Rodrigo has a degree in Biology from the Universidad Mayor de San Simón (Cochabamba, Bolivia). He moved to Santa Cruz de la Sierra to work in Armonía between January 2003 and September 2005. During this time, he led a multidisciplinary teams of biologists working to identify the first Key Biodiversity Areas of Bolivia (a collaborative project by the University of Glasgow, Association Armonía, and the Museum of Natural History Noel Kempff Mercado). He also had a key role in identifing the Important Bird Areas of Bolivia. He later developed the Conservation and Research Program for the Horned Curassow, discovering the population of this endangered species in the TIPNIS (Territorio Indígena y Parque Nacional Isiboro Sécure). In 2005, he began his PhD at the University of Goettingen (Germany) and obtained its PhD title in September 2009. Then he continued with a post doctorate at the same university until June 2011. He rejoined Armonía in 2011 as our Conservation Programs Director, and became Armonía’s Executive Director in August 2017. Since September 2018, Rodrigo is member of BirdLife’s Executive Committee for the Americas Regional Council. Since September 2022 Rodrigo is member of BirdLife International Global Coucil.
Bennett Hennessey
Development Director
Born in Quebec City, Canada, Bennett studied biology at the University of Toronto. He worked in the Congo for one year, before moving to Bolivia where he devoted himself full-time to bird conservation. Bennett has been CEO of Asociación Armonía since 2003 and Development Director since 2016. His work over the years has been very varied – from a field investigator, to coordinator of conservation programs, to supervisor of projects and he now devotes a large percentage of his time in raising and administrating funds. Bennett has produced thousands of successful proposals for Armonía’s conservation programs. He speaks English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
Sebastian K. Herzog
Scientific Director
Sebastian is a conservation ecologist with 21 years’ experience in South America, mainly in Bolivia and the tropical Andes. He studied biology and ecology in his home country of Germany and in California, USA. He has a doctorate in biological sciences from the University of Oldenburg and was a postdoctoral fellow of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Since 2002, he has been the Scientific Director of Armonía. He has authored or coauthored more than 40 articles published in scientific journals. Since 2008, he has worked as an external investigator for the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and has been co-leading two multidisciplinary projects on climate change and its impact on biodiversity and ecosystems of the tropical Andes. On these projects he has lead teams of experts and collaborators, working together with NGOs, academia and relevant governments in the region.
Iván Perez Hurtado
Adminsitrative Director
Ivan has graduated at the Universidad San Simón de Cochabamba with Business Administration degree. He worked with young producers from Cochabamba´s tropical Chaparé region supporting fair trade projects to support local farmers.
Later he worked as Technical Director for the Chaco Program of the Fundación Natura. He was an advisor and administrative director at Centro de Ecología Aplicada Simón I. Patiño. Currently he is the administrative director of Armonía.
Tjalle Boorsma
Conservation Program Director
Tjalle was born in Gouda in The Netherlands. He obtained a Master of Science degree in Forest and Nature Conservation, specializing in terrestrial ecology at the Wageningen University and Research Centre in 2014. He cofounded his own arborist company in 2008 but decided to focus on bird conservation after finishing his degree. In April 2015 he joined the Armonía team as the Barba Azul Nature Reserve Coordinator in charge of the reserve development and its sustainability. He partook in the first ever Blue-throated Macaw global census and led the expedition to find the breeding grounds of the northwestern subpopulation. Since April 2018 he is the Conservation Program Director, supervising Armonía’s conservation actions throughout Bolivia.
Omar Gonzalo Oporto Daza
Program Coordinator Tunari National Park
Born in Micani, Charcas Province, Potosí, Omar is a Forestry Engineer. Since 2010 he has worked in various institutions in control, management, and auditing of Natural Resources and Environment. Before joining Armonia’s team Omar was Coordinator of the Forestry, Reforestry, and Integrated Management project for the Cochabamba departmental government, improving plant nurseries, producing seedlings, managing and monitoring forests and reforestation campaigns.
Edwin Nogales Aguilar
Production Manager, Tunari National Park Program
Edwin is a Technician in Municipal Community Production Management. He has over 13 years of experience managing nursery production of forestry species. He has received recognition for his active participation in forest fire prevention and control in Tunari National Park. Edwin joined Armonia’s team in March 2021.
Raul Arispe Flores
Nursery Assistant
Coming from a flower-nursery family, from a very young age, Raul took great interest in plant production. He worked for the Cochabamba departmental government as nursery manager for four years. He has also participated in forest management activities and forest fire fighting in Tunari National Park.
Guido Saldaña Covarrubias
Red-fronted Macaw Conservation Program Coordinator
Born in Saipina to a farming family, Guido was passionate from a young age about birds and wildilfe. He studied biology at Gabriel Rene Moreno University. He now works with humility, ability, and perseverance to protect Bolivia’s biodiversity. He is convinced that local community members are the best allies protecting biodiversity and seeks to find an equilibrium between people and the wildlife that surrounds them.
Romeo Rojas Estrada
Sub-Coordinator of Red-fronted Macaw Conservation Program
Biologist from the city of Cochabamba, in his early years he worked on microfauna research projects in Polylepis forests of Tunari National Park.
In 2016 he obtained a master’s degree in Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation (Geographic Information Systems) from CLAS. In recent years he has worked in different research and conservation projects of critically endangered species of mammals and amphibians, as well as seeking funding for various research projects in conservation of endangered wildlife in the Andean Fauna Reserve Eduardo Avaroa in Uyuni. Since 2022 he has been working on the Red-fronted Macaw Conservation Program.
Daniela Aguirre Torres
Coordinator of Tunari – Darwin Project
Daniela is a biologist, anthropologist, and visual artist; these areas came together in a Masters Degree with emphasis in Energy Governance from the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (Ecuador), and a specialty degree in the Anthropology of Art from the Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social (Mexico). With over 17 years experience in research, Daniela has worked in Bolivia and Ecuador on topics of conservation, climate change, gender and identity, intercultural studies, strengthening of local capacities, and environmental education. In addition, she has held consulting positions related to research and art and participated in group artistic endeavors in Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil and Uruguay.
Between 2006 and 2010 Daniela worked with the Cranioleuca henricae conservation project in Armonía, and since 2018 has held various consulting positions within the organization.
Eneida Zurita
Assistant Coordinator Darwin Project
Lizz Eneida Zurita Soto is a biologist specialized in botany, and land and environmental planning, with experience in advising residents through the dissemination of workshops in the Quechua language. She worked on projects related to ecological studies, in forest management and conservation workshops with communities as a translator and interpreter of the Quechua language. She also worked in the area of information and documentation verification, specifically with Quechua-speaking residents in the urban cadastre project in the municipality of Sacaba.
She recently worked with peach producers from the municipality of Arbieto, on the management and biological control of pests and on the improvement of irrigation systems
Teodoro Camacho Reyes
Assistant Coordinator
Born in Campero, Cochabamba. Teo is a university student studying biology at UMSS Cochabamba-Bolivia.
Teo’s great passion for conservation has led him to participate in various conservation projects since 2014, with Armonia’s projects and other institutions. His current goal is to finish his academic studies.
Luz Natalia Mercado
Coordinator Blue-throated Macaw Conservation Program
Luz Natalia studied Biology at the Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Her interest in deepening her understanding of complex environmental problems and seeking solutions that integrate sustainable development and biodiversity protection led her to a Master’s degree in Environment with a specialty in Conservation at the University of Melbourne, Australia. In 2019, Luz joined Armonía to support sustainable livestock and conservation projects on cattle ranches in the Beni. She is currently the coordinator of the Blue-throated Macaw Conservation Program, being responsible for conservation projects in the Barba Azul and Laney Rickman Nature Reserves.
Cesar Flores Aguilera
Park Ranger of the Laney Rickman Blue-throated Macaw Reserve
Born and living in Loreto (Beni) the oldest village of the Beni Department. Working for Armonía since 2009 with the artificial nest-box program in the Loreto area and in the initial phases of the Barba Azul Nature Reserve establishment. Cesar has been monitoring Blue-throated macaw nest boxes for a decade and is has developed tremendous practical knowledge on the species. Since August 2018, he is the Park Ranger of the Laney Rickman Reserve and sponsored by the Keepers of the Wild program from World Land Trust. In charge of patrolling the reserve, nest-box monitoring and general maintenance of the reserve. Devoted to the breeding program
Miguel Martinez
Park Ranger, Barba Azul Nature Reserve
Born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Miguel is an environmentalist at heart and with conviction. He is trained in Natural Resource Management with emphasis on Wildlife Management. Miguel was active in the University Group of Park Rangers and worked for four years as Environmental Education Coordinator and Research Technician with the National Park Institute of Venezuela. Upon arrival in Bolivia, Miguel was the Wildlife Ranger at La Senda Verde Wildlife Refuge before joining the Barba Azul team in April, 2021.
Edson López Zambrana
Sustainable Cattle-ranching Coordinator
Born in the Beni Department of Bolivia (San Ramón del Machupo), Edson studied agriculture and livestock, earning a technical degree at the Instituto Salesiano MUYURINA (Montero Santa Cruz). Later he graduated as an agronomist in Santa Cruz and concluded a post graduate course on Sustainable Management of Protected Areas in Trento, Italy. He worked at cattle-ranching entreprises in Italy and bred horses in Madrid, Spain. After returning to Bolivia he worked with indigenous communities of the Amazon region leading productive and sustainable forest management projects. Before joining Armonía, he bred cattle in Beni. He is passionate about sustainable cattle-ranching and conservation. He speaks Italian and Portuguese.
Luis Enrique Arauz Flores
Livestock Manager, Barba Azul Nature Reserve
Born on a cattle ranch in Santa Ana, Luis Enrique has some 14 years of experience with livestock, specifically with livestock management in the unique conditions presented by the Beni Savannas where periods of flooding and drought have a huge impact on cattle. Since coming on board with Armonia, he has been training to improve ranching practices where both the environment and the cattle receive better treatment. Luis Enrique is dedicated to the implementation of Sustainable Ranching in support of conservation of the Blue-throated Macaw in Barba Azul East.
Luis Suarez Reynaldo
Livestock Manager, Laney Rickman Reserve
Born in the area now occupied by the Laney Rickman Reserve, Luis has a 2-year agronomy degree from the Public University of the Beni.
He initially worked with the municipal government of Loreto in the environmental and protected areas department. In this position he gained experience with sustainable management of forests in the Llanos de Moxos, specifically around Loreto. He has also worked managing livestock in a private business.
Abdon Vargas Flores
Cattlehand, Laney Rickman Reserve
Abdon has worked as caretaker on farms all of his life, in the Santa Cruz and Beni departmens. He has vast experience caring for cattle and training work horses, as well as in the preparation of dairy products such as cheese and butter. Abdon knows the Movima language, as he grew up in the Yacuma Province of the Beni.
Margarita Palacios Mejia
Communication Officer
Margarita holds a bachelor’s degree in social communication and a master’s degree in political ecology and alternatives to development from the Universidad Andina Simón Bolivar in Ecuador. She is a multimedia journalist specialized in environmental issues, with over 10 years of experience in print and institutional media. Since 2023, she has been working at Armonía as the Communication Manager for conservation efforts.
Silvia Rojas Gonzales
General Services
Silvia has been a core part of the Armonía team since 2010 and is a nurse by profession. She is always smiling and ready to provide assistance to the management team and all those who visit the office in Santa Cruz.
Leny Vargas Rocha
Chief accountant
Leny has been working for a long time as accountant of several conservation organizations and has a natural passion for outdoors and conservation. She graduated from Gabriel Rene Moreno Autonomous University and has master of science degree in accounting.
Yoselin Rocio Saavedra Umaña
Secretary Yoselin feels a great passion for conservation. Before coming to Armonía, she worked in the Lomas de Arena Regional Park and was responsible for the interpretation center. She earned a bachelor of science in conservation at Bolivia’s state university.