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Santiago Castillo

Colombia Program Officer, Re:wild

    Education

    MSc. (with distinction) in Environmental Sustainability, University of Edinburgh, U.K.
    BSc. in Biology, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia
    BSc. in Microbiology, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia

    Santiago has over 15 years of experience in biodiversity management, protected areas, and environmental licensing in Colombia. He has provided support to national and subnational governments in shaping conservation priorities, identifying Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), and facilitating the creation of protected areas or the recognition of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs). He also emphasizes the critical involvement of Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in conservation strategies. His research on the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Aichi Target 11 and the 30x30 Target has focused on assessing the effectiveness, representativeness, connectivity, and equity of conservation areas.

    Throughout his career, Santiago has successfully led teams and research initiatives, honing strong skills in interinstitutional and cross-sectoral communication, as well as in planning and executing complex projects. In his free time, he enjoys scuba diving, salsa dancing, and long walks.

    Godínez Gómez. O., Urquiza-Haas, T., Koleff Osorio, P., Correa Ayram, C. A. y Castillo, L. S. (2021). ¿Qué tan conectados están los sistemas nacionales de áreas protegidas terrestres en Latinoamérica y El Caribe? En: Álvarez Malvido, M., Lázaro, C., De Lamo, X., Juffe-Bignoli, D., Cao, R., Bueno, P., Sofrony, C., Maretti, C. y Guerra, F. (Editores). Informe Planeta Protegido 2020: Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Ciudad de México, México; Cambridge UK; Gland, Switzerland; Bogotá, Colombia: RedParques, UNEP-WCMC, CMAP-UICN, WWF, CONANP y Proyecto IAPA.

    Martínez, B., López Camacho, R., Castillo, L.S., & Bernal, R. (2021). Phenology of the endangered palm Ceroxylon quindiuense (Arecaceae) along an altitudinal gradient in Colombia. Revista de Biología Tropical, 69(2), 649-664. https://doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v69i2.44835

    Castillo, L.S.; Correa Ayram, C.A.; Matallana Tobón, C.L.; Corzo, G.; Areiza, A.; González-M., R.; Serrano, F.; Chalán Briceño, L.; Sánchez Puertas, F.; More, A.; Franco, O.; Bloomfield, H.; Aguilera Orrury, V.L.; Rivadeneira Canedo, C.; Morón-Zambrano, V.; Yerena, E.; Papadakis, J.; Cárdenas, J.J.; Golden Kroner, R.E.; Godínez-Gómez, O. (2020). Connectivity of Protected Areas: Effect of Human Pressure and Subnational Contributions in the Ecoregions of Tropical Andean Countries. Land 9, (8): 239. https://doi.org/10.3390/land9080239

    Martínez, B., Sanín, M., Castillo, L., López, R. y Bernal, R. (2018). Sex change in the dioecious palm Ceroxylon quindiuense (Arecaceae). Ecology 99(6): 1501-1503.

    Castillo, L. S., and P. R. Stevenson. (2010). Relative Importance of Seed-Bank and Post-Disturbance Seed Dispersal on Early Gap Regeneration in a Colombian Amazon Forest. Biotropica 42(4): 488-492.