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Our team and partners

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    Dr John Akeroyd
    Key Advisor, ADEPT

    Key advisor on grasslands and their conservation management, John also leads botanical tours of the project area. He has carried out field research and lecturing across Europe, and has extensive knowledge of the flora of Greece, Balkans, Romania, Poland, Ireland and Britain. John was Member of Flora Europaea Editorial Committee (1988–1998) and is author of many scientific and popular publications.

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    Denise Astoreca
    El Boldo Reserve, Chile

    Co-founder of Corporación Bosques de Zapallar, our project partner for Parque El Boldo, Chile. She was part of the board of Directors for over 10 years She is widely responsible for promoting and managing the reserve.

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    Miguel Bailetti
    Dry Forest Project, Peru

    Miguel is the project and native plant nurseries coordinator for the Dry Forest Project in Peru.

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    Carolina Brown
    Co-ordinator for Chile projects

    Chilean author and photographer. Carolina manages Rainforest Concern's conservation projects in Chile. She liases with our project partners in Chile and communicates the projects to a wider audience.

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    Mauricio Bustamante Holguín
    Nebline Reserve, Ecuador

    Director of Ecuadorian law firm Bustamante Holguín Abogados, Mauricio is Rainforest Concern's lawyer and legal representative in Ecuador, and brings his many years of experience and commitment across many aspects of law.

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    Jorge Chipa
    Dry Forest Project, Peru

    Jorge is the supervisor for native plant nurseries at the dry forest conservation project with our project partners ANIA in Peru.

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    Marco Cortés
    Nasampulli Reserve, Chile

    Marco is manager of the Nasampulli Reserve and responsible for its protection. Working with FORECOS foundation and the Universidad Austral de Chile, he focuses on ecology and restoration of the Araucaria forest relicts.

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    Enrique Cruz
    Nasampulli Reserve, Chile

    Enrique is the executive Secretary of FORECOS foundation and with Marco Cortés coordinates the management of the Nasampulli reserve.

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    José Cueva
    Los Cedros, Ecuador

    José is the co-ordinator of the Los Cedros Reserve. He helps coordinate Los Cedros Reserve, in particular the outreach work with communities and the long-term strategy of the Reserve. He has lived in the Intag area for many years and managed community projects and initiatives, including Rainforest Concern projects, for over 15 years.

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    José DeCoux
    Los Cedros, Ecuador

    José is the co-founder and manager of the Los Cedros Reserve. He has been the driving force behind conservation at Los Cedros since he helped found it in the late 1980's. He has tirelessly worked to save this extremely important remnant of Chocó rainforest.

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    Sonja Dillmann
    Neblina Reserve, Ecuador

    Sonja is the project manager of the Neblina Reserve. She has been Rainforest Concern's project co-ordinator in Ecuador since 2012 and manages the Reserve from co-ordinating the forest guards, to overseeing the purchase of threatened land.

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    Carlos Fernandez
    Urpiano Turtle project, Costa Rica

    An environmental lawyer, Carlos Fernandez has worked with Rainforest Concern since 2007. First as our legal representative for Pacuare Reserve and now as manager of Urpiano turtle conservation project.

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    Encar Garcia
    Jaguar Rescue Centre, Costa Rica

    After obtaining a degree in Biology from the University of Barcelona, Encar spent 15 years working with primates and mammals in various habitats, including 8 years at the renowned Barcelona Zoo. In 2001, Encar met Sandro Alviani in Costa Rica and together, they established the Jaguar Rescue Centre in 2008.

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    Cristi Gherghiceanu
    Executive president, ADEPT

    With project co-ordination and financial control, Christi provides overall leadership of ADEPT, overseeing daily operations and ‘building organisational capacity’. Cristi graduated from Brasov University in IT, economics and accounting and has worked for rural development NGOs since 2000. He has been guide and translator for numerous World Bank missions, and speaks Romanian, English and German.

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    Mariana Gómez Soto
    Yaigoje Apaporis, Colombia

    Coordinator of the AAA corridor project at our partner organization Gaia Amazonas, Mariana works with indigenous communities of the Colombian Amazon and with civil and governmental organizations.

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    Javier Guerra
    Rainforest Concern Carbon spatial analysis assessor

    Javier is a Doctor in Forest Sciences from Universidad Austral de Chile and Universidad de Concepción. He is an expert in carbon measurements of aerial/root biomass and remote sensing, and he has supported Rainforest concern since 2016 with GIS Development in Nasampulli and other projects in Chile, Ecuador and Peru. Currently, he directs his GIS technology company Campodigital.

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    Dr Paulina Hechenleitner
    Dry Forest Project, Peru

    Paulina is the project research leader coordinator for the Equatorial dry forests, Peru. Plant taxonomist with a PhD in systematics and biogeography, specialist in Chilean flora. Honorary Conservation Associate at the RBG Edinburgh, with a career in both botany and horticulture.

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    Francisco von Hildebrand
    Yaigoje Apaporis, Colombia

    Director of Gaia Amazonas, Francisco is an expert in local development strategies and intercultural environmental management.

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    Dr Martín von Hildebrand
    Yaigoje Apaporis, Colombia

    Ethnologist, anthropologist and founder of our project partner Gaia Amazonas, Martín von Hildebrand's work to secure indigenous rights has led to more than 26 million hectares being officially returned to indigenous people in Colombia.

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    Bárbara Barrera and Johnny Hurtado
    Urpiano Turtle Project, Costa Rica

    Bárbara and Johhny established the Urpiano beach protection project in Costa Rica in 2015. They are responsible for protection of the beach and monitoring nesting and hatching of leatherback turtles.

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    Laly Joseph
    Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary, India

    Senior plant conservationist at our partner organization Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary, Laly specializes in the plant conservation of Asclepiadaceaea, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Balsaminaceae and Gesneriaceae.

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    Suma Keloth
    Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary, India

    Senior Plant Conservationist at our partner organization Gurukula Botanica Sanctuary, Suma specializes in Orchidaceae, Araceae, Zingiberaceae, carnivorous and ornamental plant species.

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    Professor Antonio Lara
    Advisory Board

    Director and founder of our project partner Fundación FORECOS for the Nasampulli Reserve in Chile. Professor Lara at Universidad Austral de Chile specialises in documenting the ecology of native forests of Chile.

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    Ben Mehedin
    Food & farming communities manager, ADEPT

    A graduate of Technical University, Lasi, in Chemical Cngineering with diplomas in marketing and rural business entrepreneurship. Ben has responsibility for farmer training and extension services, assisting farmers with access to funding and implementation of projects for small producers. He is also responsible for schools activities and local community relations. He speaks Romanian and English.

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    Guillermo Morales
    CBZ, Chile

    President of the board of our partner organisation Corporación Bosque de Zapallar (CBZ) in Chile. He has been involved with El Boldo since it very beginning in 2010.
    He is also the founding partner of the law firm Morales & Besa in Santiago.

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    Alfonso Orellana-Garcia
    Dry Forest Project, Peru

    Botanical specialist, environmental consultant, management and establishment of conservation areas - Equatorial dry forests project with our partner ANIA in Peru.

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    Nat Page
    Trustee

    Nat has been working in Romanian rural development since 1998 and is a director of ADEPT. After 15 years in H.M. Diplomatic Service, he now divides his time between managing his organic beef farm in southwest England and promoting conservation of the High Nature Value farmed landscapes of Romania.

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    Manuela Peláez
    Fundación TierrAmar, Colombia

    Manuela is the founder and director of the Colombian organisation, Fundación TierrAmar which aims to address the lack of environmental education within rural schools across Colombia.

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    Răzvan Popa
    Technical director, ADEPT

    Răzvan brings considerable expertise on sustainable development, agri-environment and biodiversity conservation, including farmer training and extension. A graduate of Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj, in Ecology, he is currently engaged in a PhD in protected area management planning. He speaks Romanian, German and English.

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    Christoph & Barbara Promberger
    Fundatia Conservation Carpathia, Romania

    Founders of the Carpathia Conservation Foundation, Christoph and Barbara are wildlife biologists who have lived and worked in Romania for over 15 years. They have been directly responsible for protecting 21,000 hectares of Carpathian wilderness.

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    Carmen Rosa Ringeling
    El Boldo Reserve, Chile

    Carmen Rosa is the executive director of CBZ, our project partner for Parque El Boldo, which protects coastal Chilean habitat.

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    Gabriel Rodríguez Correa
    El Boldo Reserve, Chile

    Gabriel has been working with Corporación Bosques de Zapallar from it's very beginnings as head of Parque El Boldo's trail network team. He is also in charge of maintenance and develops projects in other conservation areas.

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    Suprabha Seshan
    Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary, India

    Conservationist Suprabha Seshan manages restoration, education and outreach at GBS, Rainforest Concern's partner project. In 2006 she won UK’s top environmental prize, the Whitley Award.

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    Jurgen Stein
    Bosque de las Madres, Costa Rica

    Jurgen is a founding member of the organisation Fundación Cuencas de Limón (FCL) which is working to protect and expand the Bosque de las Madres Biological Corridor. Jurgen also established the Selva Bananito ecolodge with his sister, Sofia, which has achieved world-wide recognition as an model for Costa Rican ecotourism.

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    Sofia Stein
    Bosque de las Madres, Costa Rica

    Sofia is the Executive Director of our project partner Fundación Cuencas de Limón, which was established as a non-profit organisation in 1996. Sofia also established the Selva Bananito ecolodge with her brother, Jurgen, which has achieved world-wide recognition as an model for Costa Rican ecotourism.

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    Carlos Zorrilla
    DECOIN, Ecuador

    Carlos Zorilla has dedicated his life to protecting Ecuadorian cloud forests and in particular fighting against the ongoing threat of mining. He is the founder of the environmental organisation DECOIN, which conserves the unique biodiversity of the Intag region.

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    Verónica Zuñiga
    Dry Forest Project, Peru

    Botanist, researcher on the flora and vegetation of Lambayeque at our partner organization ANIA for the Equatorial dry forests protection project.

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