The largest living land animals, elephants live in matriarchal societies where multiple family groups live together. The oldest matriarch is always the leader and her wisdom, learned throughout her long life, serves to protect the health, well-being, and survival of the herd. As a keystone species, elephants have a significant, and oversized, impact on their environments, creating habitats and resources that benefit other species. At the same time, elephant and human interests can come into conflict.

Winnie Kiiru is a founding member of Women for the Environment Africa, an organization that inspires and supports female leaders to remedy the gender imbalance in leadership in African environmentalism and conservation. She is also a widely admired wildlife biologist, international leader in conservation, and advocate for people-centered conservation. President Sylvia Torti will speak with Kiiru about her research, matriarchal leadership, and her own "path breaking" role in protecting them from extinction. What can elephants teach us about communal living, conflict resolution, resilience and adaptability? How are elephant families and human communities and culture interconnected?