Core team

Denise Dresner
Campaign Organiser, Project Lead

A founding member of AFE, Denise helps organise the group’s events, campaigns, and collaborative outreach. She initiated and managed collaborative projects with PETA-India and with the Botswana conservation group Elephants Protection Society. (The latter is ongoing – click here for more info.)

She authored AFE’s open letters to heads of government, which helped to increase awareness of the poaching crisis, trophy hunting, and elephant cruelty, and to spur action.  As a founding member of the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos she was co-organiser of its first events and subsequent AFE marches in London.

Denise came to elephant advocacy at the height of the poaching crisis. Horrified by the scale of the slaughter, and deeply affected by the killing of Qumquat and her daughter, she went to an anti-poaching rally in 2013 where she learned more about the crisis and decided to try to help.  Soon after, Action for Elephants UK was formed and she joined as a founding member.

Joanne Smith
Joanne is the main coordinator of AFE’s outreach campaigns to MPs, ministers and other policymakers, as well as representing AFE in various stakeholder groups (such as the UK Ivory Engagement Group). She helps to organise the group’s events and holds fundraising events in her spare time to raise money for elephant charities.

Maria (Marge) Harper
Maria learned about the crisis elephants were facing in 2013 and attended the I-Worry event for elephants in London that year.  Shortly after, she became a founding member of the newly-formed Action for Elephants, responsible for graphics and producing the posters, banners and other materials for its events.

Jane Russell
Jane provides key support in AFE campaigns, fundraising initiatives, outreach, and administration.