Profile

Cynthia Garland

Co-founder of gaia-liNc e.V. 

Lima, Perú

cgarland@gaialinc.org

Areas of knowledge:  

  • Landscape Management & Planning 
  • Ecology & Conservation
  • Ecosystem Services

Education:  

M.Sc. in Sustainable Resource Management at the Technical University of Munich, specialized in Wildlife and Protected Areas Management and Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution. B.Sc. in Forest Engineering at the National Agrarian University La Molina in Lima, Peru.

Areas of expertise:

My area of expertise include project management, specifically formulation, implementation and monitoring of conservation and sustainable development projects in the Peruvian Amazon. I am interested in the design and implementation of conservation strategies for mitigation and adaptation to climate change with a landscape approach, using participatory approaches involving different stakeholders, such as local and indigenous communities, authorities, and civil society.

Background

I have six years of experience in private and non-governmental organizations, in subjects related to conservation and sustainable development in priority ecosystems in Peru. I coordinated projects for the creation of community-based conservation areas in the Amazon. I also designed and implemented a capacity-building program in different regions for the managers of these initiatives, in topics related to the management of protected areas and financial sustainability. As a project formulator, I contributed to the leverage of funds for the development of projects in conservation, sustainable management of natural resources and forest monitoring.

Lately, I monitor environmental and conservation projects involving multi-level stakeholders such as national, subnational and local governments, civil society and indigenous communities. Finally, I work in the development of institutional tools and policies for the application of environmental and social safeguards in environmental and conservation projects implemented in a national scale.

An interesting fact about you:

I am a goal-oriented person committed to the conservation of natural ecosystems. Since I studied Forest Engineering in my early twenties, I seek going to the field, getting involved in processes, and working directly with local and indigenous communities, which I believe are true guardians of forests. Better decisions are made when you are on the field co-creating directly with nature users!

What stakeholders should know:

“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second-best time is now.” — as said from a Chinese proverb. It is time to re-connect with nature and join forces to build sustainable solutions to fight climate change.