Tammie Matson
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Conservationist, Adventurer, Zoologist, Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, PhD Holder
Dr Tammie Matson is a world expert on elephants and leading animal activist. From the jungles of Borneo, to the plains of Africa, to the black markets of Vietnam, Tammie has made it her life mission to save endangered wildlife. Her stories are thought-provoking, funny and sometimes scary, and ask us all to find the courage in ourselves to achieve our dreams. Tammie brings a unique and highly experienced ‘on-the-ground’ perspective to any audience, and her unusual brand of courage and never-give-up attitude to reshaping conservation, building an ethical business, and being a parent on a mission, make for fascinating insights and heart-felt inspiration.
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Testimonials
“Tammie is an engaging speaker with an inspiring story to tell. In the corporate world we often say “it’s wild out there” and for Tammie it literally is. Despite the monumental and complex challenges she faces as a wildlife campaigner, Tammie delivers an encouraging message. She opens the audiences’ hearts and minds to a world a long way from their desk but with several surprising parallels.” – Lucinda Bertram, Marketing & Communications Manager, AustCham Singapore (Australian Chamber of Commerce)
“Tammie has a special gift. She is able to capture the rooms attention completely for her entire presentation. Mouths are always agape with her storytelling, the audience transfixed with her enthralling takes on wildlife and life. They way that Tammie is able to use her experiences and challenges and work them to the theme of the event is admirable. Not only is her confident presence on stage notable, but Tammie is just so great to deal with. Professional, friendly and a great communicator. I would engage Tammie in a heartbeat, over and over again. “ – Veronica Lake , General Manager Events , Women and Leadership Australia
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Presentation Topics
- Using your fear to create positive change in your life and career
- Overcoming hurdles – being a girl in a male-based, macho profession
- Achieving your dream – the power of passion and perseverance
- Lessons from the animal kingdom – what elephants have to teach us
- Juggling balls & dodging lions – combining motherhood with a zoology career
- Inspiring leadership – personality traits of successful elephant matriarchs
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More about Tammie
- Tammie has many incredible stories of her adventures in the wilds of Africa and Asia, which form the basis of her three books on African wildlife, with a special focus on elephants. Her second book “Elephant Dance” was an Australian best seller, and her latest “Planet Elephant” received the Australian government’s award “50 Books You Can’t Put Down”. Publishers: Hodder Headline Australia & Pan Macmillan Australia.
- She was the winner of In Style magazine’s prestigious Women of Style award in the environment category in 2010, along with other winners that year including Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman.
- After working for many years to reduce human-elephant conflict in Namibia and India, Tammie developed a campaign to raise awareness of the plight of elephants in Asia, in response to the escalating poaching crisis in Africa. She co-produced and starred in the National Geographic documentary “Let Elephants Be Elephants” about the illegal ivory trade with Asian TV star, Nadya Hutaglung, as part of their awareness campaign of the same name in south east Asia.
- Today Tammie runs the Akagera Elephant Project, Rwanda, focused on studying a population of elephants originated from a cull.
- Tammie has spoken extensively on her elephant work in the media, including being featured in The Australian, the Courier Mail, the Sydney Morning Herald, ABC 7:30 Report, ABC News, ABC online, Channel 9’s Mornings, Channel 7’s Sunrise, The Carousel, Cairns Post and Townsville Bulletin, and twice featured on the ABC’s The Conversation Hour with Richard Fidler.