Wilderness International Peru

I was born in the Andes, in Urcos, near Cusco, a wonderful place full of nature at that time. As a child, I moved with my family to Madre de Dios, where I have now lived for more than 45 years. I love the trees, rivers, streams and waterfalls, the heat and the sounds of nature with its thousands of species of animals here. Although I have to admit that I don't like mosquitoes very much. I have worked for numerous entities in Puerto Maldonado, from tourist accommodations to government organizations to family businesses. But working with Wilderness International is the most fulfilling for me because I see us preserving the things I love so much. And most importantly, because I feel that in this way I can also raise awareness in others about how to care for, protect, and preserve our beautiful natural world.

I have been living in Peru since 1995 and carry out projects for the organization Fauna Forever to research biodiversity, protect tropical forests, provide environmental education and develop local communities. My focus is on the rainforests of the Madre de Dios region in the south-east of the country. I previously completed a PhD in Biology at the University of East Anglia, an MRes at the University of York and a BSc at the University of Edinburgh.

My joining Wilderness International was definitely a happy coincidence – in the right place at the right time, with the right people committed to preserving wild nature. A Peruvian friend introduced me to Fabian Mühlberger in 2018. Fabian and David MacDonald then accompanied me to the Peruvian Tambopata rainforest to photograph the wildlife of the Amazon and to explore the potential for conservation projects in the region. It is always fun for me to show environmentally conscious people this corner of the Amazon, because the sheer diversity of animal and plant species never ceases to take people's breath away. I was very pleased that Fabian and David were no exceptions. 

I believe in community conservation because it takes a lot of minds and skills to properly implement processes in this area. That's why we soon started talking about WI's conservation goals. It quickly became clear that WI's strategy of preserving wilderness areas with high biodiversity would fit very well into the local socio-ecological context, and soon enough, I began to actively support the WI team in establishing a permanent presence in the Peruvian Amazon. Today, I am the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WI-Peru and lead the process of evaluating and subsequently sourcing suitable land for long-term conservation measures in Peru.

My biology studies have taught me to respect, appreciate, and above all, love nature. It has brought me here, to my beloved jungle, to accomplish a great work. It reminds me of what a great poet once said, "Turn a tree into firewood and it will burn for you, but it will not bear flowers or fruit for your children."-Rabindranath Tagore.
Meanwhile, it is not just words, it is our reality. It is inexplicable to be able to study and protect from everything that is most dear to me. To even be able to make it my profession is one of the best gifts that life could give me.
I studied biology at UNSAAC in Cusco and have since worked in various projects in the Madre de Dios region, including an environmental study for the regeneration of natural areas destroyed by gold mines and the renaturation of tree species threatened with extinction.

Having grown up in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest, I have been fascinated by nature since I was a child. That's why I did my bachelor's degree in forestry in Peru, then my master's degree in forest ecology in Germany, and am currently doing my PhD in plant ecology. The more I have learned, the more I have come to love and appreciate nature and everything that belongs to it. And I have developed a comprehensive understanding of how quickly humanity exploits nature. 

Rising population figures, deforestation, environmental pollution, the depletion of natural resources and all the associated consequences are problems that concern me every day. I would like to contribute to solving them. As a Peruvian, I look at these problems from a very personal perspective. As part of Wilderness International, I want to contribute to the protection and restoration of unique ecosystems around the world, starting in my own country.

I was born in Lima-Peru, but moved to Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, 17 years ago with my parents and brother. I am studying law at the Universidad Nacional Amazónica De Madre De Dios (UNAMAD). I love nature and always try to be outside and gain new experiences. I am very happy and satisfied to be part of Wilderness International Peru. My biggest dream is to be able to help and defend people in need.
I thank my mother, father and brother for supporting me in all my dreams.

I am originally from the highlands of Peru and am proud of my roots in Arequipa. I have known the jungle for many years. My children were born in Madre de Dios. I immediately fell in love with the jungle and carried out many important construction works for the city, for example the obelisk of Madre de Dios. I consider myself a lover of biodiversity and a connoisseur of flora and fauna since I was 20 years old. I am happy to be part of WI because I like the approach of protecting nature and preserving what little we have left of our wonderful forests.