Selene Torres

WCS Colombia

My name is Selene Torres, a passionate conservationist from Colombia, a country full of stunning biodiversity and diverse ecosystems. I studied biology and later obtained a master's degree in environmental management. 

Over the course of 14 years, I have immersed myself in participatory and multidisciplinary initiatives to implement ecological restoration strategies in different terrestrial landscapes and ecosystems in Colombia (tropical dry forest, Andean forest, riparian forest and "morichales").  I have worked with local communities in the design, implementation, maintenance and monitoring of integrated restoration strategies that emphasise sustainability while protecting critical areas for biodiversity conservation.

Since 2020, I have been working for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS Colombia) as a Restoration Ecology Leader, implementing integral and socio-ecological restoration strategies in different areas of the country, such as training local communities in nursery propagation, forest enrichment, riparian vegetation restoration, ecological corridors, but also adding ecological value to productive systems (silvopastoral and agroforestry strategies), because local communities in Colombia depend on the direct use of natural resources for their livelihoods

I have published on various facets of ecological restoration in relation to improving wildlife habitats for endangered species, formulating and implementing strategies for the restoration of tropical dry forests, and the restoration of majestic oak forests in the Colombian Andes. I have also contributed to the formulation of guidelines for establishing cocoa agroforestry systems to conserve the Amazon forest, and on the central role of birds in restoration ecology