Our Team
Debora Barbato
Biologist, PhD in Earth, Environmental and Polar Sciences at the Univ. of Siena with a thesis on the biodiversity and ecology of terrestrial mollusks. After a period of research and training abroad (Queen’s University Belfast, UK), she gained practical experience in modeling and statistical analysis of ecological data. Expert in urban biodiversity and soil ecology, she took part as a malacologist at numerous Citizen Science events in collaboration with WWF, various Italian universities and scientific museums. She has carried out environmental education activities both in schools and in museums (Museo del Bosco, Siena) through organization of cultural events. Member of the working group “CoSMoS – Collecting Snails, Monitoring Snails” for the monitoring of the land molluscan communities of the Po Delta and the Eastern Po Plain in collaboration with the Museum of Natural History of Ferrara. She counts several scientific and popular publications.
Martino Danielli
Naturalist and environmental tour guide. Graduated in Natural Sciences at the Univ. of Florence and was involved in a mycological research of the Univ. of Siena. He has collaborated as an environmental tour guide with Alpresort, National Geographic Adventure and actively collaborates with Smithsonian Travel. He is an active volunteer of WWF Italia organizing initiatives in schools and municipalities of the province of Siena to inform and raise awareness on the problems of nature, the environment and consumption and lifestyles. He participated in the Summer School and Winter School on wildlife monitoring techniques and other courses in various naturalistic areas. In 2015 – 2016 he collaborated in teaching in the Museum of Natural History in Florence. Passionate about ornithology, mycology, zoology and ecology of large mammals.
Andrea Benocci
Naturalist, PhD in Evolution Biology at the Univ. of Siena, advanced training in UK and Tanzania. He has many years of experience in macology and ornithology and provides consultancy services for private and public offices. He collaborated with the Natural History Museum of the Accademy of Fisiocritici for the preparation of animal samples and exhibitions on environmental issues, training programs for students, environmental education activities for children and guided tours for visitors of the museum. He collaborated in the project LIFE11 BIO/IT/000072-LIFE STRADE for Species SC a.t.p.. Author of several scientific and popular publications. He speaks Italian, English, French and basic German.
Member of Species Servizi & Consulenze a.t.p..
Laura Di Pietro
Graduate student in Environmental and Natural Sciences from the University of Siena. She is passionate about hiking, prehistoric archaeology and ornithology.
She has participated in excavations of prehistoric sites and collaborates with the Tuscan Ornithological Centre and with the ringing station at Montepulciano Lake.
With Species, she has coordinated and worked in summer camps and participated in environmental education activities at the Biodiversity Museum.
Daniele Cavazzoni
Naturalist and environmental tour guide. Three-year degree in in Natural Sciences and Master’s Degree in Environmental Management and Conservation at the Univ. of Siena. He started working abroad as an Environmental Guide for an international tour operator, widening his boundaries and knowledge of the natural world. He continued his travels in the tropical zone working in different structures, cooperating with local associations for the development of rural communities in Africa and guiding tourist activities (safaris, bike rides and boat trips). Since 2013, he has been working as a guide in Tuscany, collaborating with various tourist agencies, schools and local administrations, leading groups from all over the world to discover Tuscany’s nature, developing environmental education and hiking projects. On behalf of Species SC a.t.p. he has been coordinating the environmental education project commissioned by SEI Toscana S.r.l. since 2019. Since 2022 he has been director of the Biodiversity Museum (Monticiano, SI)
Valeria Fazzi
Environmental tour guide with a degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Siena. She completed her studies specialising in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Sustainability and delving into topics such as environmental education, the creation of interpretation itineraries and the use of storytelling and theatre techniques. Since 2016 she has been working with Italian and foreign tour operators, specialising in walking tours. Her excursions have a particular focus on sensory experiences and the relationship between man and nature. Since 2021 she has been conducting forest dives for the TEFFIT network and with her project “SelvaticaMente” she narrates nature through theatre. She collaborates with Species in environmental education activities. She speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Serena Conforte
Environmental tour guide. She lived and studied in Germany, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in forestry from the University for Sustainable Development in Eberswalde, near Berlin. During this time she developed a particular interest in environmental education, doing an internship as a forest educator at the Waldschule Plänterwald in Berlin, one of several “Schools in the Woods” in the city that organise activities and experiences in nature with primary and secondary school students. Since 2018, she has been working as an environmental hiking guide at a tourist resort. Passionate about ornithology, she collaborates as a volunteer in the Natural Reserve of the Fucecchio Marshes, through maintenance work in the protected areas and bird censuses. On behalf of Species, she has organised and worked in summer camps and environmental education activities.
Isabelle Minder
Zoologist and environmental tour guide, graduated in Zurich (Switzerland). PhD at the Univ. of Siena on foraging behaviour and resource selection of roe deer. She collaborated with the Univ. of Siena and Florence, CIRSeMAF, Ev-K2-CNR, COT, WWF-Oasi and several National Parks and Regional Parks of Italy for analyses of faecal and stomach samples of carnivores and herbivores, radiotracking and GPS telemetry based surveys of ungulates, bird census and feasibility studies in reintroduction programs. For Species she coordinated the environmental education school project in the province of Siena 2008-2012 and the monitoring project of flora and fauna in Vorno (LU). She worked from 2012-2020 for the public office of nature conservation of the canton of Zurich (Switzerland) for the management of protected areas. She has been working in the Biodiverse Olive Grove project on behalf of the Swiss association ‘Produkte aus Naturschutzprojekten’ in Tuscany since 2022. She speaks German, Italian and English.
Member of Species Servizi & Consulenze a.t.p..
Species Servizi e Consulenze a.t.p.
Via dello spuntone 53 53034 Colle di Val d'Elsa (SI)
info_species@species.it
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