How community solutions can protect health, livelihoods and wildlife

Connor Leone is the CEO of ECOLIFE Conservation, an international nonprofit working to create solutions that benefit both underserved communities and threatened wildlife.

His journey with ECOLIFE began in 2015 through aquaponics education. Over the years, he has worked across sustainable agriculture programs and community-based conservation before taking on the role of CEO.

ECOLIFE’s work brings human wellbeing and environmental conservation together. Internationally, its Fuel-Efficient Stoves Program supports healthier homes, reduces pressure on natural resources and helps protect wildlife habitats around UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In Mexico, the organization works with communities surrounding the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.

In the United States, ECOLIFE’s Aquaponics Program combines youth education with practical solutions for sustainable food production, addressing challenges connected to industrial agriculture, water use, deforestation and chemical pollution.

At TALTalks, Connor will share how conservation becomes more effective when it also improves people’s lives — and why protecting communities and protecting nature should be seen as part of the same mission.