Since I was a child I knew my life would be around animals and nature. I wasn’t sure how until I found biology and was captivated by it. When I started my studies my main focus was learning more about animals, but in the last years of my course I became very fond of conservation. The idea of working towards a balance of people with nature, and attaining wellness proved to be the best goal for my life. As a result, I started working with other people and organisations with an interest in protected areas and indigenous communities of Guatemala.

I have focused my work on mammals and bird conservation. My greatest achievement to date, and where I have learnt most, is on tapir conservation at the Mayan Biosphere Reserve, where I have also done some collaborative work with jaguars. Additionally, I also got an opportunity working in the management of a marine protected area in Guatemala’s Pacific, doing camera trap studies, bird monitoring, mangrove monitoring and restoration with local communities. This led to an involvement with indigenous land management.

My main aim for studying this Diploma is to take a further leap into conservation. I hope to improve my analytical and project development skills. I want to understand the ecosystems I work in and integrate many new learning and experiences into planning. I also aim to be able to raise funds to implement conservation work and contribute to nature and local communities back home.