MEET JEFF PHILLIPS, OUR NEW AMBASSADOR

Saving wildlife and protecting their habitat is crucial to sustain and enrich life on our planet. This is why the help of our ambassadors is so important to us. Like ripples on a pond, our ambassadors amplify our voice and messages, deepening our impact for wildlife and wild spaces. We are beyond grateful to our growing team of ambassadors and are excited to welcome our newest addition, Jeffrey Phillips! 

We are very excited to welcome Jeff Phillips as our newest Ambassador for Wild Tomorrow! Jeff is based in Toronto, Canada and will be our leading voice for wildlife and wild spaces from the north of the American continent.  

Jeff is Managing Director of Dawson Strategic, a consulting company that helps organizations accomplish their mission through research, workshops and facilitation in the areas of sustainability, clean transportation, and supply chains. Jeff is a Fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Prior to joining Dawson Strategic, Jeff worked at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) for four years, first as a Policy Analyst in the Energy Sector and later as a Policy Advisor in the Deputy Minister’s Office. Jeff holds an M.A. Political Science from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management (Honours) from the Arthur Kroeger College at Carleton University. Jeff’s influence, connections, and policy expertise are recognized and appreciated greatly by Wild Tomorrow.  

Along with Jeff’s professional background, and on a more personal note, Jeff has always loved being outside in nature and everything about animals. A favourite wild moment of his which indisputably shows his love and appreciation for wildlife and nature is as he recalls, “Finding myself completely enthralled watching a grizzly mom and her cub move gently along the water’s edge on a bear watching trip in beautiful Port Hardy, B.C. My Dad and I went together and it was one of the best trips we have ever taken. Immersing ourselves in nature and admiring wildlife from a safe and respectful distance brought us closer together. That trip is a reminder that you don’t always have to go far from home to experience incredible moments with wildlife.” There really is something unique and lifechanging about feeling close to the world around you and connected to wildlife. 

Investing in sustainable lifestyles and realizing the impact each of us have on the world we live in, rely on, and share is a collective and urgent matter. Jeff’s passion to protect wild spaces and wildlife is rooted in his understanding of the interconnectedness our future depends on from our personal responsibility to greater systems: “It is abundantly clear that humanity has no future if we don’t protect the wild spaces and wildlife that we rely on for everything from food production to clean water to the air we breathe. The work of Wild Tomorrow is important to me because the only way to fight back against the rapid decline in wildlife populations around the world is to protect strategically important wild areas rich in biodiversity and this is exactly what Wild Tomorrow is doing in the KwaZulu-Native Region.”  

Jeff (left) ready for his first Climate Ride in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park with Wild Tomorrow’s co-founders Wendy & John.

Along with Jeff’s natural connection to wildlife and the environment, his skills in understanding government policy, working with decision-makers, and facilitation and stakeholder engagement makes him an exceptional advocate for wildlife. Jeff has already raised funds and awareness for Wild Tomorrow including as a team member in the recent 2023 Green Fondo Climate Ride in Virginia, raising over $11,000 thanks to his individual efforts – and telling other riders along the way about the importance of saving habitat. He is excited to share ideas about how wildlife conservation connects directly to our everyday lives, hoping to expand and strengthen the network of partners, volunteers, and supporters across the globe underpinning the work and mission of Wild Tomorrow. 

When asked what being an ambassador for Wild Tomorrow means to him, Jeff's response is one we know makes him a great addition to our passionate and impactful team of ambassadors: “Being an Ambassador for Wild Tomorrow means taking seriously a commitment to passionately communicate the mission of the organization to new audiences and always looking for new opportunities and partnerships to expand our work. Above all, it means giving a greater voice to wild animals and wild spaces and working to change the narrative about how humans fit into the complex web of life on this beautiful planet we call home.” Welcome, Jeff and we look forward to reading more about wildlife via your upcoming stories. Stay tuned!  

We hope you will welcome Jeff by donating to support urgent wildlife protection work on the ground in southern Africa. We will ensure donations in Jeff’s honor are allocated to support anti-poaching efforts, the last green line of defense in the illegal wildlife trade.