Claudine Sierra
Areas of expertise
Community Based Conservation, Introduced Species, Sustainable Tourism, Protected Areas Management, Yoga
Degrees
- B.S. in Biology, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- M.Sc. in Wildlife Management and Conservation, National University of Costa Rica
Potential student research areas
- Spiritual values and practices integrated with conservation values and practices
- Community based conservation in the Osa Península
- Assessment of human impacts on protected ecosystems
- Participatory strategies and organizational structures to protect endangered ecosystems
- Evaluation of application and implementation of good practices (water, energy, waste)
- Sustainable tourism (assessment, implementation)
- Introduced species, impact and control methods
Biography
Claudine was born in Argentina and studied biology and contemporary dance there, while performing at different theatres in Buenos Aires. She conducted wildlife research on bees, elephants, ants, feral pigs and fish in India, Panamá and Costa Rica. She studied and worked at Cocos Island (Costa Rica), on the biology, impact and control/eradication needs of introduced species at Cocos Island, mainly feral pigs. She was hired by the UCI (University for International Cooperation, Costa Rica) as part of the interdisciplinary group that facilitated the elaboration of 6 Protected Areas Management Plans at Osa Conservation Area (ACOSA). As an activist, she advocates the reduction of “modern” pressures and ecosystems threats, like marinas, airports, non-regulated development, unsustainable harvest of species, dams, etc. She works at National University, Heredia, as staff of the Environmental Horizons Program (Institute of Social and Demographic Studies, IDESPO), and is the environmental advisor of a “challenging” project of water and waste practices at Sixaola, Costa Rica. Claudine also consults for the Rainforest Alliance and evaluates good sustainable tourism practices in tourist operations in Costa Rica. Finally, she is a devoted swimmer and yogini, practicing mostly Ashtanga and Anusara.