Ms. María Elena Barragan-Paladines
About me
A biologist with a passion for reptiles and amphibians, especially snakes, she has worked in herpetology for three decades. She holds a diploma in endangered species from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent-Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust, in the UK, and a master's degree in environment and education for sustainability from Griffith University, Australia.
She is currently the Executive Director of the Ecuadorian NGO,Fundacion Herpetologica Gustavo Orcés.
She is Co-Chair of the IUCN Working Group on Snakes and a Member of the IUCN Viperid Snake Specialist Group.
Awarded the Safe the Snakes Award in the United States, in recognition of her outstanding 31-year career in venomous snake conservation (2019).
She is part of the World Health Organization's Global Snakebite Initiative, in recognition of her 30-year career and her contribution as a key figure in snakebite prevention, conservation, and research and she is also a Member and expert advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO) working to reduce the impact of snakebites on the most affected human populations globally and in Ecuador by 2030.
Other Memberships/Affiliations
Degrees:
Quito-Ecuador
Rodeo, New México, United States of America
Belize, Belize