Entry #18: How to Create a Protected Area with Manuel Sanchez

Manuel Sanchez is an Ecuadorian ornithologist and science
communicator who joined our expedition in Ecuador this year to
run the bird surveys. Manuel grew up in Southern Ecuador and fell
in love with the hundreds of bird species he found in the forests
around his home. He went on to study tourism, but with a strong
focus on ecology, and then science communication in Edinburgh,
Scotland before making his way back home. Manuel's biggest
passion is using rapid biodiversity assessments to protect
threatened ecosystems across Ecuador and northern South America
by engaging local people and politicians to move projects
forward. Manuel has been all over, from contested territory in
Colombia to endangered ecosystems in Turkey, to register and
protect birds. As you'll hear, he strongly believes that in
conservation biology, getting data is only have the work. To make
an impact, you have to know how to get politicians and local
people on your side. In this episode, we discuss how Manuel uses
soundscapes to rapidly assess an area, and his love for engaging
local communities in his work.