Research
Camera Trapping & Research
Capturing unseen moments of wildlife in their natural habitats to help parks monitor species, track movement patterns, and gather the data that informs protection strategies.
Conservation
Preserving African Wildlife & Empowering Communities
We believe the future of conservation depends on thriving communities as much as thriving wildlife. By restoring ecosystems, creating sustainable livelihoods and building local partnerships, together, with your generous support, we're helping shape a future where both can flourish for generations.
Roam Africa Conservation is the driving force behind the ROAM ecosystem. Founded by Xtina Parks, the nonprofit works across southern and eastern Africa to restore habitats, reconnect fragmented landscapes and partner with local communities to build a future where people and wildlife thrive together.
Ep. 2: Xtina's Team | ROAM with Xtina Parks
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From habitat restoration and endangered species protection to scientific research, conservation expeditions and community-led initiatives, Roam Africa Conservation approaches conservation as a long-term investment in both nature and people. Every project is grounded in collaboration, transparency and the belief that lasting conservation can only succeed when local communities are empowered to lead it.
By supporting Roam Africa Conservation, you're helping protect Africa's extraordinary biodiversity while investing in sustainable solutions that create opportunity for generations to come. Conservation also means investing in the people who will carry it forward. ROAM supports environmental education, research partnerships and training that build local capacity for stewardship, so that conservation outlasts any single project or season.
Our work
Community
Education
Education programs rooted in conservation and community that empower the next generation to become stewards of their environment and leaders in their communities.
Fair Trade
Commerce — ROAM Gallery
A bridge between creativity and community: art ethically sourced from African artists and artisans, with proceeds supporting their livelihoods and preserving traditions.
Livelihoods
Environmental Stewardship
Supporting sustainable jobs in wildlife protection, research and eco-tourism — trackers, guides, educators and artisans — so communities gain income, purpose and pride.
Regenerative
Community Development
Improving cattle management through animal husbandry and quadrant grazing — rotating herds and restoring grasslands to reduce human-wildlife conflict and heal the land.
“Meaningful conservation is built through partnership.”
A vision of expanded conservation
Conservation cannot succeed unless the people who live alongside wildlife have the opportunity to thrive.
That belief shapes every initiative Xtina, ROAM, and Roam Africa Conservation undertake. Rather than treating wildlife protection and economic development as competing priorities, ROAM works to strengthen both together. It does so by creating solutions that benefit local communities while restoring the ecosystems they depend on.
Across southern Africa, Roam Africa Conservation is developing long-term programs that begin with the realities of everyday life. In many rural communities, cattle are central to culture, livelihoods and identity. Instead of asking communities to abandon those traditions, RAC works alongside local partners to improve livestock management, restore degraded grasslands and create sustainable agricultural systems that generate new economic opportunities.
As landscapes recover, wildlife returns. Healthier ecosystems reduce conflict between people and animals while creating opportunities for conservation-based tourism, local businesses and new sources of income.
The vision extends far beyond protecting individual species. It is about reconnecting fragmented habitats, supporting community-led stewardship and helping create landscapes where people, livestock and wildlife can coexist for generations.
Every part of the ROAM ecosystem supports that larger mission, from conservation expeditions and scientific research to photography, filmmaking, education and fair-trade partnerships. Together, these efforts build awareness, generate resources and create lasting investment in communities that are leading conservation from the ground up.
The goal is ambitious but simple: a future where thriving communities become the strongest protectors of Africa's wild places.
Conservation Team
Conservationists, biologists, filmmakers and community leaders united by one belief: meaningful conservation is built through partnership.
Xtina Parks
Founder
The visionary Founder of ROAM Africa Conservation — a passionate photographer, filmmaker, gallerist, author and conservationist with a fierce love for wild places and the people who protect them. Whether behind the lens capturing Africa's untamed beauty or on the ground building partnerships for real change, Xtina brings storytelling, strategy and soul to every corner of the mission.
Bridget Rigas
Executive Director
Leads our mission with unstoppable energy, heart and vision. A strategist with a passion for people, wildlife and transformative impact, Bridget connects the dots between communities, conservation science and bold new ideas — forging partnerships, shaping programs on the ground and rallying support across continents.
Vincent du Toit
Conservation Director
Leads our science-driven efforts to protect wildlife, restore landscapes and empower communities across Africa. A seasoned field researcher specializing in remote monitoring and biodiversity management, Vincent combines deep ecological knowledge with innovative technology to guide ROAM's conservation strategy.
Barberton Munduu
Conservation & Community Manager
Barberton Munduu leads Roam Africa Conservation's field presence across the Tsetsebjwe, Phakwe, and Moletemane areas of the Tuli–Bobirwa landscape, where he manages the day-to-day work of translating RAC's mission into on-the-ground relationships and results. As Conservation & Community Manager, he is the organization's steady point of connection with the communities at the heart of the corridor, building trust at the kgotla and community-structure level and ensuring that conservation is something done with people rather than to them. With years of experience working in the Okavango Delta tourism industry and running his family farm in the Kalahari region of Botswana, Barberton is deeply grounded in the landscape he serves and deeply attuned to its social fabric. He brings a rare combination of local knowledge, patience, and purpose to the partnerships that make RAC's long-term vision possible.
Tebogo Motimane
Conservation & Community Coordinator
As Roam Africa Conservation's Conservation & Community Coordinator, Tebogo works closely with Barberton Munduu in the field to nurture community and partner relationships as well as manage the daily cadence of RAC's presence in the Tuli–Bobirwa landscape. Active across the Tsetsebjwe, Phakwe, and Moletemane areas, Tebogo helps carry the organization's work into the communities it serves, coordinating on the ground and keeping lines of communication open at the community-structure and kgotla level. Tebogo has a degree from the Gaborone Institute of Professional Studies in Information Technology and a certificate from the Wildlife South Africa program in Game Lodge Management. She also has direct reserve management experience working at Limpopo-Lipadi Wildlife and Wilderness Game Reserve. With her combined education and work experience, she blends conservation and ecotourism that supports collaboration and trust in the Tuli–Bobirwa landscape. Additionally, growing up in Tsetsebjwe, Tebogo has a genuine care for both the people and the wildlife of the Tuli-Bobirwa region. She is an essential part of the team to foster trust and continuity that is key to landscape-scale conservation.
Matt Mears
Co-Lead Film Editor
A creative force behind ROAM Africa Conservation's films, transforming raw field footage into powerful stories that inspire action. After years with Xtina Studios, Matt brings his sharp eye, technical mastery and passion for conservation fully to RAC.
Max Prum
Co-Lead Film Editor
Blends creativity and precision to craft compelling stories from the field. With a sharp visual instinct and a passion for conservation storytelling, Max transforms raw footage into impactful films that highlight Africa's wildlife, landscapes and communities.
Johnnie Cross
Logistics & Field Facilitator, Kenya
Our logistics mastermind and trusted on-the-ground facilitator in Kenya. With a talent for making the impossible happen, Johnnie coordinates everything from remote field transport to last-minute supply runs — always with calm, precision and a smile.
James Kuria Ndung'u
Lead Biologist
Spearheads our wildlife research and ecological monitoring across the region. With a deep background in field biology and species behavior, James brings sharp scientific insight to every project — from camera-trap data and population assessments to habitat evaluations and conservation planning.
Loni Francom
Executive Assistant
Xtina Parks' Executive Assistant and the valiant right hand of ROAM Africa Conservation — keeping the chaos in check with grace, grit and a can-do spirit. From coordinating logistics to juggling communications, Loni is the behind-the-scenes hero who makes sure everything runs smoothly.
Monique Scheiblecker
Marketing Associate
Monique is a marketing specialist who supports ROAM on the ground in Africa and stateside across all key initiatives. As a local South African, ROAM's mission and impact are close to her heart.
Board of Directors, Officers & Leadership
Ricky Derby, Treasurer
New York, NY
Jennifer Keegan
Park City, UT
Ted Newton, Vice Chairman
Norfolk, England
Chrystina Parks, Chairman
Williamstown, MA
Jim Parks
Los Angeles, CA
Bridget Rigas, ex officio
Williamstown, MA
Colleen Taylor, Secretary
Williamstown, MA
Margaret VanLoan
Los Angeles, CA
Leadership Staff
Vince Du Toit, Director of Research
Paris, France
Bridget Rigas, Director
Williamstown, MA
Get involved
How you can help
Roam Africa Conservation works to strengthen both wildlife protection and economic development — improving livestock management, restoring degraded grasslands and creating sustainable agricultural systems that generate new economic opportunities.
As landscapes recover, wildlife returns. The goal is ambitious but simple: a future where thriving communities become the strongest protectors of Africa's wild places.
There are so many ways to be part of the Roam Africa Conservation journey. Whether you donate, volunteer, or simply share our story, your support helps protect wildlife and uplift communities. Together, we can change the future — for nature and for the children who deserve a wilder, brighter tomorrow.
Email us at roam@roamafricaconservation.com.