Benjamin Barca

BSc in Ecology and Conservation, University of St. Andrews
MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management, University of Oxford

Benjamin is a conservationist and nature tech expert with over 15 years of experience leading complex projects across Europe, West Africa, and Southeast Asia. His career has been defined by a commitment to species and habitat recovery, partnership and capacity building, and applied biodiversity monitoring.

Benjamin’s journey began supporting endemic species recovery programs in St Lucia with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and later exploring the dynamics between jaguars and marine turtles in Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica. He later held technical and leadership field roles with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Cambodia program, supporting community lead ecotourism programs, and the RSPB/Gola Rainforest National Park, aiding transboundary conservation efforts between Sierra Leone and Liberia. Throughout these roles, he spearheaded multi-stakeholder initiatives to protect under-supported taxa, including Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon, Western Red Colobus, and Pygmy Hippos, while aligning conservation goals with national policy and donor requirements.

Most recently, as the Head of Conservation and Impact at NatureMetrics, Benjamin focused on scaling biodiversity monitoring through emerging technologies. He helped to validate and expand the use of eDNA to identify overlooked taxa and link conservation and monitoring efforts with nature financing opportunities. As part of his role he also led training campaigns and initiatives to build capacity with partners and key stakeholders across diverse landscapes and habitats, ensuring government participation and collaboration.

As a keen explorer and storyteller, Benjamin’s work has been featured in outlets like NatGeo Italia and Mongabay. When he isn’t managing conservation portfolios or coordinating remote expeditions, he is likely found in the mountains or on the water with friends and family; his outdoor pursuits range from summiting peaks, from the Alps to the Andes and Atlas mountains, to multi-day expeditions and completing self-sufficient river descents by packraft.