Monica Franco

Monica Franco is the Mexico Senior Director at WILDCOAST, a binational non-profit organization that conserves coastal and marine ecosystems and addresses climate change through natural solutions.

A biologist with a Master’s Degree in Coastal Oceanography, she is  based in Ensenada, and oversees all of WILDCOAST’s conservation programs and operations in Mexico from Baja to Oaxaca to protect mangroves, coral reefs, coastal desert, grey whale habitat and sea turtle nesting beaches.

Monica joined the WILDCOAST team in 2013 as the Magdalena Bay Program Coordinator in Baja California Sur while living in La Paz. Prior to this role, she worked for Mexico´s Environmental Federal Agency (SEMARNAT) and as field assistant and GIS technician for non-profits and environmental consultancy companies along Baja.

While doing research on northern elephant seals for her Master´s degree, Monica did field work for two years throughout the Pacific Islands of Baja. She also studied marine mammals strandings for a semester at the University of Las Palmas of Gran Canaria on the Canary Islands.

Monica has a strong connection to Baja, where she was born and raised. Whether visiting her in-laws in Todos Santos, snorkeling in Balandra, hiking Sierra de la Laguna, supervising a mangrove restoration project in Laguna San Ignacio, counting fur seals in Guadalupe Island, birdwatching in San Quintin, vacationing in Loreto, fishing in Bahía de los Ángeles, camping in San Pedro Martir or getting seasick in her way back from Cedros Island, Monica is passionate about enjoying Baja along her husband and two beagles, and occasionally her bike.

 

Language spoken: English