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María Antonia Espitia
Líder local de Magdalena
María Antonia is a psychologist. She joined WCS in 2014 as coordinator of the Wildlife Project in the Magdalena Medio region. She has led the development of participatory, organizational, educational, investigative, deliberative and environmental territorial planning practices within rural communities, with the purpose of enabling them to act as managers of their own initiatives. With her work, María Antonia mainly strives to strengthen the healthy coexistence between man and nature.
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María Antonia Espitia
Líder local de Magdalena
María Antonia is a psychologist. She joined WCS in 2014 as coordinator of the Wildlife Project in the Magdalena Medio region. She has led the development of participatory, organizational, educational, investigative, deliberative and environmental territorial planning practices within rural communities, with the purpose of enabling them to act as managers of their own initiatives. With her work, María Antonia mainly strives to strengthen the healthy coexistence between man and nature.
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María del Pilar Aguirre
Especialista en Monitoreo
Biologist with a Master's degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Valle (Colombia), where she studied diversity patterns, taxonomy, and systematics of a family of beetles (Elateridae) in Colombia and Ecuador, leading to the description of several new species for science. Her passion for the conservation, management, and protection of natural resources drove her to dedicate several years to preserving coastal marine ecosystems in the Colombian Pacific, prompting her to specialize in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the University of Santiago de Cali. She evaluated the risk of collision between cargo ships and humpback whales in the tropical eastern Pacific.
María del Pilar started her work at WCS as a consultant and is currently part of the organization's monitoring team, actively contributing to species conservation in landscapes and their habitats, the monitoring of conservation strategies (working with communities, reforestation, conservation agreements, biological corridors), and decision-making.
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María del Pilar Aguirre
Especialista en Monitoreo
Biologist with a Master's degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Valle (Colombia), where she studied diversity patterns, taxonomy, and systematics of a family of beetles (Elateridae) in Colombia and Ecuador, leading to the description of several new species for science. Her passion for the conservation, management, and protection of natural resources drove her to dedicate several years to preserving coastal marine ecosystems in the Colombian Pacific, prompting her to specialize in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the University of Santiago de Cali. She evaluated the risk of collision between cargo ships and humpback whales in the tropical eastern Pacific.
María del Pilar started her work at WCS as a consultant and is currently part of the organization's monitoring team, actively contributing to species conservation in landscapes and their habitats, the monitoring of conservation strategies (working with communities, reforestation, conservation agreements, biological corridors), and decision-making.
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Mario Santana
Conservation Areas Specialist
Mario is a biologist at the University of Santa Rosa de Cabal, where he researched the effectiveness of the conservation of the Andean bear and its habitat for the protection of threatened species in Colombia. Since 2021 he joined WCS as a consultant in the management team of negative human-cat interactions where he worked in areas such as NNP Tatamá, RNP Páramo del Duende and RIMD Cuchilla del San Juan. He is currently a specialist in conservation areas where he supports human-cat coexistence processes, expansion of protected areas, wildlife monitoring, as well as the implementation of SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) in the Andes-Chocó landscape.
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Mario Santana
Conservation Areas Specialist
Mario is a biologist at the University of Santa Rosa de Cabal, where he researched the effectiveness of the conservation of the Andean bear and its habitat for the protection of threatened species in Colombia. Since 2021 he joined WCS as a consultant in the management team of negative human-cat interactions where he worked in areas such as NNP Tatamá, RNP Páramo del Duende and RIMD Cuchilla del San Juan. He is currently a specialist in conservation areas where he supports human-cat coexistence processes, expansion of protected areas, wildlife monitoring, as well as the implementation of SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) in the Andes-Chocó landscape.
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Mónica Lozano Hernández
Financial Manager
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Mónica Lozano Hernández
Financial Manager
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Paola Andrea Mejía
Marine Leader
Biologist and Doctor in Sciences-Biology from the Universidad del Valle, Colombia. Marine leader of WCS Colombia since 2017. She has been supporting processes for the declaration and management of marine protected areas, as well as strategic planning processes based on community participation and adaptive management, as mechanisms to direct and execute actions towards the sustainability of the resources and their ecosystem services. She has experience in population assessments of fishery resources, based on both life history and demographics and poor data, aiming to contribute to the management of those resources of economic importance and food security of coastal communities.
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Paola Andrea Mejía
Marine Leader
Biologist and Doctor in Sciences-Biology from the Universidad del Valle, Colombia. Marine leader of WCS Colombia since 2017. She has been supporting processes for the declaration and management of marine protected areas, as well as strategic planning processes based on community participation and adaptive management, as mechanisms to direct and execute actions towards the sustainability of the resources and their ecosystem services. She has experience in population assessments of fishery resources, based on both life history and demographics and poor data, aiming to contribute to the management of those resources of economic importance and food security of coastal communities.
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Patricia Falk Fernández
Leader of social processes
Patricia is a marine biologist from the Universidad del Valle, with a specialization in Environmental Management, with studies in Communication for Environmental Education and Aquatic Conservation Biology.
In 30 years of experience, she has worked as a researcher in different groups of birds and marine mammals and in projects coordinating education and social action strategies that seek to generate strategies to articulate and understand the relationships of communities with nature and, from the appropriation of these elements, promote new attitudes of appreciation and respect for the environment.
Since February 2023, she has been working as Leader of social processes in the WCS´s Marine Program, where she bases her work on the empowerment of the communities of the Andes-Chocó Landscape.
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Patricia Falk Fernández
Leader of social processes
Patricia is a marine biologist from the Universidad del Valle, with a specialization in Environmental Management, with studies in Communication for Environmental Education and Aquatic Conservation Biology.
In 30 years of experience, she has worked as a researcher in different groups of birds and marine mammals and in projects coordinating education and social action strategies that seek to generate strategies to articulate and understand the relationships of communities with nature and, from the appropriation of these elements, promote new attitudes of appreciation and respect for the environment.
Since February 2023, she has been working as Leader of social processes in the WCS´s Marine Program, where she bases her work on the empowerment of the communities of the Andes-Chocó Landscape.
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Silvia Juliana Álvarez
Coordinador de Paisajes Sostenibles
Silvia is a biologist from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. She has a master’s degree in Biodiversity and Ecology from the University of Göttingen in Germany, where she studied fruit selection by titi monkeys (Callicebus lugens) in the Colombian Amazon. She worked as a lecturer and research scientist at the Universidad de Pamplona. For her PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of Maryland, she studied the relationship between movement ecology and group dynamics in mammals. Her main research interest is understanding the distribution patterns and spatial ecology and behavior of species and communities, and their responses to changes resulting from human activities. Her work at WCS focuses on the generation of information and tools to support planning and decision-making processes that promote the development of sustainable landscapes.
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Silvia Juliana Álvarez
Coordinador de Paisajes Sostenibles
Silvia is a biologist from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. She has a master’s degree in Biodiversity and Ecology from the University of Göttingen in Germany, where she studied fruit selection by titi monkeys (Callicebus lugens) in the Colombian Amazon. She worked as a lecturer and research scientist at the Universidad de Pamplona. For her PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of Maryland, she studied the relationship between movement ecology and group dynamics in mammals. Her main research interest is understanding the distribution patterns and spatial ecology and behavior of species and communities, and their responses to changes resulting from human activities. Her work at WCS focuses on the generation of information and tools to support planning and decision-making processes that promote the development of sustainable landscapes.
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Wilfredo Cuestas
Especialista de Gestión de Proyectos
Wilfredo is Business Manager, a specialist in the formulation and social and economic evaluation of projects, with more than nine years of professional experience in construction, execution and monitoring projects focused on conservation, protection and sustainability of biodiversity in Colombia, he has worked on the implementation of International Cooperation projects to support local communities in issues related to ecological restoration, productive alternatives, sustainable conservation systems, ecotourism, and in general support for the strengthening and conservation of protected areas.
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Wilfredo Cuestas
Especialista de Gestión de Proyectos
Wilfredo is Business Manager, a specialist in the formulation and social and economic evaluation of projects, with more than nine years of professional experience in construction, execution and monitoring projects focused on conservation, protection and sustainability of biodiversity in Colombia, he has worked on the implementation of International Cooperation projects to support local communities in issues related to ecological restoration, productive alternatives, sustainable conservation systems, ecotourism, and in general support for the strengthening and conservation of protected areas.
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William Bonell
Especialista en fauna salvaje
William has a degree in Biology from the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas (Bogotá) and has been part of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) - Colombia since 2011. Because of his great interest in field research, he has supported the development of ecology and conservation projects with populations of primates and medium and large mammals. Also, he has participated in monitoring activities of species that are the object of study for WCS and he has coordinated biodiversity inventories in different processes in the axes of species and areas for conservation where he has supported the implementation of the declaratory route for some new protected areas in Colombia.
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William Bonell
Especialista en fauna salvaje
William has a degree in Biology from the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas (Bogotá) and has been part of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) - Colombia since 2011. Because of his great interest in field research, he has supported the development of ecology and conservation projects with populations of primates and medium and large mammals. Also, he has participated in monitoring activities of species that are the object of study for WCS and he has coordinated biodiversity inventories in different processes in the axes of species and areas for conservation where he has supported the implementation of the declaratory route for some new protected areas in Colombia.
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Yanily García
Sustainable Productive Alternatives Specialist
Professional in agroforestry management, specialist in environmental management, with more than 18 years of experience in productive fields, combining agroecosystems aimed at ecological principles and sustainable production. During her career she has worked as a field technician, professional support, consultant and coordinator at projects in the department of Putumayo. Her work has contributed to the social, economic and environmental well-being of the peasant population, leading significant processes in the region. After 3 years as consultant for the Cacao for Life Program, she joins WCS in 2023 as a specialist in sustainable productive alternatives where she supports the different WCS projects.
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Yanily García
Sustainable Productive Alternatives Specialist
Professional in agroforestry management, specialist in environmental management, with more than 18 years of experience in productive fields, combining agroecosystems aimed at ecological principles and sustainable production. During her career she has worked as a field technician, professional support, consultant and coordinator at projects in the department of Putumayo. Her work has contributed to the social, economic and environmental well-being of the peasant population, leading significant processes in the region. After 3 years as consultant for the Cacao for Life Program, she joins WCS in 2023 as a specialist in sustainable productive alternatives where she supports the different WCS projects.
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