My dissertation research investigates the production of scientific knowledge about biodiversity in Colombia, one of the world's most biodiverse places, in the wake of the 2016 peace agreement between the FARC guerrilla and the state. It examines the mobilization of biodiversity as a valuable resource for building a post-conflict future and the daily, material effects of these operations on peoples and landscapes.

During 2021-22, I conducted ethnographic research in Colombia and archival research in scientific institutions and collections in

Berlin

,

Bogota

,

Madrid

,

Philadelphia

, and

New York

. My interlocutors were ornithologists, birdwatchers, botanists, and molecular biologists who study biodiversity in regions insufficiently explored by science. I accompanied them across laboratories, scientific collections, and fieldwork activities. I also followed them through conferences and public presentations. Furthermore, I conducted ethnographic research with

guerrilla ex-combatants

 and

campesino

,

Afro-Colombian

, and

indigenous communities

 who live in highly biodiverse areas studied by scientists. 

My dissertation research and writing has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the Tinker Foundation and the Fulbright Commission (Colombia).