Capybara Commons was founded by a small group of wetland biologists who kept ending up at the same conferences, worried about the same disappearing riverbanks. Today we're a distributed team of field staff, policy advisors, and volunteers — governed by a board that keeps us honest about the mission.
In 2014, three researchers studying wetland hydrology noticed the same pattern across their separate field sites: wherever capybara populations had declined, the surrounding marshland dried out and simplified within a few seasons. The wallows, trails, and burrows that dozens of other species depended on disappeared along with them.
What started as a shared research note became a small grant program, then a field team, then an organization. We're still led by that original instinct — that protecting one unglamorous, famously chill rodent is one of the most efficient ways to protect an entire wetland system.
Capybara Commons is now governed by an independent board and run day-to-day by an executive team spread across our six program countries.
Our board meets quarterly, sets strategy, and holds the executive team accountable to the mission and the budget.
Board Chair
Wetland hydrologist and one of the organization's three founders. Marisol spent a decade mapping drainage patterns across South American floodplains before turning to advocacy full-time.
Vice Chair
Former environmental attorney who now advises the board on land-use policy and habitat-protection law across our program countries.
Treasurer
Nonprofit finance director with a background in conservation-fund management. Priya oversees the audit committee and long-term endowment strategy.
Secretary
Local landowner and rancher whose property borders one of our first restoration sites. Tomas represents the perspective of the communities we work alongside.
Board Member
Wildlife veterinarian who ran a rescue clinic for confiscated exotic pets for twelve years before joining the board to guide our rehabilitation standards.
Board Member
Communications strategist who advises on public campaigns and helps translate field research into coverage the wider public actually reads.
The executive team runs field operations, policy work, and fundraising, and reports to the board each quarter.
Executive Director
Co-founder and executive director since 2014. Elena sets organizational strategy and represents Capybara Commons with regional governments and funding partners.
Director of Conservation Programs
Leads all field restoration work, from reed-bank replanting to wetland corridor mapping, across our six program countries.
Director of Field Research
Oversees population surveys and the long-term ecological studies that shape which habitats we prioritize for restoration.
Director of Communications & Development
Runs public campaigns, donor relations, and the monthly newsletter, translating field data into stories people want to act on.
We're always looking for field volunteers, wetland landowners, and monthly supporters.