Join us Saturday, March 7, for the next Eco-Hero Connects Webinar, focusing on Wildlife Conservation: Navigating Human-Animal Interaction. We’re bringing together hospital directors and youth activists to discuss the frontlines of animal protection.
THE LINEUP
— Melanie Piazza, Director of Animal Care, WildCare
Licensed by both the U.S. and California Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Melanie has served as the Director of Animal Care for WildCare’s Wildlife Hospital since 2002. An expert in wildlife rehabilitation and disaster response, she has founded impactful initiatives like WildCare’s Wildlife Solutions and the Marin Municipal Water District’s fishing line recycling program. With over two decades of experience, including her previous role managing the Animal Protection Society’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in North Carolina, Melanie also co-leads specialized foster teams and manages critical patient intake. She will provide a "behind the scenes" look at why animals end up in clinical care and how our daily human choices impact their survival.
— Benjamin Oroszlan, P-22 Youth Wildlife Awareness Founder/Conservationist
Benjamin was recognized as a 2025 Eco-Hero for his dedicated work in wildlife protection. Currently serving on the Calabasas Environmental Commission, Benjamin focuses on bridging the gap between youth activism and organization-led conservation research. He will share lessons learned from his award-winning project and how it has evolved as he learned how to present a professional field to a young audience. Instagram
— Anya de Saram-Larssen (2018 Eco-Hero), Documentarian/Co-Founder of CoachBridge
Since winning the Eco-Hero award in 2018 for her work with human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka, Anya has taken her mission to the ends of the earth. She recently spent a year in the Arctic conducting citizen science and filming a documentary on human-reindeer interaction in Svalbard. Based in Amsterdam, she now balances AI studies with her business, CoachBridge, which supports the resilience of young activists. coach-bridge.com
GET INVOLVED
General Public: Submit your burning questions via the live Q&A tool! Eco-Hero Alumni: This is your platform! Join us to "Raise Your Hand" and hop on the virtual stage to interact directly with our speakers during the Open Forum.
