Paola B.

 I was born and raised in South Africa, trained as a marine ecologist in the USA, and have 25 years of experience in research and conservation, 14 of those years in Mozambique. I have worked on the conservation and recovery of a range of endangered species from wild salmon and river otters, to African lions, pangolins and painted dogs, and across a broad array of ecosystems. As a woman environmental leader I am passionate about ensuring diversity and inclusion and in the development of organizations/programs and networks with strong values and a commitment to impactful, collaborative, and knowledge-driven ecological restoration solutions that accelerate the protection and recovery of ecosystems and promote the governance and leadership of rural communities in and surrounding protected areas.

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I am a 2022 Women for the Environment Africa Fellow, National Geographic Explorer, and WINGS World Quest Flag Carrier.

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Select Relevant Experience

• Co-Founder Inhambane Seascape Alliance

• PI & Implementation Lead: “Co-crea?ng a Thriving Seascape: Forging a New LMMA Network,

  Strengthening Community Governance and Women's Leadership, & Sustaining Blue Economy Livelihoods in Inhambane, Mozambique.” Partnership with the Seascape Alliance & German Society for Interna?onal Coopera?on.

• Principal Investigator. Ecological connectivity to maximize biodiversity conservation between marine protected areas in the Southwest Indian Ocean. Mozambique PI.

• Co-founder & Director. Malamba Coastal Collabora?ve, Inhambane, Mozambique. Associação NATURA. 2021-current.

• Co-Founder - Associação NATURA Moçambique.

• Co-founder & Director. Macossa Ecosystem Restora?on Project, Manica, Mozambique. 2022- current.

  Associação NATURA. $$1.5 million USD per year restora?on program, 15-year long-term agreement.

• Protected area opera?onal assessment, strategic planning and collabora?ve management scoping for

  Gile National Park and Chimanimani Na?onal Park, Mozambique. 2022-2023.

• Gorongosa Restoration Project, Mozambique. 2012-2021. Recovery of an indigenous lion population, and highly successful reintroduction of a free-ranging population of painted dogs and leopards. C-founded Mozambique's first pangolin recovery center.. As Associate Director of Conservation Department -.co-managed a budget of $2.3 million per year, and 400 staff and community associates. Oversaw technology systems, performance monitoring of all field teams,  reporting to donors such as USAID, UNDP, the Oak Foundation, and National Geographic, and others.

• 2022 Women for the Environment Africa Fellow.

• Master of Science: Ecology & Systematic Biology - Estuary & Ocean Science Center, San Francisco State

  University. 2004.

• Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolu?onary Biology, Marine Biology with Honors - University of

  California,- Santa Cruz. 2000.

• Open Circles Dialogue Facilitator. 2025.