Meet David Fernandez, our newest conservation specialist!
June 6, 2025
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Hello! My name is David Fernández, and I’m thrilled to have joined AWA’s fantastic team.
Born and raised in Spain, I have worked in international biodiversity conservation for over 20 years. My first “real life” taste in this field was in Equatorial Guinea, a tiny country in Central Africa: Upon obtaining my BSc in Zoology from the University of Alcalá, I had the opportunity to join a 3-week expedition to Bioko, Equatorial Guinea’s largest island and where the country’s capital is located, to conduct monkey and sea turtle censuses. That experience, living in some of the world’s best-preserved rainforests, was literally life-changing. I ended up staying for three years, working for an NGO that combined capacity building, environmental education, and applied conservation to protect some of the country’s most endangered ecosystems.
Following that, I moved to New York for graduate school, where my research focused on the behavioural ecology of the Sanje mangabey, an Endangered primate endemic to Tanzania. In 2016, I joined the University of the West of England (Bristol, England) as an Associate Professor in Conservation Science. There, I continued to pursue my passion for conservation by leading research focused on understanding the drivers and consequences of environmental change in Equatorial Africa, while working closely with decision-makers to develop effective conservation strategies that address the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution.
In 2023, my family and I relocated to Calgary, and I’m excited to continue my conservation journey with AWA. I look forward to contributing to the protection of the unique species and landscapes that now make up my new home—and to keeping you all updated on the progress we’re making together.