the world, and I'm so proud that the Cape Leopard Trust pulled it off, as a small but meaningful organisation at the tip of Africa.

What has been your biggest hurdle?

My biggest hurdle and career challenge was when the founding CEO left the organisation in 2014 with short notice. As a visionary scientist he had ruffled several feathers and relationships were extremely fragile, and donors needing convincing that we were worthy of their support. In addition, I discovered that our governance was not as robust as it should have been. It was a long road to get the NGO back on track and build it up to what it is today. I had not come from a science background, and I ended up going from aviation to conservation. When I finished my matric in a small town in the Northern Cape, my parents were too poor to send me to university. I subsequently joined the airline industry to have the opportunity to travel and learn about different countries and different cultures. Somehow I ended up transitioning from aviation to conservation on my life journey, and I always enjoy a challenge. This shows that it doesn't always need a degree to make a positive contribution to the country and the world. We can each find a way to make a difference in our own way.