SSC Leaders’ Meeting 2024
Photo credit @Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD)
Co-chairs Dr Ros Kennerley (based at Durrell) and Dr Tom Lacher (Texas A&M University) attended the 5th IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Leaders’ Meeting in Abu Dhabi. This event brought together more than 300 conservation leaders to address the urgently needed interconnected solutions to protect biodiversity, stabilise climate, and support human well-being.
Together, we drafted an SSC declaration “Saving Species Sustains Life“.
We are thrilled that the SMSG was amongst a few specialist groups that won an ‘Excellence Award’ for our work from 2021-2023.
Dr Jon Paul Rodríguez (Chair of the SSC) presenting the Excellence Award to the SMSG co-chairs
SMSG presentation
Dr Tom Lacher presenting at the SSC Leaders’ Meeting
Photo credit @Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD)
Tom gave a talk about the SMSG’s achievements within the Assess part of the SSC Assess-Plan-Act cycle. The presentation highlighted work such as our Sulawesi workshop held last year, the Green Status of Species assessments we have produced, and the large European Pulse Project that we contributed to. The pulse project reassessed all mammals in the European region.
New CSS for small mammals
It was great to meet Dr André Stadler, who is the SMSG’s Ex-situ Focal Point and the director of AlpenZoo, Austria, who recently set up a Centre for Species Survival (CSS) to support small mammal conservation. The recruitment process is underway, and we hope to have a Project Officer in post in very early 2025.
Dr André Stadler and Dr Kira Mileham at the SSC Leaders’ Meeting
Dr Ros Kennerley with the SMSG poster at the SSC Leaders’ Meeting
We also had an opportunity to show off some of our projects and successes of our members across the world by having a poster displayed at the event.
The four-day meeting was intense, with lots of plenaries, workshops and networking opportunities.
Amongst the many delegates was Dr Barney Long, Senior Director of Conservation Strategies at re:wild. We have just heard that Re:wild will continue to provide support to the SMSG for 2025, making it the 9th year that they have championed the SMSG!
The meeting came to a wonderful finale thanks to The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund who hosted a fantastic dinner for us all.
