Maria Otávia Crepaldi, Ph.D.
Brazil Program Coordinator, IPÊ
Based at Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas - IPÊ, Maria Otávia is a biologist who has been with ELTI since July 2020.
Maria Otávia wanted to be a biologist since she was a child. To know more and more about the natural world and to contribute to the maintenance of its dynamic balance. She received a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the University of São Paulo. For the last 15 years, she has dedicated her work to environmental planning and the conservation of Brazilian biodiversity.
Maria Otávia has expertise with ethnobotanical and phytosociological surveys, recovery of degraded areas, environmental adequation of rural properties, planning and implementation of ecological corridors, creation, management and implementation of protected areas and environmental planning applied to biodiversity conservation, mainly within the Central Atlantic Forest Corridor of Brazil.
In addition to her work at ELTI and IPÊ, she is the leader of the research group Ecological Restoration, Conservation and Connectivity (CNPq RECONECTA), vice president of the Brazilian Society for Ecological Restoration (SOBRE) and a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN WCPA).
"Work with IPÊ and ELTI allows me to share my knowledge with other stakeholders, give visibility to the importance of conserve wildlife, restore ecosystems and help others think about how to thrive with nature."
