Member profile: 01 June 2025

My first connection with nature began during elementary school when I participated in a science group and went on excursions to the outskirts of the city. During high school, I joined the ecology group, where, for four years, I learned to interpret ecosystems and developed skills to give talks about ecology to students from various schools in southern Chile. My passion for trees solidified when I studied Forestry Engineering at the Universidad Austral de Chile. Later, I completed a Master’s degree focusing on growth patterns of Nothofagus in Chile, followed by M.Phil. and Ph.D. studies at the University of Cambridge, UK, centered on understanding the processes of deforestation and fragmentation of temperate forests in Chile.

Before starting my Ph.D., I had the opportunity to work with Adrian Newton and Sara Oldfield in the Global Tree Campaign of UNEP-WCMC and FFI. One of the most significant activities we carried out was the restoration of Araucaria araucana forests in Chile in 2005, which was featured in a BBC London report.

My connection with BGCI began in 2014 when I invited its Secretary General, Sara Oldfield, to participate in a plant congress in Chile. Since then, we have exchanged experiences related to conservation policy and the evaluation of tree conservation status. In the following years, and to this day, I have established a closer collaboration with BGCI, being invited to participate in the assessment of Chilean trees as part of the Global Tree Assessment. Along with members of my team from the Landscape Ecology Laboratory, we contributed assessments of various Chilean trees for the IUCN Red List. Through this effort, the conservation status of several Chilean species has been recorded globally, highlighting their importance and risk of extinction.

Additionally, it has been a great opportunity to be a founding member of the Nothofagus Consortium, which has helped to raise the visibility of this emblematic Southern Hemisphere genus and coordinate efforts with other institutions. This consortium has been pivotal in uniting efforts to ensure the conservation and recognition of Nothofagus species across different regions.

My work in species assessment has been a professionally rewarding experience, with a positive impact on the development of conservation policies for Chilean flora. These efforts have been strengthened by the collaboration with BGCI, allowing for more informed, scientifically-based decisions for the preservation of Chile’s native threatened species. As a researcher, my work has not only focused on publishing scientific articles but also on contributing to real and effective actions in the conservation and restoration of forests. Having the opportunity to closely study Chilean flora is, without a doubt, a privilege. As Chilean poet Pablo Neruda once said: ”He who does not know the Chilean forest does not know this planet.”

Note: read about a Nothofagus seminar that Echeverria recently presented at BGCI.