Areas of Expertise: Animal Science, Rangeland Management, Environmental Education, Public outreach

Pelayo works as the Conservation Program Director for the California Rangeland Conservation Coalition [1]. Together with the Rangeland Conservation Director he works to protect and restore grasslands and oak woodlands in the California Central Valley. Pelayo is responsible for facilitating conservation projects in private ranches and promoting research and outreach to demonstrate the environmental and economic benefits of rangeland conservation.

Before coming to defenders Pelayo worked as a consultant for the World Bank promoting conservation and sustainable agriculture projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. He has also worked at The Nature Conservancy in Washington DC and, more recently, as a Campaign and Outreach Director for Tuleyome a local conservation non-profit in Northern California. Pelayo has also been active in developing and implementing environmental education programs for the Latino community.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine from Universidad de Leon in Spain, a Master’s degree in Animal Science from Oklahoma State University and a PhD in Ecology from UC Davis.