Alexis Kovach Vaca Email and Phone Number

Oversees technical activities for the GEF-7 Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI) to enhance Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) efforts to steward lands, waters, and natural resources.

•Manages the development, implementation and monitoring of WCS Ecuador’s Governance and Community Conservation Strategy.•Collaborates with diverse stakeholders, such as national and local governments, indigenous peoples and local communities and civil society organizations, to enhance conservation, sustainable livelihoods and sustainable development in the Ecuadorian Amazon. •Coordinates with local partners to develop community conservation programs to strengthen territorial and natural resource management, indigenous rights, governance, cultural rescue and community-based sustainable initiatives.•Oversees community relations and data collection concerning human-wildlife interactions, socioeconomic factors of conservation, and territorial management.•Contributes to the development of grant proposals, technical documents, scientific publications and other materials for dissemination.

• Participates in the design and implementation of research and conservation projects related to ecology and wildlife conservation in the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve. • Manages and implements participatory, community-based conservation initiatives aimed at promoting biodiversity conservation and improving local livelihoods, such as ecotourism, natural cosmetics, aquaculture and handicrafts.• Supervises and advises parabiologists and field assistants.• Assists in the capacity development of local communities and park rangers.• Prepares reports, bulletins, presentations, and scientific publications.

• Analyzed conservation evidence for carnivores and produced publication quality synopses in collaboration with the University of Cambridge.• Contributed to Leopard and Cheetah assessment teams by conducting literature reviews and organizing supplementary data for research articles on worldwide populations and distributions. • Produced species reports and country fact books.

• Trained 50 members of farming cooperatives on implementing sustainable agricultural practices, such as composting, mulching, intercropping and integrated pest management, and developed their capacity to independently continue these practices. • Worked with local families to increase food security while promoting environmental stewardship.• Secured funding for, co-planned and supervised the management of a one-hectare size reforestation project with the local primary school. • Collaborated with 8 local beekeepers to create a regionally based apiculture organization, focused on improving hive production and developing business and communication strategies.• Trained 13 members of a women’s cooperative in soap-making and aided them in forming a sustainable soap-making business in their community.• Co-organized a girl’s conference focused on environmental education and gender equity.

• Identified plant species and evaluated vegetation abundance, soil type, and drainage in 103 plots of forested wetlands in central Wisconsin during summer 2011.• Managed a database of forested wetland data collected over a four-year period. Converted field data into numerical data and created and managed files and spreadsheets.

• Sampled ancient Hawaiian lake sediment to determine the fire history and evolution of a local ecosystem based on charcoal presence and pollen count and type. • Analyzed and interpreted graphical and statistical data using CharAnalysis.

• Educated underprivileged families on the importance of and access to healthy eating by co-organizing weekly community picnics. • Taught parents simple gardening techniques and encouraged them to participate in the community gardens.• Encouraged environmental appreciation among children by leading nature games and other educational activities.