How a Conservationist’s motivation and love for Guyana evolved into managing the South Rupununi Conservation Society

NEAL Millar is originally from Scotland, and he first came to Guyana in 2013 at 18 as a volunteer teacher, based at Sand Creek Secondary School in Region Nine. He immediately fell in love with Guyana and the Rupununi: its people, environment, wildlife, and food- all of which were so amazing to him.

While he was teaching, he met his then-girlfriend, who was also teaching. He later returned to Scotland, where he completed his BSc in Sustainable Development at the University of St Andrews.

But Millar could not stay away from Guyana and returned whenever possible during holidays to visit his girlfriend. Once he finished his university education, he and his girlfriend had to decide whether she would move to the UK or he would come to Guyana.

At that time, she was living at home in Rupunau Village in Region Nine and had four young siblings to take care of.

She told him that she wanted to help all of them excel at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and obtain scholarships to attend school in Georgetown, where more opportunities would be available to them.

It was then decided that they would move to Lethem, and her siblings also moved in with them.

From 2019 to 2026, they tutored them and helped her two sisters obtain places at Queen’s College. This year, her brother topped the region and earned a place at The Bishops’ High School.

“We are immensely proud of how hard they have worked, and we are excited to see where their futures lead,” he said.

Millar told Pepperpot Magazine that when they moved to Lethem in 2019, he was seeking a job focused on protecting Guyana’s environment and biodiversity.

He then took over management of the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS), a grassroots, Indigenous-led conservation NGO based in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

He said that at the time the organisation had very limited funds, one full-time staff member, and no infrastructure, and was not well known outside the South-Central Rupununi.

Millar explained that the organisation did have an amazing group of individuals from Rupununi communities who had incredible knowledge, passion and enthusiasm for the Rupununi’s environment, culture and wildlife.

He stated that one of the main objectives of the SRCS is to build the capacity of Indigenous communities to manage their environment and biodiversity sustainably.

Millar reported that since the organisation was formed in 2002, it has developed strong partnerships with several communities across the Rupununi, enabling it to implement projects to protect iconic species, including the Red Siskin, the Yellow-spotted River Turtle and the Giant Anteater.

He pointed out that, across these communities and in collaboration with other partners, the organisation has also been able to develop an Environmental Education Curriculum, identify an unknown species of rabbit, implement classes to preserve traditional knowledge, host multiple events, including turtle festivals, bird fairs and youth forums, and design a national accreditation system for bird guides in Guyana.

Millar disclosed that from 2019 to 2024, he led all aspects of the SRCS, including fundraising, research design, strategic growth, event hosting, project implementation, capacity building, partnership development, and more.

He said that during this time, in collaboration with his colleagues, they secured 22 grants worth over US$2 million, built a headquarters, trained over 200 individuals, and won three prestigious international awards: the Parker Gentry Award, the Whitley Award, and the St Andrews Prize for the Environment.

“We were also delighted to be one of the initial signatories to the Georgetown Declaration at last year’s Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit,” he said.

Millar related that, in managing the SRCS, he always tried to remain in the background of the organisation.

He aimed to run the organisation while focusing on building the capacity of residents from Region Nine to run it and to design and implement research programmes in their communities.

“I believe we have been able to do this to some extent through mentoring, assisting young rangers to receive fellowships and supporting individuals to grow into leadership positions,” he said.

In 2024, he took a position as Biodiversity Coordinator at the Landscape Alliance (formerly CIFOR), while remaining a Technical Coordinator with the SRCS.

He added that, with the Landscape Alliance, his role is to determine the most cost-effective approach for collecting biodiversity data to assess biodiversity trends and ecosystem health across spatial and temporal scales.

Millar noted that, with the SRCS, he is focused on leading several projects, including efforts to protect two of Guyana’s most threatened wildlife species: the Hoary-throated Spinetail and the Rio Branco Antbird.

At the same time, he is in his final year at the University of Edinburgh, where he is pursuing his MSc in Biodiversity, Wildlife and Ecosystem Health.

“It is a very exciting time to be involved in biodiversity conservation in Guyana with the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Alliance, the Low Carbon Development Strategy and the National Biodiversity Monitoring Initiative,” he said.

Millar stated that despite Guyana’s size, these initiatives, along with good governance, have put Guyana at the forefront of global conservation and environmental leadership.

He revealed that Guyana is his home and that he is very excited to be involved, as it provides a real-world case study of sustainable development, where he believes the country balances oil extraction with the conservation of its biodiversity and environment.

Millar said he has found his passion in conservation, and he loves working with people across Guyana and beyond who recognise the importance of preserving our biodiversity.

He is also excited to hopefully start a family in the Rupununi and have them experience all that Guyana has to offer.