Personal presentation

Bibiana ViláVICAM: Vicuñas, Camelidos y Ambiente. Research group

CONICET: National Research Council Argentinabibianavila@gmail.com

IPROMOEnvironmental and economic issues

to enhance mountain sustainability

Ormea – Pieve Tesino 5-19 July 2017

Education1980/1985 - Biologist - Zoology - Sciences Faculty. University of Buenos Aires. Arg.

1985/1990 – PhD. Doctor in Biological Sciences. Thesis: Vicuñas behaviour during the reproductive season. Approved Highest mark in Argentina. Univ of Buenos Aires.

1990/1993 - Post-doc academic visitor in "Wildlife Conservation Research Unit", Department of Zoology, Oxford University (Supported by British Council, W.H. Hudson Scholarship (British Embassy) and CONICET).

Spanish native speaker.

Employment and main activities

Principal (Senior) Researcher. National Research Council (CONICET). permanent position.Board member (ex president and founder) of VICAM :Vicuñas, Camélidos y AmbienteResearch Team. Part-time Professor National University of Luján, Buenos Aires. National Research Council (CONICET) Representative, in the Ministry of Environment Commission for the Sustainable Development of Mountain Areas of Argentina. Argentina representative and ex vice president of SOLAE (Sociedad Latinoamericanade Etnobiología) Latinoamerican Society of Ethnobiologists. Focal point in Argentina of OWSD (Organization of Women in Science in the Developing World)-TWAS, Trieste. Member of CEC, TILCEPA and GECS in IUCN.

Presentation of a project you are working on 1/3

I have been working with South American camelids for many years. My work includes ethology, ecology, conservation and sustainable use of vicuñas. I have an important commitment to indigenous communities since the beginning of my career. Currently I am also carrying out an ethnobiological study of the llamas caravans and an Environmental Education program with local schools.

Presentation of a project you are working on 2/3

Camelids as biocultural components of Andean biodiversity: conservation and sustainable use opportunities for local communities in a global climate change scenario.

In 2003 our research group was the first to develop the sustainable use of vicuñas by the capture in Chakus, using the prehispanictechnique in Argentina. Due to this project and the associated science, I received the Midori prize from the CBD-UN.

VICAM Lines of research:Ecology and behavior of wild vicuñasAnimal welfare indicators in capturesGrassland, primary production, herbivory(vicuñas, llamas, sheep), carrying capacityDesertificationEthnobiologyEnvironmental Perception of Local Stakeholders

Presentation of a project you are working on 3/3

Many local environmental problems can be diagnosed and solved by the conjunction of traditional local knowledge and academic scientific knowledge. The social aspects of our work include the development of projects according to the demands of the community. In 2016 we built, through a dialogue of knowledge, an environmental calendar of Santa Catalina, the small town where we work.