Rosa MA. Vidal
Rosa Maria Vidal has been a champion of local governance in conservation for her career. Currently, she is a Senior Program Manager at Livelihoods Venture, an international private social impact fund, and a Senior Advisor of the Center for Protected Area Management at Colorado State University, where she supports the development of conservation and women leadership training programs implemented globally. She was the founder and Director for Pronatura Sur from 1993 to 2015, where she led the growth of the organization and was the Director of the Governors’ Climate and Forests Fund from 2013-2016, working with 35 subnational jurisdictions in 8 countries, promoting REDD+ policies implementation at a global scale. She has been a consultant for international organizations, including the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility.
In her early career years, she contributed to understanding the migration patterns of landbirds in Central America. She has kept her interest in bird migration and conservation as a personal passion. She has served in international avian councils and working groups, including the WHSRN Council, the Partners in Flight Science Committee, Birdlife Regional Americas Council, and regional networks and initiatives related to gender, environment, and climate change issues.
She holds a biology degree from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, a certificate in Wildlife Management from Arizona State University, a Gender and Sustainability Diploma from Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, and a Women in Leadership certificate from Cornell University.