Antonio Araujo

Founding member of the Portuguese Society for the promotion of research on birds applied to conservation (SPEA), winner of the BP Conservation Expedition Award in 1994 and the national prize for conservation of nature "Quercus" in 1995. Professional ornithologist at the Ministry of the Environment, coordinator of the national bird ringing scheme in Portugal and developer of projects focused on the conservation of biodiversity in Protected Areas between 1980 and 1996. Joined IUCN in 1996 to support the development of a national network of Marine Protected Areas in Guinea Bissau, focusing on participatory management and community development. From 1999 was responsible for project coordination and representative of the Banc d'Arguin International Foundation in Mauritania and advisor to the Director of the Banc d'Arguin National Park, for all conservation related files, monitoring, surveillance, ecotourism, management effectiveness assessment, communication and environmental education. Between 2015 and 2018, based in Senegal, he managed a large portfolio of projects focused on biodiversity conservation in West Africa, as Manager of the MAVA Foundation. Since 2019 is partner-director of the environmental consultancy company Azul e Verde, based in Cape Verde to promote sustainable development through effective management of protected areas, territories land and seascapes.