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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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Mauricio Alberto Correa Salazar
Specialist in Conservation Alternatives
Biologist with an emphasis in zoology from the Universidad del Valle, I have experience in groups of turtles and crocodiles in Colombia, as well as with flying and terrestrial mammals, especially medium and large mammals. I have developed works on population dynamics and species conservation. My main interest is teaching communities to maintain a good coexistence with wildlife. During the last years I have focused on working for the conservation of the river turtle of the eastern plains, mainly in conservation strategies based on participatory monitoring of the communities that inhabit its territory. I am currently developing as a specialist in alternatives for conservation, supporting conservation initiatives through the generation of agreements that allow the development of communities and the protection of wildlife.
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Mauricio Alberto Correa Salazar
Specialist in Conservation Alternatives
Biologist with an emphasis in zoology from the Universidad del Valle, I have experience in groups of turtles and crocodiles in Colombia, as well as with flying and terrestrial mammals, especially medium and large mammals. I have developed works on population dynamics and species conservation. My main interest is teaching communities to maintain a good coexistence with wildlife. During the last years I have focused on working for the conservation of the river turtle of the eastern plains, mainly in conservation strategies based on participatory monitoring of the communities that inhabit its territory. I am currently developing as a specialist in alternatives for conservation, supporting conservation initiatives through the generation of agreements that allow the development of communities and the protection of wildlife.
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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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Silvia Juliana Alvarez
Sustainable Landscapes Coordinator
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 Alvarez
Sustainable Landscapes Coordinator
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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William Bonell
Wildlife Specialist
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
Wildlife Specialist
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 Javier Bravo Pedraza
restoration specialist
William Javier Bravo Pedraza serves as restoration specialist at WCS.
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William Javier Bravo Pedraza
restoration specialist
William Javier Bravo Pedraza serves as restoration specialist at WCS.
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Zaira Ríos
Production and Dissemination Content Specialist
Zaira is a television producer and photographer. She is assistant of the WCS Division of Information and Communications. She administers the social media, Web page and other virtual channels of our organization.
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Zaira Ríos
Production and Dissemination Content Specialist
Zaira is a television producer and photographer. She is assistant of the WCS Division of Information and Communications. She administers the social media, Web page and other virtual channels of our organization.
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