23-year-old Nadia Rodriguez is a Sign of Changing Approaches in Conservation
On the Edge Fund, Storyteller grantee spotlight
12/08/2025
At On the Edge, we support conservationists who work in innovative ways to protect our planet. That means approaching funding in the same way we do with the species we champion: we choose those who disrupt tradition, and 23-year-old Nadia Rodriguez is a perfect example.
Traditionally, a degree in psychology wouldn’t be the first on a tick list of things you need to work in conservation. Today, however, things are changing, and Nadia Rodriguez is a testament to the fact that the industry may be shifting in a new direction.
The Psychologist and the Tree Rat
After graduating with said degree, Nadia is using a unique set of skills to make an impact for Environmental Women. This Colombian-based, all-female, indigenous-centred research team helps protect endangered species in ways that work closely with and champion communities, rather than focusing exclusively on the species.
Volunteering in her hometown of Santa Marta, Colombia, for four years brought Nadia closer to Nature and the idea of using her psychology degree to create close-knit relationships between humans and the endangered animals they share the land with. Now, Nadia is leading a project with the Narakamanja indigenous community, supporting the conservation of the critically endangered Red-crested Tree Rat.
Nadia and her team, alongside the Narakamanja, are creating a 9,800-acre resource management zone, a national park-like space roughly the size of 13,800 football pitches, to protect threatened biodiversity. It’s a biggy. Four ranger teams of 40 members (all from the community) and 20 small research stations will patrol and monitor the area for illegal poaching. Still, perhaps the most unique element is the creation of an Indigenous Environmental Secretariat, managed by 10 young Indigenous leaders, which highlights a deep appreciation for the role of local communities in protecting Nature.
OTE: Where did your conservation journey start?
NR: My love of nature. Ever since I was a teenager in Venezuela, I have been passionate about hiking and spending time outdoors; then, when I moved to Santa Marta, Colombia, my love for nature deepened. After I found Environmental Women, I was really excited about the work they do with Indigenous communities, especially the fact that they’re all women. I really wanted to work with them, but it’s not easy to get into the conservation industry and find a stable job.
Many organisations have small teams, so it’s challenging to find a spot and fit in. And when they look for employees, they want professionals with extensive experience, which I don’t have. That was a big challenge for me. Initially, I started volunteering with Environmental Women when I was 16 and continued until I was 20. I worked as hard as I could, and then they offered me a job. I've been working here as part of a team for three years now.
OTE: Did you go to university? If so, how do those skills help you in conservation?
NR: I studied psychology at university, and the degree has helped in ways I didn’t know it could. At Environmental Women, I'm basically in charge of communicating with various Indigenous communities, and now I have the tools to be empathetic with the people I communicate with, so it's super helpful. I can understand where they are at, and their concerns, and then help them to work through that, so we can collaborate.
OTE: What is your day-to-day?
NR: This week, the Narakajmanta community is introducing new laws, and we're assisting them with the process. So, we're going there with the leader of the community, and he will inform the community about some new laws that the indigenous tribal council has been discussing.
I’ll help if he needs to explain a new initiative or rule to the community; if so, I’ll step up and explain to them exactly what it means. Right now, they’re cutting out an old rule which said that if a woman is caught doing witchcraft, she’ll be burned. That’s something we worked on with them. When we pointed it out, they explained that it was extremely old and they no longer do that. We then sat with them and discussed how best to phase it out.
The Narakamanja are very spiritual people who have a strong connection with their land; they observe rituals and practices that may seem like witchcraft, but in reality, they are cultural traditions. Our job is to work with them to maintain their essence while also helping them protect the surrounding environment. For example, the project I’m leading is to protect and conserve the Red-crested Tree Rat.
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OTE: Tell us about this project…
NR: In Narakamnja rituals, the Red-crested Tree Rat is sometimes sacrificed in a ceremony that’s said to bring true love. This is a cultural thing for the community, something that dates back to their history. However, when we understood that there were only 50 breeding pairs of this species left, which could only be found here in Santa Marta, we knew something had to be done to save it.
It’s tricky to protect the Red-crested Tree Rat – it’s so tiny and fast, which makes it difficult to even photograph. People thought it was extinct until it was seen in 2014! We want to educate the community on the importance of conserving this animal, which is why I came up with the idea to create a resource management zone (RMZ), similar to a national park. Our main focus is on the Red-crested Tree Rat, but many other animals, flowers, trees, and fungi will also benefit.
OTE: What is the process like when working with indigenous communities?
NR: Everything we do starts with the community. Whenever we introduce something new to them, we hold several meetings to explain our plans and approach. For this project, we'll need a large number of community members. For example, our forest ranger teams are part of the community; they’re responsible for surveillance, and if they notice anything unusual, they’ll report it to the Indigenous guards, who serve as the community's police officers.
Most importantly, the Indigenous council were happy with what we’re proposing – they’re open to writing down decrees so it's forbidden to hunt down the Red-crested Tree Rat or to even sacrifice it anymore. It's so important when you're working with indigenous communities to connect with the tribal council, as they’re the authority.
OTE: What happens if there’s any friction with the community in the decision-making process?
NR: There will always be some resistance when you want to change something. But as a psychologist, I have the tools to navigate that. And it's basically about including these people who are really sceptical or don't want to take part in the activities, so they feel included, and in the end, they feel part of a team that genuinely wants to do something good.
This is a complicated and sensitive process; sometimes, communities don't appreciate it when someone else is included instead of them – something I learned after working with them for years. So, this is what we want to do: include them, so this project can work and be sustainable in the future.
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