Yen Parico

Director, Belgium/Philippines

A firm believer in the significant influence of the youth in creating a better future for the planet, Yen Parico is advancing youth empowerment as the Director of CoalitionWILD—a for-youth by-youth global organization creating lasting youth leadership for the planet through capacity development training, mentorship, and storytelling. Prior to joining CoalitionWILD, she was a consultant at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) where she assisted in increasing the capacity of farmers to use ICTs and a Small Island Developing States Research and Communications Intern at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Her experiences and learnings in the Philippines shaped Yen’s deep-rooted foundation as a sustainable development advocate. Her career focus and passion have been to support small communities and underrepresented people in creating solutions to the challenges they are facing in their everyday lives. Yen is driven to find ways for those groups who are often hardest hit by the effects of the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, and to create change where and when it is needed most. She devotes most of her time to researching how youth can contribute to protecting Half of the planet while empowering local communities. Yen holds a Master’s degree in Sustainable Development from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

Fatima D. Gigante

Program Coordinator / Programs & Partnerships, Spain

Fátima is passionate about participatory and community-based approaches to biodiversity conservation. She loves connecting people and facilitating the development of meaningful relationships. At CoalitionWILD, she is the person working ‘behind-the-scenes’ of the EXCELerator and Global Mentorship programs, following her keen interest in exploring community engagement and capacity-building strategies in the virtual space. Fátima has a multidisciplinary background, she is a biologist and has completed a Master’s degree in Forest and Nature Conservation from Wageningen University and Research. In the past, she has worked with local communities both in urban and rural areas on projects on human-wildlife coexistence, community forestry, and environmental education. At the present, she is looking forward to further developing herself professionally in the fields of facilitation, conflict management, and mediation, and experiential learning for reconnecting ourselves, as humans, to the natural world.

Joe Wilkins

Communications and Marketing Officer, Wales, United Kingdom

Joe is a Welsh ecologist and Rights of Nature campaigner with a background in ecology and environmental biology and a passion for greater inclusion, transparency, and fairness in conservation and environmental governance. He recently won a Green Heart Hero Award, the UK’s leading climate and sustainability awards, for his work engaging stakeholders in Wales in discussions on nature recovery. A first-language Welsh speaker and a proud Cardi, he enjoys exploring the links between local culture and nature and will always say yes to a story over a paned. When not having a paned or at his desk, you will find him near, on, or in the water, the place he says he feels most at home. ​ Joe works as a freelance consultant on several nature projects in his native Wales and internationally. In addition to his work, Joe serves as Vice President of the Board for Reserva: The Youth Land Trust, Chair of the Advisory Council for National Trust Cymru, a member of the Wales Council for Outdoor Learning and Board of Trustees for Small World Theatre.

Peter Bulimo

Program Assistant, Kenya

Peter Bulimo is an ambitious environmentalist working at the intersection of climate, nature, and justice. A Nature-Based Solutions enthusiast, he is passionate about empowering youth as co-leaders and experts in the environmental space, ensuring they have the agency to drive real change. His work focuses on dismantling systemic barriers to meaningful youth engagement and fostering environments where young people can thrive as key actors in conservation and climate action. He holds a Bachelor’s in Environmental Science, a Postgraduate Certificate in Tropical Forest Landscape Management from Yale’s ELTI program, and a Climate Finance certification from the YOUNGO Finance Academy. His experience includes roles with Greenpeace Africa, Kenya Environmental Action Network, Hivos’ Voices for Climate Action, and Youth4Nature, where he co-led the INUKA Afrika project. He now joins CoalitionWILD as the Program Assistant, supporting the implementation of the EXCELerator program and helping to cultivate the next generation of young conservation leaders worldwide.