Mario Baudoin: Bolivian Biologist and Conservationist

Career and roles

Baudoin held leadership positions in several important scientific and conservation organizations. He served as director of the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Bolivia and led the Institute of Ecology at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, where he helped strengthen ecological research and training. Internationally, he directed La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica, a center for tropical biology that supports long-term field studies.

Contributions to protected areas and policy

In the early 1990s Baudoin played an active part in the founding of Bolivia's national protected-area service, Servicio Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (SERNAP). His efforts contributed to the creation in 1995 of Madidi National Park, a large and ecologically diverse protected area in the Bolivian Amazon. Madidi later became widely recognized for its biological richness and as an example of collaborative conservation planning that includes scientific assessment, indigenous participation, and government policy.

Education and background

Born in Sucre, Bolivia, Baudoin pursued higher studies abroad, attending institutions such as the City University of New York and the University of Michigan. His academic background informed both his field research and his emphasis on building local scientific capacity through museums, universities, and research stations.

Awards and legacy

Baudoin received international recognition for his service to conservation, including the Society for Conservation Biology's Distinguished Service Award in 2008. He is remembered for bridging research, education, and policy—and for mentoring a generation of Bolivian ecologists. He died in La Paz on May 18, 2019, leaving a legacy of institutional development and protected-area advocacy that continues to influence conservation in the region.

Notable facts

• Key leader in the establishment of SERNAP and the creation of Madidi National Park.
• Directed major natural history and ecological institutions in Bolivia and Costa Rica.
• Recognized internationally for lifetime contributions to conservation science and policy.

Together, Baudoin's academic work and practical conservation initiatives illustrate the role scientists can play in shaping environmental policy and protecting biodiversity across national and institutional boundaries.