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Diana Flores

Diana, a permanent resident of the Galapagos, grew up in this Enchanted Islands surrounded by nature, which motivated her to contribute to the conservation of this beautiful natural laboratory. He studied his bachelor's degree in Biology at the Central University of Ecuador. Since she began her university career, she has been linked to science and conservation, being part of the Charles Darwin Research Station.
In May 2011 she became part of the CDF family, as a local volunteer for the marine collection, in 2012 she was a field and office assistant for the project “Monitoring green turtle nesting in Galapagos” and the project “Evaluation of the impact of vessels and movement and distribution of the green turtle within the Galapagos Marine Reserve”, in 2014 she was part of the STAFF and served as technical assistant of the Natural History Collections in the Herbarium (CDS).
He is currently pursuing a master's degree in Environmental Management and Audit in Marine Science and Technology.
Since 2019, she has served as Coordinator of the laboratories of the Charles Darwin Research Station, and is happy to be part of this prestigious institution.

Nathalia Tirado

Since her arrival in the Galapagos Islands in the 1990s, Nathalia has been captivated by their exceptional beauty and biodiversity. After completing her studies in Biological Sciences at the Central University of Ecuador, she collaborated with the Charles Darwin Foundation (FCD) as a research assistant from 2007 to 2013. Her experience in Services Quality in Tata Consultancy Services. Passionate about the sea, Nathalia took up diving, joining the Submarine Ecological Monitoring team, thereby strengthening her knowledge and skills in biodiversity. She is well acquainted with the submarine environments of the islands, reinforcing her commitment to this geographic point.  Her knowledge in taxonomy and ecology led her to the team of Natural History Collections as a Taxonomy Assistant since April 2021. She is currently involved in the Deep Water Systems project, focused on integrating information and documenting the marine biodiversity of the last 25 years of institutional research.

Daniela Ibarra

Daniela is a multimedia communications professional with 10 years of experience in both the nonprofit and private sectors, specializing in leading communication strategies, social marketing, and fundraising initiatives. Throughout her career, she has been involved in projects related to human rights, environment, sustainability, gender, inclusion, and international cooperation, always with a people-centered approach focused on generating positive impact.

Rashid Cruz/CDF
Rashid Cruz/CDF
Simon McKinley

Simon joined the CDF in early 2024 as Junior Spatial Ecologist for the Habla Tiburón project. His journey to this dream job in Galápagos began years ago, starting during his time as a scuba divemaster in Indonesia. During his undergraduate studies in Western Australia, Simon volunteered analysing videos of Galápagos reef fish communities. This experience led to his Master’s degree in Environmental Science from Curtin University, focusing on the functional diversity of reef fish assemblages in Galápagos. His research resulted in two published studies contributing to the knowledge of reef fish ecology in the archipelago. He also collaborated on larger studies of reef fish biogeography and the impacts of the 2015-2016 ‘Godzilla’ El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
Simon’s ecological expertise is complemented by his work at the Fisheries Department in Western Australia, where he monitored blue swimmer crab populations and contributed to stock sustainability reports. Simon also participated in a Fisheries Research Development Council project assessing mud crab population in Australia’s Kimberley region and the feasibility of developing Indigenous mud crab fisheries. Simon’s professional pursuits are driven by his passion for the marine world, which remains his “happy place” during his free time.

Rashid Cruz/CDF
Anna Dolma Alonso

Dolma is a web developer with a unique blend of technical and artistic expertise, her background spanning mathematics, computer science, and fine arts. She joined the Charles Darwin Foundation in 2008 and has since contributed as a volunteer, consultant, and staff member. Her primary focus has been developing web applications for the scientific information portal  "dataZone".
Dolma is passionate about leveraging new technologies to improve dataZone and make it a powerful open science resource. She stays updated on the latest advancements and is a lifelong learner. As an artist, she actively explores AI-assisted art and finds inspiration in the parallels between the Web3 and Open Science movements. Dolma is thrilled to be part of the ongoing cultural-technological revolution and aims to integrate her diverse interests and expertise into her daily work.

María Igual Beltrán

Maria joined the Charles Darwin Foundation in September 2024, bringing her extensive experience in bird conservation. Originally from Spain, she has worked for over six years on international projects in Spain, Colombia, France, French Polynesia and Costa Rica.
With a degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Valencia and a master's degree in Ecology and Biodiversity Management from the University of Montpellier, Maria has specialized in the protection of endemic and threatened birds in Pacific island ecosystems. She has led projects to preserve critically endangered species, highlighting her work in managing a population of only four breeding pairs, where she identified avian malaria as a new critical threat and initiated a captive breeding project.
Her ability to work with international teams and collaborate with local communities has been key to the success of her initiatives. As the coordinator of the Mangrove Finch recovery project, her goal is to apply effective management strategies and research to improve the conservation status of this species and contribute to the Foundation's success in preserving biodiversity.