Valentina Grisales Betancur

Valentina Grisales Betancur joined Audubon in August 2024 as a GIS Specialist for Audubon Americas. In this role, she manages and maintains key geospatial databases, conducts spatial analyses to identify priority landscapes for conservation, develops interactive mapping tools, and supports the integration of data into decision-making processes. She also contributes to conservation planning, grant writing, and scientific dissemination

Before joining Audubon, Valentina worked extensively in biodiversity conservation. As Technical Director and Co-founder of El Globo Nature Reserve and Habitat Bank, she led the administration of a protected area, coordinated conservation and restoration efforts, and designed environmental education programs that engaged local communities. Additionally, she spearheaded biodiversity monitoring programs and secured multiple grants to support conservation initiatives. At Terrasos SAS, she co-led the development of the first Voluntary Biodiversity Credits Protocol, structured compensation plans for large-scale infrastructure projects, and implemented monitoring strategies using camera traps.

Valentina holds a degree in Biology with an emphasis in conservation and sustainable development. She has additional expertise in environmental law, climate finance, and environmental education, which allows her to approach socioecological challenges from multiple perspectives.

Passionate about wildlife conservation, she co-founded Chigüiro Colombia, an initiative dedicated to raising public and political awareness about the illegal wildlife trade.