Donal Smith

My background combines academic research of major issues in conservation with practical on-the-ground experience of the management of highly threatened species.

I spent many happy years working with the echo parakeet in Mauritius and the hihi in New Zealand. These projects showed me the power of careful conservation interventions led by passionate groups of people, resulting in beautiful bird species slowly reclaiming their native forests.

More recently, my research has focused on how we conduct this type of work globally. I have been particularly interested in the conservation of species that have disappeared entirely from the wild but somehow survived in places like zoos and botanic gardens. These "Extinct in the Wild" species need our urgent attention and support to avoid slipping away entirely and to return to their wild habitats.