Our Team

CONSERVATIONIST, PhD

Armando Dans is a conservationist from Nicaragua and the coordinator of the Nicaragua Tapir Project. He graduated as an Agroforestry Engineer and holds a post-graduate diploma in International Wildlife Conservation from Oxford University. Pursuing a PhD at Michigan State University, Armando collaborates with Indigenous and Afro-descendant territories to protect Nicaragua’s biodiversity, focusing on the Baird’s tapir. He has established patrol groups in the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve and aims to combine scientific and local knowledge to improve habitat management and conservation efforts.

LATIN AMERICAN DIRECTOR OR RE:WILD

Christopher Jordan is the Latin America Director for Re:wild. A researcher and conservationist, he specializes in mammal conservation, protected area security, and indigenous peoples’ conservation in Latin America. Chris has extensive field experience across multiple countries and aims to impact conservation from local to global scales. Passionate about Baird's tapir, he has been involved with BTSA since its founding. Chris holds a B.A. in Spanish and Latin American Studies, a B.S. in Wildlife Conservation, and a PhD from Michigan State University.

SENIOR MESOAMERICA ASSOCIATE FOR RE:WILD

Esteban Brenes Mora is the Senior Mesoamerica Associate for Re:wild and a Costa Rican biologist with extensive conservation experience in Central America, Southeast Asia, and Europe. He advocates for global tapir conservation and is a member of the IUCN Tapir Specialist Group. Esteban’s 2015 thesis research focused on Baird’s tapirs in Costa Rica’s Talamanca highlands. He founded Nai Conservation and co-founded the Costa Rica Wildlife Foundation. His current work with Re:wild involves community-based conservation and restoration programs in Mesoamerica.

VETERINARIAN, PhD

Jorge Rojas is a Costa Rican veterinarian and program manager of Nai Conservation within the Costa Rica Wildlife Foundation. He graduated in 2018 from the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. Jorge’s interest in tapirs began in veterinary school, examining tapirs injured in vehicle collisions. His thesis focused on fecal bacteria antibiotic resistance in tapirs. He is active in Baird’s tapir research and conservation and is a member of the IUCN Tapir Specialist Group. Jorge is completing a Doctorate at the University of Georgia, studying tapir population ecology.

PROFESSOR IN BIOLOGY, MSc

Nereyda is a biologist from Honduras with an MSc in Biology from the University of Costa Rica, specializing in large mammal ecology. She is a professor at the National Autonomous University of Honduras, teaching Zoology and Wildlife Management. With 15 years in conservation, land planning, and wildlife research, she has worked for the Honduran government and Panthera. Since 2002, Nereyda has been the Honduras coordinator of the IUCN Tapir Specialist Group, developing a National Action Plan for the Baird’s tapir.

COORDINATOR CONSULTANT

Magdalia Campobasso is a consultant for Re:wild, coordinating BTSA collaborations. With a background in engineering, her wildlife conservation passion, especially for tapirs, is long-standing. Her diverse experience includes solar energy reliability testing and establishing manufacturing in Kisumu, Kenya. In 2023, she supported Nai Conservation with the Costa Rica Wildlife Foundation. Magdalia’s skills in quality improvement, project management, and impact tracking enhance her conservation work. She plans collaborative projects, develops funding strategies, and raises awareness for BTSA, promoting member collaboration and impact.

BIOLOGIST

Manolo García is a Guatemalan biologist and research professor at San Carlos University, serving as a Zoologist at the Centro de Datos para la Conservación. He is the Species Coordinator for Baird’s tapir in the IUCN Tapir Specialist Group. Since 2006, Manolo has researched the Baird’s tapir in Guatemala, focusing on the Maya Biosphere Reserve. He has developed biological monitoring programs and conducted environmental education with primary school students and tourism guides in rural communities surrounding the tapir habitat.

BIOLOGIST

Wilber Martinez is a biologist from Orange Walk, Belize, and a research associate with the Foundation for Wildlife Conservation Belize. He manages the Runaway Creek Reserve in the Maya Forest Corridor. His doctoral thesis focused on the spatial ecology and conservation of Baird’s tapir in central Belize. Wilber’s research includes capturing and radio-collaring tapirs to study their movement, habitat preferences, and home ranges. He also conducts environmental education with local students, promoting conservation awareness of Belize's national animal, the Baird’s tapir.

BIOLOGIST, MSc

Marina Rivero, a Mexican biologist, collaborates with Bioconciencia A.C. and coordinates the Tapires de la Sierra project. With degrees from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Marina has contributed to conservation projects involving jaguars, white-lipped peccaries, and bats. Tapires de la Sierra focuses on Baird's tapir conservation in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas highlands, addressing threats like habitat loss, forest fires, and poaching. Marina works with local communities to develop conservation strategies, striving to mitigate threats and protect tapir populations.

ECOLOGIST, PhD

Ninon Meyer, holding a PhD in Ecology and Sustainable Development from ECOSUR, Mexico, has been passionate about large herbivores since childhood. Her interest in tapirs grew during her Master's Thesis in Panama in 2011. Observing tapirs' endangerment and the need for collaborative conservation efforts, Ninon joined the Nicaragua Tapir Project. Immersed in Indigenous Emberá culture, she identified strategies benefiting communities and wildlife. As coordinator of Tapir Panama, Ninon collaborates with Indigenous communities in Darién, utilizing SMART Patrols for biodiversity monitoring and inclusive park management. She also serves as Panama's IUCN Tapir Specialist Group coordinator, dedicated to national conservation strategies.