Three Cairns Fellows
Andrea Rodríguez Zepeda
As a climate change and sustainability consultant and co-founder of the Tierra Alta Fund, Andrea Rodríguez Zepeda understands the importance of ensuring access to financing and technical resources to build resilient ecosystems and communities. She enrolled in the Tropical Forest Landscapes certificate program to enhance her skills in facilitating equitable and sustainable conservation projects, and has already used what she’s learning in TFL to help secure seed funding alongside the Tierra Alta team for soil sampling and community workshops through the Mountain Sentinels Fellowship Program.
Intensifying drought, floods, and wildfires and growing socioeconomic disparities are creating significant climate resiliency challenges in Mexico, said Andrea Rodríguez Zepeda, a climate change and sustainability consultant. Extreme weather driven by climate change is disrupting agricultural production, limiting water supplies, and increasing food insecurity — risks that are heightened for vulnerable and marginalized communities.
“Effective governance is crucial for implementing climate adaptation strategies, yet significant coordination challenges persist,” she said. “Ensuring that climate considerations are woven into governance structures is essential for developing cohesive and effective strategies that can tackle these pressing issues.”
As a consultant, Zepeda assists in developing climate resilience and adaptation plans, facilitating regenerative agriculture projects, and securing funding for communities to implement sustainable practices and enhance their resilience to environmental changes. She’s also the co-founder of Tierra Alta Fund, which helps secure financing for community groups in south-central Mexico that are working to conserve mountain ecosystems and small wildcats.
Through the Tropical Forest Landscapes certificate program, she is gaining tangible skills in comprehensive landscape assessment and expanding her knowledge of social sciences. Already, she has used what she’s learning to help secure seed funding alongside the Tierra Alta team for soil sampling and community workshops through the Mountain Sentinels Fellowship Program. These efforts help create deeper relationships with local communities and ensure environmental projects are co-created and aligned with community needs, she said.
“I’ve already begun implementing the tools and strategies from the certificate program with my work team,” Zepeda said. “The resources shared during the course have been invaluable, helping me strengthen our current projects and improve our understanding of the issues we address and our approach to them.”
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