In this episode of Forest Builders, we are listening to Jim Thomas. Jim is a zoologist and a conservationist who is devoted to saving the Tree Kangaroos of the Torricelli Mountain Range.

From his first encounter with the tree kangaroo when he was working as a zookeeper to building his life in Papua New Guinea for more than 20 years with his wife Jean Thomas, Jim is a movie-like conservation hero and the couple received multiple accolades for their continuous work from the conservation community.

In our conversation he talks about all it took to make it happen in this remote areas of PNG, and all the details put together that shape the reality of his in-situ conservation journey.

And at the same time he shared the essence about what he feels makes conservation work work : empathy, patience, and presence.

Jim’s positive nature, his care towards other living beings and the simple way with which he talks about what he does makes his story deeply inspiring. In this end of year season when self-reflection is around the corner, it’s not a bad idea to listen to someone who lives his life with that abundance of meaning !

😉 You can still add a Tenkile plush toy to Santa’s list or in a more straight forward way, contribute directly to TCA here

Interested in Jim’s work? Dive deeper with the links below

Roger Martin’s reference book on tree kangaroos

Into the Jungle – the documentary covering TCA’s work

Forest Builders is a podcast hosted by Khanh-Linh bringing to you the stories of people who dedicate their work to the preservation of our forests. From guerilla activists to venture capitalists, from law makers to community volunteers, our guests come in all kind of shapes but they share one common thing – they found their way to action. Connect with the host and send your feedback & ideas here

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Jim Thomas - Saving an endangered species 101