Abdeldjalil Bougherira, Algeria Holder, since 2016, of a diploma of engineer and master in coastal management acquired after the defense of my end of study project entitled "Assessment of the coastal vulnerability of the future marine protected area of the national park of Taza, Jijel ". Now enrolled in LMD PhD in coastal natural resources valorization and management at the University of Abdelhamid Ibn Badis of Mostaganem Algeria. The current thesis is under the title "Dunes of the Algerian coasts between coastal development and environmental protection" is concerned with the issue of integrated management of coastal areas through the mobilization of various approaches. Current research focuses on vulnerability in a broad sense; natural, social and economic. The integration of this project will provide strong skills in the field of environmentalism and local development and will surely ensure a new openness to the social sciences.

Hassan Rankou, UK/Morocco Dr. Hassan Rankou is a British-Moroccan plant conservationist trained at the Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II in Morocco and the University of Reading in the UK. His research focused on analysing the effects of climate change and biodiversity conservation of the Moroccan flora. He is also an IUCN-certified trainer and assessor on plant and ecosystem conservation and a certified climate change modeler from Imperial College University, London. Hassan heads up GDF’s Mediterranean Conservation Programme, leading on biodiversity-related research and the implementation of conservation actions, and collaborating closely with our community and institutional partners in Morocco to ensure the successful implementation of our field projects.

Soufiane M’sou, Morocco Following a Bachelor degree in “Environmental Engineering & Management of Biodiversity” and a Masters in “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Protection, Conservation and Valorization”, Soufiane M’sou is now finishing his doctorate in Ecology and Phyto-chemistry at Cadi Ayyad University. His research focuses on Study and monitoring of Biodiversity, ethnobotany, cultural landscape in the High Atlas and phytochemistry. Soufiane is a fluent speaker of Tamazight, Arabic, French and English. He joined Global Diversity Foundation in March 2017 as a Morocco Field Scientist, based in Morocco.

Hajar Salamat, Morocco I’m a Moroccan agronomist engineer specialised in economic and social development, and trained at the Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II in Rabat- Morocco. My research focused on analysing and evaluating the empowerment of women’s cooperatives of Argan oil in Tiznit, in the southern Moroccan region of Souss-Massa. My academic background, filled with trainings in rural areas, made me develop knowledge of the functioning of the rural environment, and also explore and diagnose the needs of the local population. I am a fluent speaker of Arabic, French and English and am slowly working my way into communicating in Tashelhit. I joined Global Diversity Foundation in November 2017 as a Field Researcher (Social Science), based in Morocco. In my role, i am

responsible in ensuring community engagement and delivering participatory action research on cultural practices of conservation, sustainable land use practices and ethnobotanical knowledge in High Atlas Amazigh communities. Rachid Ait Babahmad, Morocco Following an undergraduate in Growth and Plant Protection and Masters of Science in Ecological Engineering and Methodologies of Analysis and Management of Biodiversity, Rachid is now finishing his PhD in Ecology and environment. Cadi Ayyad University, Semlalia Faculty of Sciences, Marrakech. His research focuses on the study and monitoring of biodiversity in the High Atlas. In his role as Field Scientist, he collects data on biodiversity-related topics and ensures the implementation of biodiversity conservation actions, while providing on-the-job capacity-building to Community Researchers.

Abdeddaim El Hajjam, Morocco Abdeddaim El Hajjam is a Moroccan agronomist engineer specialised in Management of crops production and environment, and trained at the Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II in Rabat- Morocco. His research focused on making an inventory of fig varieties in four production areas: Chefchaouen, El Jadida, Ouezzane and Taounate. He established a detailed varietal information file, studied cultural practices applied in each area and investigated the local knowledge in terms of fig valorization by drying. Abdeddaim is currently studying a bachelor’s degree in law studies at Mohammed V University of Rabat. He is fluent in Arabic, French and English and is working on speaking Amazigh languages. Abdeddaim is a field agronomist for GDF’s High Atlas Cultural Landscapes programme, working on plant characterisation, resource assessment and agroecosystem management, amongst others.

Abdellah Aghraz, Morocco Abdellah is a PHD student in Biotechnology of Natural Resources at the University of Cadi Ayyad in Marrakech. His doctoral work explores the plant extracts and quality. He holds a Master in Aromatic and Medicinal plant Conservation, Protection and Valorization. In his role as GDF’s Morocco Field and Laboratory Scientist, he collects data on chemical analysis and biological activities of various essential oils and plant extracts. He is currently working on an essential oil and plant quality analysis and chemical characterisation of local varieties.

Özge Doruk, Turkey My name is Özge Doruk. I was graduated from Istanbul University, Department of Sociology in 2016. I also completed my master's degree in this august from Marmara University, Programme of Social Projects Management and Organization. My master thesis is about organizing practices of local ecological movements. Now after my thesis I continue to support these movements as a activist. I have worked voluntarily in many non-governmental organizations, mainly environmental-oriented NGOs, and I still continue participating in such voluntary work. Thanks to these voluntary acts, I was able to experience numerous movements aimed natural conservation in various areas in Turkey. These movements range from specific species conservation acts, such as bird counting, sea turtle conservation, to local activism initiatives such as initiatives against mines

and thermal power plants.I look forward to recognizing different local cultures and observe the relationship between culture and geography and the way in which they all contribute to local activism. After all, I am proud to be a part of rural life and I will seek every opportunity through which I can contribute to an enhance it. In this sense, I would like to meet with new research methods produced in the global field, to see different forms of advocacy, and to develop solutions by establishing a link between policy makers and local communities in environmental interventions.

Dimitris Papageorgiou, Greece As a young kid growing up in the mountainous region of Ioannina, Greece, I came to have a passion for natural landscapes, wildlife, local culture and traditions. After leaving my hometown for the opportunity to study Agricultural Economics and Rural Development in Athens and broaden my horizons in Czech Republic, France, Germany and Austria, I still hold a strong connection and appreciation for these core elements of Mediterranean culture. Additionally, through multiple internships in the fields of sustainable agriculture, organic food and regional development I steered my career towards strengthening sustainable livelihoods and well-being. In the meanwhile, I tried to spend my free time by volunteering for culture and agriculture, travel-learning and being as much possible close to nature and rural lifestyles. Thus, the earned academic knowledge and personal interests started complementing one another. My Master’s main discipline is organic agriculture and agroecology. However, other well covered topics vary from agrobiodiversity conservation to food sovereignty, resilience of agricultural systems and sustainable management of natural resources. I am currently working on my thesis which investigates local knowledge on wild harvested medicinal plants - focusing on the ecological sustainability of harvesting. Through my research I aim to create knowledge that can be put into practice for the benefit of the natural ecosystem and local community. As a passionate admirer of the great natural and cultural heritage of the Mediterranean region I decided to participate in MERA, hoping to meet other like-minded peers, interact and develop abilities of a skillful environmental changemaker.

Moustapha Itani, Lebanon Since I earned my BS in Biology and started working on my masters in Ecosystems Management, I’ve invested most of my time and effort in exploring prospects for nature conservation in a region that is both rich in plant diversity, habitat fragmentation and urbanization. Now aspiring to become an expert in biocultural landscape conservation and an urban ecologist, I feel that understanding the potential role for the built environment and traditional practices in conserving vulnerable plant species, building on the wider theme of urban and landscape ecology, represents exciting opportunities for future investigation. Ensuring the conservation of endangered species and sites of cultural significance lies at the core of my future professional aspirations. I believe my participation in the Mediterranean Environments Regional Academy of 2018 would bring me closer to achieving this goal.

Sifeddine Ouahdani, Morocco I am an agronomist, I did a career in Morocco and Spain that allowed me to work on the techniques of plant production and management of the environment. During this career, I worked on projects related to quality management, natural resource preservation techniques and rural development projects. I had the chance to develop my abilities in the use of some useful software and especially geographical information systems, which is used in several fields.I am passionate about working on the Mediterranean environment and participate directly in the conservation of its biocultural heritage and I'm going to work about the commercialization of local products with GDF, therefore I am interested in the activity of MERA.

Ramzi al Malti, Lebanon

I am a graduate of the American University of Beirut with a Bachelor in Landscape Design and Eco-system Management. I have four years of experience working in corporate design, in addition to two years working at the AUB Nature Conservation Center as a content manager and outreach coordinator. In the course of my professional career, especially at ScapeWorks, I have learned and grown a lot both personally and professionally. I had joined this company early on while it was still a start-up, which allowed me the privilege of a rich experience as the start-up slowly expanded to what it is today. Aside from my duties as a landscape architect, I took part in managing the operations of the firm. Working at the Nature Conservation Center has allowed me to gain insight into numerous fields and therefore expand my knowledge. At first, we were conducting field visits, assessing the biodiversity of two Important Plant Areas in Lebanon. Shortly after this project was completed, I started working on developing a participatory mapping app called “Daskara” which evidently entailed my engagement in several relevant fields such as marketing, business development, programming, communication, and content management. Working on the Daskara project allowed me to acquire, through comprehensive research and a lot of determination, new skills that I might not have gained otherwise. As part of our community-driven approach, we, team members at NCC, have been partnering with local citizens and experts, throughout Lebanon, to collectively work on improving the suitability and sustainability of their villages and encouraging smart tourism. In light of the interests I’ve come to develop, I would very much like to enrich my knowledge in terms of managing more community-based projects and hence learn how to bridge the gap between local cultures, communities and nature. Moreover, I am seeking to acquire the necessary skills that would help me improve professionally and develop my potential abilities as a successful team leader capable of achieving all that is required to implement such projects benefiting local communities and helping them become more conscientious.

Meredith Root-Bernstein, France I am an interdisciplinary conservation ecologist, focusing currently on ethnobiology approaches. I work mainly in mediterranean-climate Chile and in Italy. I hope to learn more about how to work with communities to implement conservation programmes that support and enact their values.

Alhousseine Diarra, Mali

 I am of Malian nationality, I got my master degree in ecological engineering and my doctorate in remote sensing at the Cadi Ayyad university of Marrakech. I am a consultant in ecological monitoring, and I am interested in the developments of all sciences dealing with biodiversity, the environment and agrobiodiversity. My ambitions for the formation of MERA is to be able to learn new approaches on the management of the biodiversity, to develop a network of contact around the topics of agroforestry, the community based research and the project management. Furthermore, it will be a good opportunity for me to describe my own experiences about some difficulty (materials and human) to achieve projects in "African condition".