Doctor in Sciences from CATIE returns research results to local communities in Izabal, Guatemala

• The action reinforces CATIE’s commitment to responsible, participatory science oriented toward the common good.

Bárbara Isabela Escobar Anleu, Doctor in Management and Conservation of Tropical Forests and Biodiversity from CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center), recently carried out a field tour to share the results of her doctoral research with local communities and collaborating institutions in the department of Izabal, Guatemala.

The activity included three presentations in different areas:

• In Morales, with institutional and community staff who supported her work in the Sierra Caral Water and Forest Reserve (co-managed by FUNDAECO and CONAP) and the Montaña Chiclera Municipal Park.
• In Río Dulce, with teams from the Río Dulce National Park, managed by CONAP, and representatives from the Q’eqchi’ communities of Creek Jute and Nueva Esperanza.
• In El Estor, where she met with local staff and students from the Bocas del Polochic Wildlife Refuge, an area co-managed by CONAP and the Fundación Defensores de la Naturaleza.
  

“It was a very rewarding experience to return to the areas where I conducted my research and share the results with the people and communities who collaborated in the process. In some places, I had to rely on local colleagues to translate into Q’eqchi’, and I was deeply moved by how well the information was received. This experience reaffirms my conviction that doing science is also about building a better world and promoting the common good,” Escobar highlighted.

The researcher emphasized that returning results to the communities and institutions that support scientific processes is a way to avoid “extractivist science” practices and to strengthen collaboration between science and society.

These activities were made possible thanks to the support of the Russell E. Train Education for Nature (WWF) fellowship, with additional backing from the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP), FUNDAECO, and Defensores de la Naturaleza. Her doctoral research and studies were funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Wild Felid Research & Management Association, and Idea Wild.

“This type of action reflects CATIE’s and its students’ commitment to responsible and collaborative science that not only generates knowledge but also returns it and puts it at the service of communities,” emphasized Alejandra Martínez-Salinas, coordinator of CATIE’s Forests and Biodiversity in Productive Landscapes Unit.

The experience of returning results in Izabal was also recognized by Guatemala’s environmental authorities. CONAP CONAP highlighted the initiative through a post on its official social media, where it underscored the importance of strengthening ties between science, local communities, and biodiversity conservation. You can read the post here.