I was born and raised in Cochabamba, a beautiful valley in the center of Bolivia. My father thought me to respect all forms of live when he saw me bothering a frog in the garden when I was nearly five years old. Since then I have a great fascination with nature and have a strong commitment towards its protection. In 2007 I obtained my degree in Environmental Engineering. 
I was able to travel through my country and learn that a great part of the Bolivian population lives in the rural regions. Their livelihood is based on the management of renewable natural resources. Through agriculture, stockbreeding and fishery, rural communities are the primary food suppliers for the main urban centers of the country. In spite of the important role they play in society, they have not been able to overcome the situation of poverty they are immersed in. In addition, environmental problems such as water pollution, land degradation and desertification caused by inadequate management of productive systems, have a direct negative effect on their income sources and their overall quality of life. 
In 2010 I decided to broaden my knowledge in relation to technological and social change by undergoing master studies in Development and Rural Innovation. After my master studies in “Rural” development I realized the importance of working in “Urban” development since the country side (at least in Bolivia) is constantly subsidizing food and clean water and air to urban populations. Likewise, most climate change adaptation programs in Bolivia focus on rural areas. Hence, farmers are becoming responsible of the overall adaptation process. Simultaneously, urban centers in Bolivia are growing dramatically without much planning, especially in peri-urban areas. As a result, the population of the new settlements lack basic services and are identified as the most marginal and vulnerable groups. As a response these problems, with a group of colleagues we started an Urban Forests Project in the southern slums of Cochabamba.