I hold a Bachelor of Marine Science from Diponegoro University, Indonesia and I am interested in conservation and sustainability. Since graduating in 2016, I have worked on projects related to coastal areas and their communities. This work helped me build an appreciation of the importance of having conversations with local people in order to gain a good understanding of the environmental and socio- economic conditions in which they live and the challenges that face. Until now I have worked largely within coastal areas. However, my new position as Research Assistant for ConHuB, which I started in March 2020, will see me move inland. During this time I am eager to build skills, in social science and the interplay between conservation and people. I am looking forward to collecting data from people that live around the protected areas in the Gunung Leuser landscape.