Fiona grew up in Cornwall with a passion for the sea, sailing and big storms. She first joined Gaia in 1992 but moved to South America soon after – working in Cuenca, Ecuador, before settling in Colombia in 1998 to join the Gaia Amazonas team. A fluent Spanish speaker, with an MSc in Protected Landscape Management, she has a mixed bag of lived and working experience – from indigenous-led projects in Colombia’s Amazon and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, to international consultancies. Fiona pioneered the concept of remote-working’ for Gaia, and leads on Sacred Lands and Waters working especially with members of the African Earth Jurisprudence Collective. She lives on the coast in Uruguay, carries out the occasional penguin rescue, and puts her energies into local initiatives such as Mar Azul Uruguayo protecting marine life and healthy oceans.

Fiona admits she gets most enjoyment from Calvin and Hobbes, by legendary cartoonist Bill Watterson – but highly recommends Where the Seals Sing by Susan Richardson, a journey around the British Isles discovering the extraordinary lives of the Atlantic grey seal.