Miguel Grageda

Miguel Angel Grageda is a wildlife researcher studying how human development has been affecting endangered species and the habitats.

Currently, he is a Ph.D. student in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona. In the past, he obtained a master’s degree from Sul Ross State University in Texas. Also, he worked as Natural Resources Coordinator at the Pinacate Biosphere Reserve in Sonora, Mexico where he studied different threated species from the Sonoran Desert and contributed in efforts to recover their populations. Also, he has worked for different nonprofit organizations promoting the conservation of the species in Mexico.

Research

He is using camera traps to study the effect of human activities in the endangered Sonoran pronghorn population in the Pinacate Biosphere Reserve and to assess the biological corridor between Sonora and Arizona. In addition, he is studying the current situation of the endangered Sonoyta mud turtle population in the Sonoyta river. He plans to use his research to improve management decisions in protected areas, biological corridors and to regulate human activities in areas with overuse of natural resources. As a Carson Scholar, Grageda aims to improve his science communication skills and convey to a larger number of people the importance of his research and the conservation of the environment.