The foundation of ORCA is built upon the belief that collaboration between partners is essential to opening the door for the next generation of wildlife leaders. Below you will find our founder as well as other leaders in conservation who care deeply about this mission.
Connery Scott (Founder/CEO of ORCA)
Growing up in the mile high city of Denver, Colorado, Connery has always had a deep passion for the planet and all the animals that reside on it. In school he loved reading animal books and at home he watched various movies about wildlife (His favorites include Two Brothers, Born Free, and Duma). After graduating high school, he began his wildlife journey through volunteer work and short internships, but it was after his first trip outside the country to Costa Rica for a primate study that he knew this was the field for him. He then graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor's in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and continued further with a Master's in Wildlife Conservation and Management after completing a camera trapping survey on the activity of Jaguars and Pumas in areas of dense logging in the Peruvian Amazon. Since then, he has worked two times as a wildlife field technician with the Great Basin Institute, but despite all these achievements, the lack of representation for black people inspired him to create the ORCA Initiative, with the hope that it'll change the current demographic and allow for more people like him to enjoy the great outdoors.
John Brooks (Wildlife Biologist/Filmmaker/Climate Activist)
John is an alumni from the University of Montana, where he became the first African American to earn a degree in Wildlife Biology in 1981. After graduating, he went on to be a Wildlife Refuge Manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and served in multiple states including: Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota. After retiring in 2008, he went on to become the founder of two different organizations such as the Nepal Tiger Project and Canis lupus Productions. He has 30 years worth of experience in the wildlife field as well as excellent skills in filmmaking. It is with great honor that he is a partner of ORCA, as his wisdom will help guide young African Americans to a better future with wildlife and climate change mitigation. To learn more about John Brooks, visit his website ‘iamjohnbrooks.com’
Patrick Kiplang’at Wachira (Wildlife Biologist/Guide)
Patrick is from the eastern African country of Kenya, where he holds a degree in Wildlife Management from the Kenya Wildlife Research Institute. After graduating, he has been serving as an Animal Care Specialist and Bird guide for the last 8 years, and also is experienced in legal consulting, eco-tourism operation, and wildlife photography. Today, he runs his own tourist organization ‘Patmer Tours and Adventures’, and with his expertise we will be able to engage the community with quality education about Africa’s vast and historic wildlife.
Justin Roberts (Conservationist Director and Practitioner)
For six years, Justin has served on multiple different projects in Tanzania, ranging from human-elephant conflict to carnivore research. He received his Bachelor’s in Geography and Environmental Studies from the University of Dar es Salaam and is currently working towards his Master’s in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management from the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology. As a steward of wildlife conservation, he went on to be the founder and director of the Tanzania Conservation and Community Empowerment Initiative (TACCEI), where his goal is to enhance the lives of marginalized indigenous people and help them coexist peacefully with wildlife. To learn more about Justin, visit ‘taccei.org’.
