Max Villalobos
Advisor for Central America
Max's educational background is in management of natural resources. His expertise in biodiversity conservation, protected area management, agroforestry and ecosystems restoration has been developed over almost twenty years working with communities, farmers and indigenous people.
He has worked for Conservation International and the Tropical Science Center as technical staff, program manager and project coordinator in the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve conservation initiative. He was responsible for developing reforestation programs and payments for ecosystem services, monitoring globally endangered species, coffee production conservation practices, and biological corridors.
From 2007-2011 he worked as a consultant for The Nature Conservancy, Humane Society International and local NGOs in Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua in biodiversity conservation issues and sustainable development.
Since 2012, Max has worked at Osa Conservation in Costa Rica as Land Stewardship Manager, Operations Manager, and until 2019 as Executive Co-Director. He has led the consolidation of the Osa Wildlife Refuge and has promoted conservation through financial mechanisms that recognize the important work of private owners in the protection of biodiversity through his position as the president of the Local Council of Corcovado National Park and as a member of the special committee of the Sustainable Biodiversity Fund. In order to facilitate the processes necessary to guarantee the conservation of the natural wealth of the Osa Peninsula, Max works to create links with government institutions, local governments, NGOs and communities. He believes faithfully that conservation must be born of each person and each community.
He currently serves as Director of Tortugas Preciosas de Osa, a nonprofit program working to protect the sea turtles in the Golfo Dulce. He is also board president of Namá Conservation, an NGO whose mission is to contribute to the conservation of carnivores, their prey species, and their ecosystems in Costa Rica through the development of research and collaboration.
