Celebrating 10 Years of CCI at the David Attenborough Building
On 18 June 2026, the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI) marked a remarkable milestone: ten years of work catalysing collaboration and enhancing impact for conservation at the David Attenborough Building. The celebration brought together a vibrant community of conservation leaders, researchers, students, partners, and supporters, all united by a shared mission to protect and restore life on Earth.
Opening the event, Executive Director Melissa Leach warmly welcomed guests, reflecting on CCI’s unique partnership between ten leading conservation organisations and the University of Cambridge. Together, she emphasised, they are tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing the planet, “offering hope and making it real at a time when those challenges are great indeed.”
While CCI was founded in 2007, the move into the David Attenborough Building in 2016 transformed a bold idea into a living, collaborative reality. Over the past decade, the building has become a global hub: home to relationships spanning more than 180 countries, and a daily buzz of ideas, action, and innovation. The celebration honoured not only achievements, but also the partnerships and philanthropy that have sustained CCI’s growth, with heartfelt thanks extended to founding and ongoing supporters.
A particularly special feature of the event was the presence of Sir David Attenborough, whose enduring action for nature and inspirational life and work continues to shape CCI’s vision and ambition for conservation. Melissa Leach echoed the sentiments of all who work at the David Attenborough Building when she welcomed Sir David with the message: “Your inspiration and commitment to bringing the wonders of the natural world into everyone’s lives globally is unrivalled.”
The CCI Impact Film Together for Life on Earth, narrated by Sir David, was premiered during the event. It beautifully captures CCI’s work across the world, reminding audiences of both the urgency of conservation and the power of collective action.
Reflections from leaders including Vice-Chancellor Professor Debbie Prentice, CCI Founding Director Mike Rands, and a distinguished panel chaired by Senior Pro‑Vice‑Chancellor (Education and Environmental Sustainability) Bhaskar Vira highlighted the evolution of CCI into a model for interdisciplinary collaboration. As Bhaskar Vira noted “CCI, and our collective presence in the David Attenborough Building, represents a pioneering approach for the University, working in close collaboration with conservation organisations, who, as equal partners are deeply embedded in our core activities of teaching and research, and support our mission to contribute to society both in the UK and around the world.”
Yet the celebration was firmly future facing. As the world approaches critical 2030 environmental goals, CCI is setting out an ambitious agenda for its next decade. As Melissa Leach said: “CCI will be using its convening power… to bring together governments, businesses and civil society to shift the narratives and exert high-level influence.”
Alongside this, CCI is advancing its Transformative Restoration. A stand-out programme to have emerged over the past decade is the Endangered Landscapes and Seascapes Programme supported by Arcadia which is influencing nearly ten million hectares of land and sea across Europe. CCI is now looking to take this fantastic model global, with early focus in regions such as West Africa, aiming to restore ecosystems at scale while embedding equity, Indigenous knowledge, and systemic change.
Innovation will continue to be catalysed through the CCI Collaborative Fund for Conservation, supporting pioneering projects bringing together science, policy, and practice; projects that often begin as small ideas that grow to have global impact. At the same time, CCI is deepening its commitment to research and leadership, expanding interdisciplinary knowledge and training the next generation through initiatives such as the MPhil in Conservation Leadership and new doctoral programmes.
CCI is also embracing the power of creativity through its Arts, Science and Conservation Programme, recognising that storytelling and artistic expression are vital to shifting perceptions and inspiring action and, as Melissa Leach said, “The arts are far more than aesthetic or decorative: they create conservation and restoration impact.”
As the day unfolded into informative spotlight sessions and celebratory conversation throughout the building, one message resonated clearly: CCI is more than an institution, it is a community.
Closing the presentation session, Melissa Leach reflected that the future must be both “mighty and caring,” like a lion pride. Bold in ambition yet grounded in collective strength.
