Thursday Breakout Workshops

Kiley Price is a staff writer/editor for Conservation International, a global environmental non-profit based in Arlington, VA. Her work has appeared in Mongabay, Asian Correspondent, Global Heroes Magazine, Pacific Standard and more. She completed her undergraduate degree in biology at Wake Forest University and is currently based in Washington, DC. Whether she is following Buddhist monks through the forests of Thailand or writing at her tiny desk, she enjoys every part of the journalistic process — and has witnessed the power of science communications to inform the public and inspire change. 

Aram comes to Tacugama from the corporate sector. Originally from Montreal, Canada, he has worked internationally in the past and decided he wanted to use his skills to benefit those in need. He came to Tacugama in May 2017, and is actively connecting Tacugama to partners both locally and globally to increase the organization’s profile, eco-tourism activities, and funding sources. Aram also oversees the day to day activities at Tacugama and helps to manage the staff.

Elisabeth is an interdisciplinary scientist with a background in hydrology and urban water management. She is currently appointed as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the High Meadows Environmental Institute at Princeton University. Her research focuses on Social-Ecological-Technological Systems (SETS) and the mechanisms and dynamics that can lead to their transformation to sustainability.

Sheila is the frontline contact for ISTF members. With a PhD in Ecology from the University of California Davis, Sheila has lived in Puerto Rico for 27 years and conducts research on the genetics of mahogany and Spanish cedar in Puerto Rico and Mexico. In Belize, she investigates the impact of the ancient Maya on tropical forest ecology with her husband Nicholas Brokaw. Sheila believes strongly in the value of ISTF to increase global community and information sharing, and to promote the conservation and sustainable use of tropical forest resources.

Maria Paula Sarigumba is a Filipino forester who is passionate about the themes of youth and gender in natural resources management. She worked at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific on mainstreaming youth for sustainable development. Before joining FAO, she was a researcher and coordinator for long-term ecological monitoring and river basin management programs in the Philippines. Paula graduated from the University of the Philippines Los Baños where she focused on social forestry, forest education, and forest governance. Among other things, she conducts visioning workshops with rural youth to understand the role of forests in their lives, communities, and visions for the future. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Environment and Sustainability degree at the University of Saskatchewan. She is studying the dynamics of youth and gender in the indigenous territory in Eastern Bolivia. Maria also forms part of the Mission Committee.

Rene is a Senior Associate for the Global Restoration Initiative of World Resources Institute, Food, Forest, and Water Program. He works directly for Initiative 20×20, a country-led effort aiming to bring 20 million hectares of degraded land in Latin America and the Caribbean into restoration by 2020. He leads research and Innovation efforts for Latin America. Rene’s previous work included developing economic optimization models for strategic, tactical and operational forest planning. He has served as researcher and professor for Universidad Rafael Landivar, Guatemala (Department of Forest Management), Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (Department of Forest Engineering) and Oregon State University (Department of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management). Rene holds a B.S. degree in Forest Engineering from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, a Master of Science degree in Forest Resources with emphasis in Forest Economics and Products from Universidad Austral de Chile and Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in Forest Engineering from Oregon State University, USA. Rene also forms part of the Finance Committee.