Damien grew up on the east coast of Australia, spending most of his life between Melbourne and Sydney. Some would say he lived in the ocean, enjoying free diving and scuba diving. Damien had the opportunity of turning his passion into a career with the Australian Navy, when he became a Naval Clearance Diver. He later served with the Special Operations unit of the Australian Army, an elite brotherhood that thrived on having a mission and purpose.
After nine years in the military, Damien knew it was time to move on after experiencing burnout. He travelled along the coast of South America for 11 months feeling lost and hit rock bottom, which was a turning point. Having heard about the conservation effort in Africa, Damien decided to go on a six month African adventure through the southern part of the continent.
Damien went to Africa looking for a fight, but he never expected to witness the struggles and challenges rangers faced on the ground. It made him reflect on the reasons for being in Africa and inspired him to do something different with his life.
Damien founded the International Anti Poaching Foundation in 2009. At the time, the conversation effort in Africa had become highly militarised, which Damien recognised was not a sustainable strategy within the local indigenous community. Damien utilised one of his greatest strengths, his ability to evolve and created Akashinga, an all female, plant based, anti poaching unit.
Akashinga began with just 16 women protecting 90,000 acres of reserves in Zimbabwe. The program has been such a success for conservation and community development, that it has now been scaled to over 300 staff protecting 8 reserves and 1.3 million acres across three countries. National Geographic recently produced a short documentary called "Akashinga: The Brave Ones" which celebrates the impact the program is having for communities, wildlife and the environment.
Damien not only raises awareness about his organisation and the plight of African wildlife, but also the link between veganism and conservation. He is a Director of Conservation Guardians and Speaker for National Geographic Live Bureau.
In this episode, Damien also shares an insight into the dynamic role of rangers, his path to veganism and advice for people trying to make a difference for animals.
https://www.iapf.org/
https://www.instagram.com/int.anti.poaching.foundation/
https://www.facebook.com/iapf.org/
Akashinga: The Braves Ones (Documentary)
https://www.iapf.org/the-film
TEDx Talks
Modern Warrior - https://youtu.be/9FCsyK4aRXQ
From Sniper to Rhino Conservationist - https://youtu.be/PXBjQ7bc6PY
Sixty Minutes
Damien's War - https://youtu.be/e74kwO8HRRQ
The Brave Ones - https://youtu.be/xl7EXoU2xgo
