New staff members on the Yucatán Peninsula

Not only the number of trees in our planting areas and research plots on the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico is growing and growing. In order to continuously improve our work on the ground, we have recently hired new staff in managerial positions who, as trained ecologists, ensure that our reforestation is optimally carried out with steadily increasing numbers of donated trees and that we also advance research into sustainable reforestation.

Dr. Anna Karen Zapata Carbonell

Director of the research centre in Yucatán

“Working for Plant-for-the-Planet is a great experience because it allows me to see the development of trees, starting with the seed, growing to a full-grown plant. Furthermore, I enjoy working in a diverse environment with different challenges and goals.”

Dr. Anna Carbonell

Anna is from Chetumal, Quintana Roo, in Mexico. She has a PhD in ecology from the University of Stirling. Her research project explored the reproductive ecology of flowers and she spent a lot of time observing and monitoring flowers and bees.

Dr. Leland Werden

Director of Science at Plant-for-the-Planet (starting March 2021)

Leland is a restoration ecologist who focuses on developing strategies to conserve and restore degraded forests. His work has covered ecosystems from the temperate forests of the northeastern US, to the tropical wet and dry forests of Costa Rica and Hawaii. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hawaii, where he works to improve the outcomes of reintroductions of critically endangered Hawaiian plants. On 23 January, he already gave a very exciting talk on his upcoming inauguration , which we highly recommend if you want to learn more about his and our work on ecological restoration of forests!

Dinosca Rondon

Assistant for forestry research

“I am really happy to work for Plant-for-the-Planet. I like that the organisation´s mission of nature-based restoration is close to my own ideas. While learning many new things about reforestation, I also really enjoy the work in team.”

Dinosca Rondon

Dinosca first studied forestry engineering and then did another master’s degree in biological sciences. In her research project, she worked on estimating aboveground biomass and species richness in the tropical dry forest in Yucatán. She has worked for several companies in the reforestation sector.

Marcos Alberto Escobar Castellanos

Forest restoration field technician

“I enjoy working for Plant-for-the-Planet because I can learn more about the trees of the Peninsula and the successional dynamics of rainforests. I like working alongside skilled and lovely people who discuss and find scientific solutions to real world ecological problems.”

Marcus Escobar

Marcos comes from Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico. He has a Master’s degree in Ecology and has studied in Mexico and Canada. His previous scientific work has included research on the fire behaviour of tropical rainforests in Mexico and the implications for their restoration, as well as the impact of an exotic shrub species on the plant diversity of the Canadian temperate forest. He has also gained experience in the scientific field in restoration projects in Chiapas.

Ricardo Gaumer Araujo

Forest restoration field technician

“My interest in working for Plant-for-the-Planet is to contribute to environmental protection through the mission carried out by the organisation and to have an impact that mitigates climate change.”

Ricardo Gaumer Araujo

Ricardo comes from the state of Yucatán and has a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences. He has already gained professional experience in the development and analysis of vegetation in terms of environmental impact and the promotion of care for the environment.

Marco Antonio Domínguez Vázquez

Forest restoration field technician

“I enjoy working for Plant-for-the-Planet. Here I have the opportunity to learn more about ecological restoration, every day. I like to use my experience working with plants of the tropical dry forest to help all the activities of Plant-for-the-Planet restoration programs”

Marco Antonio Domínguez Vázquez

Antonio is a field restoration technician, originally coming from Ocozocoautla, Chiapas. After graduating as a biologist from the University of Sciences and Arts of Chiapas, he has worked in different institutions collaborating in floristic inventories and characterizing the vegetation in some municipalities of Chiapas.

Samantha Davalos Segura

Restoration Projects Coordinator

“I truly believe we need to change our relation with nature. Deforestation is increasing at an amazing rate, so we need to do something in order to change that, and restoration is one of the best actions we can do for our planet. Because of this, working with the Plant-for-the-Planet team is very gratifying for me.”

Samantha Davalos Segura

Samantha is from Mexico City. As an ecologist she has worked in in different conservation projects, all focused on local conservation. Her work included the evaluation of ecosystems and conservation and restoration actions. She also worked with local communities to determine the best conservation actions to implement in field, including reforestation. Added to that, she has experience with GIS systems and can implement them in order to see restoration effectiveness.