 |
Myles Phillips, MSc.
Technical Coordinator, Marine
Myles Phillips joined the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Belize Program as a Technical Coordinator for Marine Research in 2018. He completed an MSc in Natural Resources Management (Coastal and Marine Resources) at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.
Since 2009, Myles has held technical posts in Barbados, The Bahamas, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada in various capacities related to marine research, marine resource monitoring and protected area management.
His role with WCS comprises leadership of marine monitoring programs, database management, conducting marine training sessions and workshops for stakeholders, development of outreach materials, and service as a delegate on several national committees.
Myles stands at the helm of several of WCS's monitoring programs, and coordinates them through the data collection, archival, interpretation and reporting phases to inform management activity and planning by the Belize Fisheries Department.
He has also been responsible for the aggregation of these annual datasets into congruent time-series of data, which have been used for the production of highly impactful peer reviewed articles on Belize’s most economically important fisheries.
In his previous role with The Nature Conservancy’s Eastern Caribbean Program, Myles trained stakeholders across that region in marine monitoring according to the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) Protocol, and spearheaded reef surveys and habitat mapping exercises in multiple countries in collaboration with the Healthy Reefs Initiative.
He also worked with the Senior Program Manager to implement a series of stratified stakeholder meetings in six countries to collect baseline information for regional marine spatial planning efforts by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
|
|
 |
Nathaniel Forbes
Office Assistant
Nathaniel Forbes has been working with WCS Belize since 2008 performing various duties to support the organization.
|
|
 |
Nicole Auil Gomez, MSc.
Director, Belize Country Program
Ms. Auil Gomez joined WCS in 2016 and brings a wealth of experience from both NGO and government sectors. She has served as Executive Director of Belize's Southern Environmental Association (SEA), worked in technical positions at the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Wildlife Trust Belize, and undertaken manatee research in conjunction with Sea to Shore. She holds a Master's in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Texas A&M University, with a research focus on coastal zone management and expertise in the endangered Antillean manatee. She also has ample experience in management, fundraising, politics, and policy, and is a Whitley award winner.
|
|
 |
Ralna Kay Lewis, MSc.
Assistant Director, Belize Country Program
Ralna is the Assistant Country Director for the WCS Belize Country Program. Ralna completed her MSc in Natural Resource and Environmental Mangement specialising in Coastal and Marine Management at the University of the West Indies. She is integrally involved in the national expansion of replenishment zones program which looks at strictly protecting at least 10% of Belize’s territorial sea. Ralna also leads WCS’s communications and outreach work that aims to increase knowledge and promote positive attitudes and behaviours regarding marine and fisheries conservation strategies. Ralna has worked extensively with community based organizations throughout the country of Belize in an effort to strengthen their institutional capacities in the areas of organizational, financial and project management in an effort to improve the management of Belize's protected areas.
|
|
 |
Yahaira Urbina, MSc.
Maya Forest Corridor Site Manager
Yahaira Urbina joined WCS-Belize in 2021 as the Maya Forest Corridor Site Manager. She holds a Master of Science in Natural Resources and Rural Development with an orientation in Management and Conservation from El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Mexico. Her MSc thesis focused on relative abundance index and activity patterns of five mammalian species within the Belize River Valley. She previously completed a postgraduate diploma in International Wildlife Conservation Practice from Oxford University as a Kaplan scholar and a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources Management from the University of Belize. She has been working on the ground in the MFC for approximately 12 years. Yahaira was a field technician in the ground-truthing of the Maya Forest Corridor led by the NGO Panthera. Subsequently, she worked at the University of Belize, Environmental Research Institute, and Panthera as a junior wildlife biologist focusing on human-wildlife conflict in and around the Maya Forest Corridor. She was responsible for establishing experimental farms with anti-predation strategies, conducting questionnaires among farmers and hunters, and establishing camera trap surveys within the Belize River Valley and the experimental farms. She also led two national surveys focused on the level of wildlife law awareness and wildlife trade within Belize. Yahaira worked closely on collaborative work between UB ERI and WCS to understand wildlife use, agriculture activity, forestry extraction, and tourism within communities in and around the Maya Forest Corridor (MFC). One of her main interests is understanding the interface between humans and wildlife interactions.
|
|
 |
Yamira Celeni Novelo Fuentes
Counter Wildlife Trafficking Technical Coordinator
Yamira Fuentes joined the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in July 2016 as an intern and later occupied a full time position as WCS Technical Assistant, Terrestrial.
She recently completed her undergrad studies at the University of Belize (UB) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources Management and also holds an Associate’s Degree in Environmental Science.
Yamira works on the training and implementation of the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool for partner organizations and government; as well as conducts Hicatee research in the Belize River Valley Area.
She previously worked at the UB Environmental Research Institute with the wildlife team on Jaguar research and conflict; and the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute assisting with manatee monitoring.
|
|