MISSION
The mission that drives CIMAD is to carry out biological and social research that addresses the problems of natural resource management and policy planning, and to combine conservation management with the needs of local communities for the sustainable use of Colombian biodiversity. and Latin American. CIMAD is a non-profit organization that conducts conservation research and promotes conservation practices that inform environmental management policies for sustainable development in the Latin American region, bringing together Colombian and Latin American researchers to work in multidisciplinary teams (made up of specialists in areas such as conservation biology, environmental education, information dissemination, public participation, and policy planning).
VISIÓN
“Ser una ONG reconocida por desarrollar modelos sostenibles de manejo de recursos naturales que beneficien a las comunidades en áreas de conservación de biodiversidad, apoyados por alianzas público-privadas, estrategias políticas y mecanismos de autosostenibilidad financiera.”.
GOALS
1. Produce, exchange and disseminate useful scientific and technological knowledge for the design of alternative environmental practices for sustainable development in Colombia and the Latin American Region.
2. Promote and encourage research in natural, social, economic, political and technological sciences to support environmental management models in Colombia and the Latin American region.
3. Provide technical and scientific advice to governments, environmental authorities, NGOs and communities that address environmental issues related to natural resources and community conservation management in Colombia and Latin America.
4. Carry out national and international training and education activities to build capacity for environmental research and management, and encourage sustainable development and social change by promoting an ethic of conservation among local and regional stakeholders.
WORK TEAM
DIEGO AMOROCHO
MSc, PhD - President & CEO.
Biologist from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia, with a Master's in Environmental Sciences from the Australian National University and a PhD in Zoology from Monash University (Australia). Conservationist and researcher of sea turtles and endangered species for more than 25 years with experience in both the Caribbean and the Pacific of Colombia.
Dr. Amorocho is Vice-Chairman emeritus of the IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG) for the eastern Pacific; Co-founder of the Network for the Conservation of the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Turtle (ICAPO) and the Network for the Conservation of the Eastern Pacific Leatherback Turtle (LaúdOPO).
In addition, he is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Inter-American Convention for the Protection of Sea Turtles (CIT). He is also the author of chapters in several books, scientific journals, speaker and speaker of posters presented at national and international symposiums. He has supervised undergraduate and postgraduate theses on sea turtles in the Caribbean and the Pacific of Colombia.
Dr. Amorocho has been twice President of the International Sea Turtle Society (ISTS) during the periods 2019-2021 and 2022-2023. This entity has brought together experts in the research, management and conservation of sea turtles in the world for 40 years.
Dr. Amorocho is currently the President and CEO of the Cali-based Research Center for Environmental Management and Development (CIMAD). From his position at CIMAD, he directs the research and conservation of sea turtles in the Utría and Gorgona National Natural Parks. It is also currently developing community-based wildlife conservation projects for critically endangered species in the Pacific and Caribbean of Colombia and in Protected Areas of Latin America. His personal and professional interest is to achieve sustainable management of Biodiversity seeking to improve the living conditions of local populations.
JUAN SEBASTIAN AYALA
MsC, MBA - Project Coordinator
Biólogo con una destacada trayectoria en la conservación de tortugas marinas. Posee un título de magíster en Tecnologías de la Información Geográfica y un MBA. Con más de 10 años de experiencia en conservación de tortugas marinas, ha colaborado estrechamente con consejos comunitarios y autoridades ambientales.
Su experiencia se centra en el monitoreo de tortugas marinas en las aguas de alimentación, playas de anidación y programas de ecoturismo en el Pacífico de Colombia. Además de su conocimiento técnico, Juan Sebastián se destaca por sus habilidades en liderazgo, recaudación de fondos y gestión financiera, aplicadas al ámbito de las organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONGs)
MAURO ANDRES VALENCIA
Audiovisual Producer - Social Communicator
Social Communicator and Multimedia / Audiovisual Producer with high knowledge obtained in the environmental work field and in different functional areas with the ability to develop any position in the field of Information Technology, pre, pro and post-production audiovisual and social media.
He has experience in different companies in: Development of Commercials, Institutional Videos, Digital Post-Production of Images, Photography, Management of Social Media networks and Digital Content Creation. In addition, he is a content creator in the film industry where he exposes recommendations in the documentary area as well as other genres.
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MELISA HERNANDEZ
BSc - Environmental Education and Communities Coordinator
Biologist from the University of Tolima, with experience in chemistry applied to environmental decontamination works in water and photocatalytic processes in plastic. I work in community conservation processes with an emphasis on sea turtles, sustainable development, and climate change mitigation. He has conducted studies in:
-Introduction to Climate Change: UN Climate Change Learning Partnership: UN CC Learn
-Environmental management systems: SENA Regional Tolima-La Granja Agricultural Center.
-Diploma in Public and Environmental Policies- University of Tolima
-Diploma Innovation for climate change and environmental sustainability University of Ibagué.
It also guides responsible ecotourism processes with the environment and community benefit.
Professional dancer with national and international participation representing the country, which has allowed the development of cultural processes at the departmental level with the Desarrollando Vidas Foundation, impacting at a social level with the community of people with disabilities through dance and eco-tourism processes with communities of women. rural.
LUIS ALONSO MERIZALDE
BSc, MsC - Profesional Tourism Supportible
Biologist, Master in Conservation and Management of the Natural Environment: Global Change and Socio-ecological Sustainability. He has technological training and experience in the preparation and application of tools for tourist guidance, as well as Colombian tourism legislation.
He has worked as an environmental educator, social facilitator. Extensive experience in biodiversity conservation agreements, in the implementation of carbon credit projects and an expert in strengthening the adaptive capacity of rural, Afro-descendant and indigenous communities of Colombia involved in conservation, through the generation of productive alternatives related to tourism. sustainable.
GUILLERMO REINA
PhD, Coordinador Ecosistemas Terrestres
Biólogo de la Universidad del Valle. Doctor en Biología Vegetal de la Universidad de Barcelona, España. Su experiencia está enfocada en la flora del Bosque seco tropical y Plantas epífitas de Colombia. Guillermo ha asesorado y participado en varios Estudios de Impacto Ambiental en la región Caribe, Orinoquía, Pacífico, Andes y Valle del río Cauca.
El Dr. Reina ha trabajado en varios proyectos Ciencia Tecnología e Innovación (CTeI) enfocados en turismo de naturaleza fortaleciendo el recurso humano y la transferencia de conocimiento en comunidades campesinas indígenas y afrocolombianas