About Tita's Work
Tita Alvira is an interdisciplinary ecologist from Colombia with more than 20 years of experience advancing biocultural approaches to conservation and well-being. Her work is grounded in the understanding that social and cultural assets are central to sustaining both cultural and biological diversity, particularly across South America’s Andes–Amazon region.
Tita’s career includes over a decade at the Field Museum, where she worked with the Keller Science Action Center’s Andes–Amazon team. During her 12 years there, she led initiatives focused on conservation for well-being and sustainable governance, and played a key role in integrating social dimensions into rapid biological and social inventories—an innovative approach that combines scientific research with community knowledge to inform conservation action.
From September 2021 to March 2026, Tita served at Legado, where she was part of a global team working alongside Indigenous Peoples and local communities and their partners in biodiversity-rich landscapes, including Kenya, Mozambique, and Peru. At Legado, she supported locally led processes to design and implement solutions that strengthen both community well-being and ecosystem health—an approach the organization refers to as “Thriving Futures.”
Her global work today is fueled by decades of leadership in community-driven conservation programs, with a strong emphasis on equity, governance, and cultural continuity. Tita is deeply committed to working through collective action—what she describes as a minga—to protect forests, lands, and the rights of Indigenous and frontline communities, and to contribute to a more just, resilient, and healthy future.