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As Melanie McTurk concludes her term as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Protected Areas Trust (PAT), her leadership has marked a significant period of development and direction for Guyana’s protected areas financing system. Melanie joined the Board five years ago as the private sector representative. She stepped in during the pandemic when progress had slowed and renewed coordination was needed. Working closely with her predecessor, Curtis Bernard, she helped reinforce a strong base of policies, procedures, and governance that strengthened PAT’s institutional footing.

Under her leadership as Chair, PAT expanded its regional presence and collaboration. One of the most significant developments was the deepening of PAT’s partnership with the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, which provided Guyana with greater access to sustainable financing and peer support. Melanie also represented Guyana within the RedLAC network, helping elevate and give greater recognition to the country’s conservation model and highlighting the importance of Indigenous-led stewardship.

Her tenure as Chair, with the support of other Trustees, resulted in the approval of a new Strategic Plan for the Trust and in 2025 alone, PAT was able to create five new or revised strategies and policies to push for its continued growth. These focused on HR, Communications, Investment, Fundraising, and Gender, all supporting the development of the team and the organisation. 

A major focus of her tenure was raising public awareness of PAT’s role and increasing engagement with the private sector. This included an increase in our social media presence, participation in events such as the Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit and GuyExpo and the hosting of PAT’s first Private Sector Engagement Week. Along with those events, Melanie supported PAT’s participation in the highly coveted BRIDGE mentorship project with Peru’s Conservation Trust Fund, Profonanpe, focused on developing our communications strengths and capacity as an organisation and within our conservation networks.

For Melanie, strengthening PAT went hand in hand with strengthening communities. Her guiding principle, expressed throughout her term, was clear:

“You don’t get thriving nature without thriving people.”

To her, this means conservation must support dignity, empowerment, and meaningful participation for the communities whose lives are intertwined with Guyana’s Protected Areas System. She advocated for expanding Indigenous leadership, improving communication with stakeholders, and encouraging wider national involvement in biodiversity monitoring through citizen science initiatives.

As Guyana approaches its 30 by 30 commitments (30% of Guyana’s area being protected by 2030), Melanie helped prepare PAT for this expanded responsibility by promoting stronger partnerships, clearer communication, and long-term strategic thinking.

As she steps back to focus on her work at Karanambu Lodge, Melanie leaves PAT with a strengthened foundation and a lasting message: conservation is strongest when people and nature thrive together.

Thank you, Melanie, for your years of service and for strengthening the foundation on which conservation in Guyana continues to grow.