University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras

B.S in General Science, M.S in Ecology(in progress)

guacariga@gmail.com; guacariga@yahoo.com  

Curriculum vitae (pdf)

Hola!! My name is Colibrí, it means hummingbird, and as life would have it, the name could not fit me more perfectly.  I wake up as soon as the sun goes up, I move fast and full of energy, I love sweet tastes, bright colors and the outdoors, and at sunset I start to close my eyes.  I guess you could say that is me in a nutshell.

I have a wide variety of research interest in both pure and applied ecology.  I am interest in plant animal interaction, especially when it has to do with threatened species.  I have been working as a field assistant to a doctoral student looking at the reproductive biology of an endemic cactus of Mona Island, located in the Caribbean.  It has also been very rewarding to now that I have participated in a project that will generate allot of new information about an endangered and endemic cactus.  Being able to apply scientific knowledge to conservation, policy and education is another of my research interest.  I am currently working in La Sepultura Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas Mexico.  My master’s thesis looks at the distribution of pasturelands and how they are related to ecological and socioeconomical factors.  My research is part of a bigger participatory project intended to transform current conventional production systems to agroforestry systems.  Agroforestry systems are the integration of trees in agricultural and cattle production systems.  The conservation of trees is of utter importance to me; therefore I have been participating in a series of education outreach projects in Puerto Rico, the USA and Mexico. 

My participation with the SEEDS program started when I got accepted to the SEEDS fellowship in the 2006-2007 year.  After participating in the fellowship I attended as an undergraduate and graduate student the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Leadership Meetings.  In addition, I participated in the 2009 SEEDS Field Trip to Alaska as part of the AKKA SEEDS Ecology Chapter film crew.  All my experiences with the SEEDS Program have been memorable; nevertheless, I would have to say that my most memorable experience was my participation in the SEEDS fellowship.  Participating in the fellowship presented an opportunity to meet new researchers in the field of agroforestry, new cultures and new travel locations.  In addition, my participation in the fellowship helped me realized what and where I wanted to work for my graduate career.  Today, for my masters I am working in the same community in Chiapas, Mexico where I worked as an undergraduate SEEDS fellow.  Participating in SEEDS has opened new doors that I would never have been able to acquire.  The program has also encouraged me to participate in other programs related to ecology and work hard towards my interest in bridge the gap between the academic community and the general public.  The SEEDS Programs is a wonderful program that promotes not only diversity in ecology but also diversity in the individuals that study ecology.

My advice to SEEDS students is simple: Love what you do and do what you love!!!!