Who We Are
Lucila Castro
President
Lucila’s main interests are conservation, population ecology, and protected areas. Her strengths are in articulating scientific and technical work, institutional and governmental sector interactions, and local community outreach, all directed toward achieving conservation objectives. She is a member of the High Andean Flamingo Conservation Group. Lucila is also a member of the IUCN Flamingo Specialist Group and the IUCN Connectivity and Conservation Specialist Group. She is a former board member of the International Salt Lake Research Society; and serves as a collaborating researcher at the Institute of Ecology of the National University of Mexico.
Lucila has participated in numerous presentations and lectures on wilderness, conservation, and wetland status in Russia, China, Colombia, Brazil, USA, and Mexico, where she spoke about the conservation work in Argentina. She has conducted research and internships at the University of Melbourne and University of Sydney, the Autonomous University of Mexico and the University of Cambridge.
Lucila graduated with a degree in Biology from the National University of Córdoba, Argentina. She was born in the province of Santa Fe, and lived since childhood in Miramar de Ansenuza, Córdoba, from where she became a promoter, enthusiast, and educator for the creation of the Ansenuza National Park.
Natura Argentina (Argentina Chapter)
Agustina Di Pauli
Project Coordinator
Agustina’s experience is focused mainly on bird ecology and biological interactions. She has worked in environmental education, ethology, and wildlife management in the province of TUCman, and in shorebird and sea turtle conservation in Uruguay. She holds a degree in Biology from the National University of Tucumán.
Sofia Antonena
Technical Department Coordinator
She started as an intern at Natura Argentina, and her work currently focuses on technical support for the organization’s projects. She is an engineer in Natural Resources and Environment from the National University of La Pampa, with a diploma in geomatics applied to the environment from the National Commission of Space Activities, together with the National University of Córdoba.
María Laura Steffolani
General Coordinator
Her main interests are working on environmental education projects, developing regional economies linked to protected areas, and promoting good governance. She holds a degree in Biology from the National University of Córdoba and a master’s degree in biology and biodiversity conservation from the University of Salamanca, Spain.
Malena Srur
Director of Conservation
A biologist with a focus on ecology, an expert in the use of Geographic Information Systems for the planning, implementation and management of natural protected areas. She has focused her career on land conservation in Argentina, participating in the creation processes of Iberá, El Impenetrable, Patagonia, Traslasierra, and Ansenuza National Parks. He is in charge of GIS and territorial database management in the Gran Chaco project of the Rewilding Argentina Foundation.
Daniela Peralta
Human Resources and Executive Assistance
She is a University Technician in Human Resources and a Technician in Environmental Management, which is why she found in Natura, Argentina a space to combine her main interests, specializing in the integral management of human talent. She has worked in the recruitment and induction of collaborators, the planning and execution of environmental education workshops, and also writes and proofreads academic texts.
Agustina Araya
Administrative Assistant
Student of Political Science at the National University of Córdoba. In charge of communication within the teams and accompaniment at different stages of the projects, and also with the finance team. She got to know conservation thanks to Natura Argentina and enjoys learning about the flora, fauna, and activities for conservation every day.
Gonzalo Strano
Project Communication
He has a degree in History from the National University of Luján and a diploma in Sustainable Development from the National Technological University. He was a teacher and began his professional career in the third sector in Greenpeace, developing different activities for 15 years.
Agustina Conci
Copywriter
She has a degree in Social Communication from the National University of Córdoba and a diploma as a Social Media Manager. As a journalist, she worked in radio and graphic media in Córdoba. She has collaborated with local and national media on environmental issues, especially on the loss of Cordoba´s forest, the advance of agribusiness, and the situation of protected areas.
Billy Petrone
Graphic Designer
He has over 20 years of experience working with different organizations and companies in Argentina and abroad. He has worked as a consultant and designer in corporate visual identity, packaging design, and editorial design. He is a professor at the Provincial University of Córdoba.
Guadalupe Guerrero
Sustainable Tourism Coordinator
She has 17 years of experience in national and international tourism projects. She has a degree in Tourism with numerous specializations in management for sustainable development. She has served as Director of Tourism Quality of the Province of Buenos Aires and General Director of Tourism Development of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. She is a teacher and creator of the Innovatur BA Program.
Andrés Baissero
Territorial Project Coordinator
Park ranger graduated from the Provincial University of Córdoba. He has experience as a volunteer in numerous conservation projects and in different reserves and parks in Argentina. He worked as a park ranger and teaches at the environmental education school “Proyecto Ambiental”.
Gonzalo Martínez
Technical Consultant
He holds a degree in Biological Sciences from the National University of Catamarca. He is a doctoral student at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Miguel Lillo Institute, National University of Tucumán. He lives in Catamarca, where he works as an environmental advisor and bird guide in the yungas (cloud forest) area. He is passionate about conservation and the dissemination of science, especially the incredible biodiversity of the Catamarca yungas.
Laura Araki
Technician
She has a degree in Psychology from the University of Buenos Aires, and a University Technician in Park Ranger from the Provincial University of Córdoba.
She was involved in social, educational, and therapeutic projects from the humanities for more than five years. Later, she deepened her knowledge with an environmental focus. She actively participated in creating El Impenetrable National Park in Chaco with Banco de Bosques. She worked on different campaigns and projects to conserve nature in Buenos Aires and Córdoba. She holds a diploma in Environmental Law from the Universidad Libre del Ambiente.
Soledad Brandi
Technical Consultant
Born in Mendoza. She has a degree in Biological Sciences from the National University of San Luis. She has participated in conservation projects and developing management plans for several provincial protected areas. She works at the Institute of Environmental Sciences of the National University of Cuyo, and as a teacher at the higher education level. She is a founding member of the Alliance for Conservation.
Rocio Cardona
Técnica
She graduated from the University Technician in Park Ranger at the Provincial University of Córdoba. He served as a park ranger in protected areas: in the Cerro Paine Reserve, in Chile, the San Lorenzo Reserve, in Peninsula de Valdés, and Patagonia Park, in Santa Cruz, all spaces with different approaches to conservation. She also collaborated as a volunteer in different conservation projects.
Laura Gattino
Project Coordinator
He has a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Tucumán. She has experience mainly in the Chaco Seco ecoregion, with camera trap sampling, data collection, and analysis with satellite images. He has participated in different sustainable development projects. His main interests are native mammals, conservation, and climate change.
Gabriel Weggener
Administration and Finance
Public Accountant from the National University of Córdoba. He works as an independent consultant providing services in the commercial and third sector. He is a professor at the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, and head of the Department of practical works.
Manuela Duclo
Interim Project Coordinator
She graduated from the Provincial University of Córdoba with a university degree in Park Ranger. She has worked and volunteered in different areas, combining tourism and environmental issues. In addition, she was a park ranger in municipal and national protected areas. He is interested in combining the enjoyment of nature with the care of nature through heritage interpretation, field studies, and communication.
Tatiana Sanchez
Project Coordinator
She is from Jujuy, and studied for a degree in Biological Sciences at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Miguel Lillo Institute, National University of Tucumán. She has a PhD in biological sciences from the same university, focusing on the micromammals of the province of La Rioja. In addition, as a post-doctoral research topic, he studied the systematic and morphological characterization of subterranean rodents in northwestern Argentina.
Martín Cano
Responsible for Sustainable Production
He is an agronomist engineer with a postgraduate degree in agroecology. He has experience working with native Wichi communities in the province of Formosa and was also part of the working group La Totora, biological research and technical support, in areas such as the use of medicinal plants, and natural leather tanning. She works in the technical accompaniment of Creole communities of Bañado la Estrella in the province of Formosa.
Nicolas Palou
Technician
He is an Environmental Management Technician from the Apriori CEC Institute in Mendoza. He has dedicated himself, as passionate about nature and its conservation, to the environmental promotion in the preservation of mountain environments, Andean flora, and fauna.
Diana Quinteros
Technician
She was born in Alta Gracia, Province of Córdoba. She is an elementary school teacher and has a degree in Education from the National University of Córdoba. She is a student of the Tecnicatura Universitaria en Guardaparque (UPC). She worked as a teacher in primary schools, and in different spaces of popular education. She is a member of the research team at the María Seleme de Burnichon Research Center of the CIFFYH – UNC.
Rocío Seco Olmos
Project Communicator
Born in Catamarca, she is a graduate and Professor of Social Communication, and graduated from the National University of Córdoba. She has participated in community communication and cultural management projects in several public and private organizations in Argentina and Brazil. She teaches at the Instituto Superior de Arte y Comunicación de Catamarca.
Violeta Tejada
Technician
She has a degree in Hydrogeology from the National University of La Rioja.
At the same institution, she participated as a fellow in two research projects on climatic and hydrological issues. She worked as a teaching assistant at the Plant Health and Hydrogeology Research Institute. Currently, she works in the chairs of Groundwater Hydrology and Surface Hydrology and Geomorphology at the Villa Union Regional Headquarters of the National University of La Rioja. She is also focused on her graduate thesis for the Specialization and Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering at the National Technological University, Regional Faculty of La Rioja.
Advisory Committee
Gerardo Ceballos
Scientific Advisor
He is a researcher at the Universidad Autónoma de México and a Mexican Academy of Sciences member. He is dedicated to conserving species and their ecosystems, linking the advances in research with concrete solutions to environmental problems. Gerardo is an ecologist and conservationist with numerous books and articles published. His work has been awarded multiple prizes around the world.
Claudio Bertonatti
Scientific Advisor
Museologist, naturalist, and teacher with a postgraduate degree in Environmental Management and another in Historical Botanical Gardens. He has been dedicated to conserving and interpreting nature and cultural heritage since 1983. He has been linked to the Argentine School of Naturalists since its creation. He was Director of the Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina, the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, and the Jardín Zoológico de Buenos Aires. He is a scientific advisor of the Azara Foundation and a researcher at Maimonides University. He is a professor at the UNESCO Chair of Cultural Tourism and the Perito Moreno Institute of Buenos Aires. As an author, co-author, or collaborator, he has published 50 books and more than 600 popular science and scientific articles.
Argentina
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