Anna has always been fascinated by the biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon rainforest. Her desire to protect these unique ecosystems motivated her to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, with the support of a SENESCYT scholarship awarded by the government of Ecuador. She also holds a master’s degree with a specialization in Conservation Planning and a focus on Environmental Data Science from the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management. She is a member of the Galapagos’ Plants Specialists Group of the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission. As a junior researcher for the Galapagos Verde 2050 program, Anna is focused on preserving endangered flora and restoring the terrestrial ecosystems of the Galapagos.