Inês Fernandes

Inês is the Program Associate of the National Audubon Society/Audubon Americas. A dual, Portuguese/American citizen, she holds a Master's degree in International Development Studies (IDS) from The George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, D.C., focused on environmental policy and social and coastal sustainable development. Previously, she worked for two years at the Embassy of Portugal in DC as a consular officer, after having completed her Bachelor’s degree in Law in Portugal.

As a Program Associate, she collaborates closely with on-the-ground teams in the LAC region, managing and providing technical input in coastal resilience and eco-tourism/bird-based tourism projects in topics including nature-based solutions, ecosystem-based adaptation, ecosystem services valuation, blue carbon, etc.) currently in Panama and The Bahamas. Ines aims to mainstream biodiversity conservation in ecosystems conservation and restoration projects that altogether promote social and economic opportunities for local vulnerable communities.

She is knowledgeable of blue economy policy topics and how those relate to and encompass conservation, climate change, environmental policy, and international development. She has practical experience working on these topics with Conservation International (sustainable shrimp aquaculture; nature-based solutions, specifically green-gray infrastructure in Indonesia) and Deltares NL (blue economy policy in Mozambique).

In her free time, she likes to sing, paint, travel/visit nature areas, dance, read, and attend cultural and musical events.