Maria Cristina WEYLAND VIEIRA

Since embarking on my academic and professional career, I have devoted myself to projects on Brazilian Natural Ecosystems Research and Conservation, as well as on Sustainable Development. In 1990, I defended a Master's Degree in Geosciences at the Rio de Janeiro Federal University with a thesis on Plant Geography and Forest Conservation. In 1991 I was awarded a scholarship by the British Council and the Margaret Mee Amazon Trust for the Master's Degree Course on Conservation at University College London and Research at the Kew Gardens Herbarium. In the 90’s, as a Brazilian focal point for the Latin American Forest Network, I became engaged in international environmental policies, participating in the following UN Meetings: 1991 – PREPCOM 4; 1992 - United Nations Conference on Environment - 92 / Rio-92; 3 Sessions of the CSD: 1992 – 1997 ; 1995 - 1996 - Intergovernmental Panel on Forests I, II, III, IV (Consultant at the Brazilian Official Delegation - IPF II and III ); 2000 – CDI Workshop PNUD – GEF – Rio de Janeiro; 2006 – 8th CBD – Curitiba. PR. Brazil; 2011 - Preparatory Meetings for Rio +20 – Rio de Janeiro. 2012 - Rio + 20 – Rio de Janeiro – Translator and Interpreter for the Women Major Group; 2013 – MGI 2013 – Rio de Janeiro. Local Coordinator; MGI 2015 – Katmandu – Nepal, Capacity-building workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean on achieving Aichi Biodiversity Targets 11 and 12 - n Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, 2015. In 2002, I was awarded a Ph.D. in Production Engineering at Rio de Janeiro Federal University with a thesis on Protected Areas. Between the years 2000 and 2009 I undertook Specialization Courses at the Rio de Janeiro Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for English /Portuguese Translators. English /Portuguese Interpreters and on Legal Translation. At present I devote myself to 3 Brazilian NGOs as a member of their Board of Directors: Brazilian Confederation of Private Nature Reserves – Technical Director and Director of International Relations; Association of Private Nature Reserves of Minas Gerais - President; Southern Minas Gerais Institute for Nature Studies and Conservation - Vice President. Since 2016 I am also a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas – IUCN.