Marcos Uzquiano is a native of San Buenaventura, Bolivia. He is a park ranger in the National Service of Protected Areas of Bolivia focused on the Biosphere Reserve at Beni Biological Station. There, he serves as Chief of Protection and commands a group of rangers in charge of the protection and conservation of this protected area of the Bolivian Amazon, which is indigenous territory of the T'simane people. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: The Training Center for Volunteer Wildfire Fighters

The project trained volunteers from local populations and communities to prevent and control forest fires and to participate in environmental restoration actions in the northwestern region of the Bolivian Amazon, which is considered one of the most biologically diverse regions on the planet. The project trained more than 620 people, including Bolivian marines, public servants, park rangers, volunteers, teachers, students, local farmers, and indigenous people, in wildfire prevention, suppression, risk, communication, and safety, environmental sensitization. The project produced more than 1,000 seedlings for the burned areas and helped local communities and governments learn about biosphere restoration.

 

"I hope to have a very well-trained team of local volunteers to work with local communities and governments to [not only] prevent and control wildfires but also to work in environmental restoration with students and park rangers." - Marcos Uzquiano

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Marcos participated in the IVLP Project The Climate Crisis: Working Together for Future Generations, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center, in partnership with WorldDenver, Boulder Council for International Visitors, WorldChicago and Global Ties Miami.

Marcos' exchange experience led to the development of his IVLP Impact Award Project: "I had the opportunity to visit The Colorado Resiliency Office (CRO) where I was inspired by how the government and local people work together to support a very interesting way to face natural disasters such as wildfires. [. . . ] They are organized to create a resilient system to make communities understand the shocks and stresses they face [ . . . ] and develop solutions."

U.S. Communities Visited

Boulder, CO; Denver, CO; Washington, DC; Miami, FL; Chicago, IL

Country: Bolivia

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