Michele Tunga Robson
Co-CEO
Michele Tunga Robson, CEO and co-founder of Call of the Wild Network, is a visionary leader with over 35 years of experience at the intersection of nature conservation, technology, and storytelling. Growing up as the seventh of eight children in a vibrant household brimming with creativity, Michele developed a profound appreciation for visual storytelling from an early age. Surrounded by at least 20 dogs and various other animals, she was deeply influenced by her father, a doctor and passionate liberal who championed the healing power of nature and family. He instilled in her a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship.
Her stepfather, Bob Crawford CBE, a distinguished international lawyer and proud Scot, further shaped her worldview by embodying the principle of "acting locally while thinking globally." This philosophy has become a cornerstone of Michele’s approach to conservation and innovation, emphasizing the importance of local action in addressing global environmental challenges.
Michele’s professional journey began in special effects and makeup, later evolving into global event production and multimedia communications. Her extensive background in business development and strategic partnerships has enabled her to foster innovation that bridges the gap between environmental stewardship and global initiatives, successfully building alliances that amplify conservation efforts across Africa and Europe.
As a co-founder and Director of Strategic Partnerships at Ecostreamz, Michele played a pivotal role in transitioning the organization into Ecoflix—the world’s first non-profit streaming service dedicated to nature and wildlife. In her current role at Call of the Wild Network, she also serves as a Multimedia Communication Specialist at the Rewilding Academy, championing nature-based solutions through cutting-edge marketing and digital technologies. Additionally, she is the European Regional Focal Point for the GEFF CSO Network, Global Chairperson for the award-winning African NGO ERUDEF, and a senior advisor to the Science for Life Foundation and IBREAM.
Michele's extensive experience includes significant work in conservation, agriculture, land, and marine management, with notable projects in Cameroon. Her commitment to sustainable practices and rural capacity building has earned her recognition from the government. She has been instrumental in enforcing hunting bans for critically endangered species and has collaborated with U.K. and international agencies in efforts against wildlife trafficking. Recently, she has pioneered the integration of new digital technologies, satellite imagery, and monitoring systems alongside esteemed colleagues Sarah Maston, Daisuke Nakahara, and Rob Spurrett, CEO of Lacuna Space.
As a passionate conservationist, Michele embraces a holistic, people-positive approach to leadership, ensuring that environmental and social responsibilities are woven into every initiative. She has served on the boards of multiple non-profit organizations and has been pivotal in developing innovative valuation systems for nature-based carbon services and technologies.
In the realm of scientific contribution, Michele is a co-author of the influential research paper "Value Wild Animals' Carbon Services to Fill the Biodiversity Financing Gap," published in *Nature Climate Change* (Volume 12, Issue 7, July 2022). This work underscores her technical expertise and aligns with her leadership roles in Cameroon, where she has been working to protect and monitor critically endangered Cross River gorillas for over a decade. Notably, she was the first person in the world to capture nocturnal footage of these elusive great apes in the wild in 2017. This footage was screened and commended at MOP3, The Third Meeting of the Parties to the Agreement of the Conservation of Gorillas and their Habitats, held in Entebbe, Uganda. There, her colleague and mentor Ian Redmond OBE, Convention of Migratory Species Ambassador and Founder of the Ape Alliance, highlighted the importance of gorillas as keystone species, stating:
"While we are discussing conservation of gorillas, Western Lowland Gorillas and Cross-River Gorillas are still being killed out there. So we have to consider how we can make people understand the importance of gorillas as keystone species."
Her footage provided firsthand visual evidence of how these gentle giants, humanity's nearest cousins in the animal kingdom, have adapted to human encroachment on their natural habitats. Keystone species play a unique and crucial role in ecosystem functions; without them, ecosystems would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether. This screening, along with Ian Redmond's heartfelt statement, served as a profound enlightenment for all attendees and motivates Michele to continue bridging the gap between conservation media and financial markets. She strives to connect field-level conservation with global financial frameworks by advocating for "equitable and nature-positive" carbon offsets and holistic business practices that benefit both nature and people. Michele’s people-positive philosophy serves as a crucial social lens for the success of these financial models in developing regions.
Michele Tunga Robson continues to inspire others through her dedication to conservation, innovative storytelling, and the integration of nature into the fabric of societal progress.