Professional experience

Thirteen years in behavioural ecology, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, acquired both through research & monitoring and international cooperation.

1. Date:	May 1994 – Jun 1997
Location	Marine Preserve “Estacion Costera de Investigaciones Marinas” (Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile), Pacific coast, Chile
Institution	University of Florence and European Union (EU)
Position	Ph.D researcher
Job Description	Researched behavioural ecology of two marine invertebrate species of conservation concern (Serra et al. 1997; Serra et al. 2001). Exposition and experience in community-based conservation and management
2. Date:	Sept 1997 – Sept 1998
Location	Hopland Field Research Station of California University (Mendocino Co., CA) and Grey Davis Dye Creek Preserve of the Nature Conservancy (Northern Sierra Nevada mountain range, CA), USA
Institution	University of California at Berkeley and US Fish and Wildlife Service
Position	Post-doc conservation researcher (1-year appointment)
Job Description	Surveying and monitoring populations of mid- and large-sized carnivores using non-invasive techniques in the framework of a federal program aimed at managing and controlling predators; intensive experience in camera trapping, mark-resight statistical models, power analysis, GPS navigation and mapping, GIS spatial analysis, live trapping and animal handling, radio-telemetry
3. Date:	Apr 1999 – Mar 2000
Location	Marine National Park of the Tuscany Archipelago, Italy
Institution	Italian National Institute for Wildlife Conservation (INFS) and EU
Position	Post-doc conservation researcher (2-year appointment)
Job Description	Implementation of EU project LIFE97NAT/IT/4153 aimed at the conservation and management of insular bird species. Intensive experience in designing and implementing bird surveying and monitoring programs, and in GPS/GIS mapping and spatial analysis; upon request of the Environment Ministry, drafted, discussed with stakeholders and produced the “National Action Plan for the Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii)” - a species “conservation dependent” according to EU
4. Date:	Apr 2000 – Jun 2004
Location	al talila Natural Reserve, Palmyra (Syria)
Institution / Organisation	Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and Italian Development Cooperation Program (DGCS, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Position	UN associate professional officer (Wildlife and conservation biologist)
Job Description	biodiversity inventorying, surveying and monitoring; searching rare and threatened wildlife using local traditional knowledge; socio-economics and land use surveying; addressing threats and conservation issues; preparing local red lists, recommendations, action plans and protected area management plans (through a participatory approach); in-service training Govt. staff and locals, provision of guidelines about protected area staff cadre and institutional development, conservation advocacy, involving and benefiting local indigenous communities; planning responsible eco-tourism and alternative income; raising public awareness and preparing conservation education material; scientific and technical reporting; staff coordination
5. Date	Jan – Sept 2004
Location	Fir-Cedar Reserve, Northern alawite mountain range (Syria)
Organisation / Company	Arca Consulting, Global Environmental Facility (GEF), World Bank (WB)
Position	Biodiversity conservation consultant
Job Description	Fauna inventorying, training reserve rangers and guards in detecting, identifying and monitoring fauna, raising awareness and conservation education of local school children, preparing management plan of the protected area and recommending its staff cadre
6. Date	Jan 2004 – Feb 2006
Location	Palmyra and Damascus (Syria), Florence (Italy), Cambridge (UK)
Organisation	BirdLife International (BLI), BirdLife Middle East (BLME), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
Position	Consultant and technical advisor on N. Bald Ibis
Job Description	Consulting and advising on preparation of a viable protection and conservation program for the critically endangered N. Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita in Syria; project proposal preparation, fund raising, advocacy and institutional negotiations and arrangements
7. Date	Aug - Sept 2005
Location	Florence (Italy)
Organisation	European Commission (EU)
Position	Evaluator of project proposals
Job Description	Evaluation of grant proposals submitted to EU in response to “Co-financing with European development NGOs actions in development countries” (Budget Line 21-02-03; Calls for Proposals 2004)
8. Date	Sept 2005 – Oct 2006
Location	Florence (Italy), Damascus (Syria)
Organisation	BLI, BLME and RSPB
Position	Consultant and technical advisor on N. Bald Ibis
Job Description	Institutional facilitation and advocacy culminated in the organization of a photo-exhibition (titled “Cultural and Natural Heritage of Syrian Desert under Threat”), held at the Danish Cultural Institute in Damascus, inaugurated by H.E. the Syrian First Lady on 9 October 2006
9. Date	Jan – Feb 2006
Location	Damascus (Syria)
Organisation	Fund for Integrated Rural Development Of Syria (FIRDOS)
Position	Biodiversity conservation consultant
Job Description	Preparation of a project proposal (and related feasibility study) combining biodiversity conservation and rural sustainable development, titled “Improving the living conditions of mobile indigenous people of Syrian arid steppe land through sustainable development and nature conservation”
10. Date	Feb – Jul 2006
Location	Palmyra (Syria)
Organisation	National Geographic’s Research and Exploration Committee, BLI, BLME, and RSPB
Position	Project team leader and NG grantee researcher
Job Description	Coordinated and leaded the field team engaged in protecting, preparing trapping, trapping and satellite tagging three individuals of N. Bald Ibis.
11. Date	Nov – Dec 2006
Location