Talandila Kasapila is a 27 year old Malawian conservationist. Currently, he is the Park Manager for the world’s first freshwater national park, Lake Malawi National Park World Heritage Site. He joined the Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) in 2018 as Parks and Wildlife Officer responsible for Education and Extension at Lake Malawi National Park World Heritage Site (LMNP WHS).
Prior to joining DNPW, he worked as a Research Assistant at Gesellschaftfür Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ Malawi) in corporation with the German’s University of Passau. During his time at GIZ Malawi he helped in monitoring and evaluating the pilot project of an Integrated Catchment Management approach linked to Public Works programme that is now scaled up by the Malawi Government and being implemented in Malawi’s 11 districts as a newly Enhanced Public Works Program.
In his first two months as a Park Manager for LMNP WHS, illegal trafficking of wildlife, the endangered Cichlid fish, was uncovered for the first time since the park’s establishment as Four Chinese nationals were caught and charged. In 2019 as Head of Environmental Education and Extension at LMNP WHS, he pioneered an initiative for climate change action among wildlife conservation clubs in primary and secondary schools adjacent to LMNP WHS. He holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Natural Resources Management from Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources.