Communications Lead

Sarah Markes is an artist, graphic designer and writer, with a focus on science
communication, environmental education, data visualisation, heritage and
conservation awareness.
She has worked in both the public and private sectors, in the fields of public health,
social marketing, international development, educational publishing and wildlife
conservation. Her roles have included identifying communication needs, developing
strategy, conceptualising and managing communication projects, creating and curating
targeted materials in print and online, overseeing production, capacity building, field
testing communication materials and evaluating their impacts.
Born and educated in the UK she has spent many years living and working in subSaharan Africa, latterly based in Tanzania as Communications Specialist for the
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)’s East Africa, Madagascar and Western Indian
Ocean programme. Her previous employment has included creating and managing
communications for a Tanzanian health information project and educational publishing
company, a Malawian edutainment NGO, and numerous consultancies for local and
international non-profit organisations.
She is author, editor and illustrator of two books celebrating Tanzania’s architectural,
cultural and natural heritage. The first won the African Studies Association 2012
Children’s Africana Book Award, presented at the Smithsonian Museum of African Art.
Her WCS experience inspired her to write and present ‘Communicating Science for
Effective Biodiversity Conservation’ at the 2019 Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute
(TAWIRI) scientific conference. She has co-authored several other publications on
Tanzanian biodiversity and exhibited artwork in various solo and group shows around
the world. Her infographics have been featured in the American Association for the
Advancement of Science EurekAlert, BBC, Mongabay, Oryx, PBS Nature, Scholastic
SuperScience, The Conversation, Treehugger and WCS global media. She has created
communication materials for organisations including the Allen Coral Atlas, Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Penal Reform International, Population Services
International, Tanzania Forest Services Agency, The Key Biodiversity Area (KBA)
Secretariat, Trillion Trees, UNICEF and UNHCR.
She holds a BA Hons in Graphic Design and Illustration from Central St Martins
College of Art and is currently working on a MScRes looking at conservation priority
setting and the Tanzanian KBA system.