Heather Smith
Heather Smith has worked in healthcare at Penn Medicine for 30 years. In 2016, she co-founded PA Rhino Conservation Advocates (PARCA), Inc. after a life-changing trip to Africa and the opportunity to meet conservationists Dereck and Beverly Joubert. Heather serves as president of PARCA whose mission is to fund the relocation and protection of wild rhinos, fund the care of young rhinos orphaned by poaching, and raise public awareness about their plight. The organization has funded the move of two rhinos from South Africa to Botswana, sponsors an orphaned rhino at a sanctuary in South Africa, and funded several anti-poaching programs in Botswana and Kenya. PARCA has also sponsored trips for two safari guides from Botswana to the U.S. Heather’s cat allows Heather, her husband, daughter, and 2 dogs to live with him in Media PA.
Rhino Conservation
Journal Article
There has been lots of press around big cats and elephants. Not as many people know about the plight of the rhinos and, in fact, I did not. I said, “Fantastic. If the rhinos need help, then we are here to help the rhinos.”