(She/Her/Ella)
Prof. Echeverri is an interdisciplinary conservation scientist whose research explores human–wildlife interactions, cultural values of nature, and the impacts of people on biodiversity. Her current work examines biodiversity, tourism, and cultural diversity in Latin America, while also advising governments on environmental policy. She is a National Geographic Explorer, a CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar, a Stanford Rising Environmental Leader, a UCLA Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award Nominee, and former youth representative to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
Postdoctoral Scholar
(He/Him)
PhD Candidate
(She/Her)
I am a scholar practitioner with 12 years of experience in biodiversity research and conservation. I am currently doing interdisciplinary research focusing on Indigenous- and community-led forest governance through Social Forestry policy to produce evidence for an equitable landscape approach. I aspire to work on the intersection of nature conservation and rural development in Southeast Asia, bridging science and policy through rigorous knowledge production and equitable partnership.
My past and recent research publications can be found here.
Why do I only have one name?
PhD Student
(She/Her/Ella)
I am a Galapagueña conservation scientist, researcher, and PhD student in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at UC Berkeley interested in how people and wildlife can flourish together in shared landscapes.
My work focuses on the ecological and social dimensions of conservation, particularly human–wildlife coexistence, biocultural conservation, movement ecology, and community-based conservation in the Galápagos Islands.
I have worked on projects spanning GIS and spatial analysis, giant tortoise conservation, seabird ecology, invasive species research and management, participatory mapping, environmental governance, and protected area management. Across these efforts, a question that continues to guide my work is: how can conservation be more effective, more inclusive, and more meaningful for both people and the species we are trying to protect?
Growing up in the Galápagos gave me a unique perspective on both the opportunities and challenges of conservation in inhabited landscapes.
PhD Student
(She/Her)
My research is anchored in conservation psychology, conservation marketing, environmental communication, and human-animal relationships. My work seeks to understand how storytelling, messaging, and creative interventions can motivate conservation engagement and action. My experience in the documentary industry, most recently at Netflix Original Documentaries, continues to inform my approach to bridging creative practice with behavioral science to understand how media can shape our relationships with animals and the environment. At Netflix, my role included evaluating projects for commissioning, developing ideas, and leading diversity and inclusion initiatives. Central to my work is a commitment to telling environmental stories from diverse perspectives, both human and animal.
PhD Candidate
(She/They)
Mel is a PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management focused on the remote sensing of biodiversity and ecosystem function in wetlands. She currently studies the impacts of carbon sequestration focused wetland restoration on other aspects of the wetland health and function. Using field surveys, drone flights, audio recordings, and satellite imagery, they investigate avian biodiversity, environmental heterogeneity, succession, and productivity in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta. She is passionate about creating inclusive and safe teaching and fieldwork experiences for undergraduates and professional scientists.
Postdoctoral Scholar (She/Her/Ella)
Dr. Bonaparte is an Argentine biological scientist and researcher specializing in the ecology and conservation of birds in the Atlantic Forest. She holds a postdoctoral position at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) in Argentina and is affiliated with the Federal University for Latin American Integration (UNILA). She’s co-supervised by Dr. Kristina Cockle, and Prof. Echeverri.
Visiting Scholar 2025
Minyu Dou is a PhD student at Peking University with a background in forestry. She earned her BSc in Agriculture from Beijing Forestry University in 2021 and is pursuing doctoral research on forest restoration under the supervision of Prof. Fangyuan Hua. As a visiting scholar in the Echeverri Lab in 2025, she worked on policy mixes for the forest sector in China.
Research Assistant
2023-2025
Bryam is a Colombian ornithologist interested in biocultural diversity, biocultural conservation and ethnobiology. He led the Mateus-Aguilar, Diaz Salazar, et al. (2025) article published in Ecological Indicators. He has a BSc in Biology from Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. Mentored by Prof. Daniel Cadena.
Research Assistant
2023-2025
Andres Felipe is a wildlife biologist currently working as an environmental consultant for Terrasos, Colombia. He co-led the Mateus-Aguilar, Diaz Salazar (2025) article published in Ecological Indicators. He has BSc and MSc degrees in Biology from Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. Mentored by Prof. Daniel Cadena.
Undergraduate Researcher
2025-2026
Casey Chang completed a double major in environmental science and political science. Her field experience primarily consists of plants and animals in the Bay Area, including bird banding, pitfall trapping, and removal of invasive species. She did her undergrad thesis in the Echeverri Lab where she studied the intersection between animal cognition and public perception. More broadly, she is interested in conservation biology, science education, and climate policy.
Lab Research Assistant
2025-2026
Alex Boren is a PhD student at Stanford University with Prof. Tad Fukami. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 2025 and was a Pre-Doc (Lab Tech) in the Echeverri Lab and studied how environmental media shapes public attitudes and behaviors toward conservation. Her research background ranges from using genomics to study host–pathogen interactions to applying qualitative methods to evaluate conservation messaging. She is broadly interested in conservation biology, disease ecology, and the role of human behavior in shaping ecological outcomes.
Echeverri Lab: Conserving Wildlife and Human Cultures
Mulford Hall #130
Berkeley, CA, 94709
