Position held

Head Department of Forest Management, Centre for Agricultural Research in Suriname (Celos), 2018- present; Researcher, Department of Forest Management, Celos, 2013- present; Coordinator Department of Biodiversity, Celos, 2008-2013; Research Assistant Department of Biodiversity, Celos, 2006-2007; Member National Biodiversity Commission (Ministry of Spatial Planning and Environment), April 2021- present. Tropical managed Forest Observatory (TmFO), Site coordinator, 2012- present; Global Forest Biodiversity Initiative (GFBI), Member, 2016-present; member of the steering group for the project "Building capacities of ACTO Member Countries in ecological responsible forest management and biodiversity conservation in managed forests of the Amazon", 2016- present. National consultant/specialist FSC Audit SumaLumber/Tibiti Timber operations- Greenheart Suriname 2012. Teacher at the School for Engineering and Natural Resources (NATIN), 2010- 2012; Member of National Biodiversity Steering Committee (NBSC), 2009-2012; Communications Officer at Tropenbos International-Suriname, 2007-2008.

International experience

• December 10-13, 2018:

• Belém Brazil. EMBRAPA. Annual TmFO meeting

• July 26-29, 2017;

• Bogotá Columbia. Biodiv4Future Workshop. Conservation International (CI)- Columbia. Identifying drivers of biodiversity change and tipping points in South America

(Research) Projects (the last ±15 years)

• October 2010- present:

• Improved Forest Management, Kabo Suriname, CELOS Management System (CMS)

• December 2020- March 2021;

• Feasibility Analysis Blue Carbon Pilot. CI-Suriname Consultancy

Profile

Verginia Wortel is a researcher of Biodiversity and Forestry at the Centre for Agricultural Research in Suriname (CELOS) since 2006. She received her undergraduate education in Environmental Management at the Anton de Kom University of Suriname and has a MSc. in Conservation Biology from the Institute for Graduation Studies and Research in Suriname (IGSRS) of the Anton de Kom University of Suriname. She also works closely with the forest authority (SBB) in Suriname and is a member of the Tropical managed Forest Monitoring Observatory (TmFO) Network and the Global Forest Biodiversity Initiative (GFBI). Her research focuses on applied ecology to wise use and conservation of blue carbon ecosystems (coastal wetlands) and tropical forestry. She started her research in aquatic ecosystems i.e., biodiversity assessment in coastal wetlands. Her current research is on Sustainable Forest Management and how timber logging practices can be improved. She is studying forest recovery after selective logging concentrating on the recovery of Aboveground carbon and commercial stocks and the impacts of logging on tree species composition. In recent years ecological modelling and functional diversity has been of interest to her. Since working for CELOS, she has actively promoted dissemination of scientific research to the public and using these results for formulating appropriate policy.

Research interest

Applied Ecology; Biodiversity conservation and monitoring in managed tropical forests; Statistical methods for ecological data; ecological modelling; International climate change policies (REDD+); Improved forest management practices related to forest recovery in terms of carbon stocks, commercial volume, and species diversity; Blue Carbon ecosystems i.e., Mangroves related to coastal community development; Capacity development.

Grants and contracts

Language Proficiency

Attended trainings, study tours and conferences

• IKM training as a focal point for CELOS within the LVV – FAO FIRST FNS Project. Nov. 2018-May 2019 including activities with stakeholders and the Masterclass and awareness raising workshop: From data to knowledge for development. May.

• CELOS 50 year jubilee seminar. October 2017 (2 days); my power point presentation on results of the CELOS cassava dry matter field experiment.

• International Training and Study Tour on Technology Advances in Agricultural Production, Water and Nutrient Management in the USA (Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Washington). Organized by IFDC. 22 August – 03 September

• Training Management and leadership skills for heads of departments of CELOS, Symbiont Consultancy. June 2015 – February 2016
• The 51^th conference of the Caribbean Food Crop Society, Paramaribo;  my poster presentation regarding the project Agronomic traits of four cassava accessions compared to the Colombian variety CN6740-7

• Training 10^th EDF APP - component 2 project, CARDI, Port of Spain
• Modern breeding techniques cassava; University Ghent. October.
• Accreditation training, Agriculture department, AdeKUS
• Caribbean Week of Agriculture, Paramaribo; my poster presentation regarding the project idea ‘Development of agrosilvipastoral systems’. October

• Workshop, training Knowledge on Quality Standard ISO 9001:2008, DNV
• Workshop, training Inventory of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, forestry and related land use through the use of the ALU software tool, Ministry of Labor, Technology and Environment (MLTE}

• Caribbean Week of Agriculture, Guyana. October.
• Workshop, training Data gap fill for greenhouse gas emissions Suriname, ALU software, MLTE

• Train the trainers, Capacity building for agriculture sector in Suriname, Value chain development, Paramaribo; presentation of my formulated idea  Surinamese dairy sector value chain, Pro-invest EU-ACP project
• Training, Biostatistics and using R, Paramaribo; NZCS/CMO-AdeKUS sponsored by CBN-Tropenbos International Suriname
• Workshop, training ALU software: a tool for inventarisation of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, forestry and other related landuses, MLTE

• Training, Introduction to R, applied data modelling, Computer centre AdeKUS Paramaribo, VLIR-AdeKUS-project 2

• Network meeting Reunión Conjunta de las redes Producción Animal y Sistemas ágricola, Forestal y Pastoril, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia; my Surinamese context presentation; Procitrópicos, IICA 
• Writing seminar for scientists, Lecturers L. De Wachter, R. De Bies; VLIR-ADEKUS-project 2
• Study tour Sugar Cane cultivation and processing in São Paulo, Brazilië; member of the Surinamese delegation of State Oil Company

• Network meeting Taller Internacional Integración Tecnológica para Desarrollo Sabanas, El Tigre - Anzoátegui, Venezuela; my presentation of the Surinamese context; Procitrópicos, IICA
• Training, Técnicas de Produção e Processamento de Caju, Fortaleza –CE, Brazil; Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical, bilateral cashew project Suriname-Brazil

• Training SPSS, Paramaribo; AdeKUS, Lecturer Prof. Schalkwijk

• Study tour Brazil (Belém, Paraná, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul), Cassava cultivation and processing, participation at the XI^th  Congresso Brasileiro de Mandioca in Campo Grande- CE, Brazilië; CLAYUCA  / CIAT

• Workshop, training Risk assessment and risk management in biotechnology, Paramaribo; MLTE - UNEP / GEF project National Biosafety Framework
• International course,  Sistemas Modernos de Producción, Procesamiento y Utilización de Yuca , CIAT-Cali, Colombia; CLAYUCA / CIAT

• International seminar, IntegraçãoTecnológica e Agronegócio para o Desenvimento Sustentável das savanas do Norte da América do sul, Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil; my presentation on the Surinamese context; Procitrópicos, IICA

Attended Workshops during recent years (extension, networking, updating)

• Technology needs assessment (TNA) project workshops, orga NIMOS, February
• Attending webinars on Soil biodiversity. Orga: The Global Soil Partnership, several moments
• Supporting data gap filling activities (questionnaires) regarding drought resilient cultivation systems. Orga: National environmental department for LDN / UNCDD, October

• Participation in First communication on the nationally determined contributions, August, orga: coordination environment
• Technology needs assessment (TNA) project workshops, orga NIMOS, May, August, September
• 3ADI+ Closing Workshop Sustainable and Inclusive Development of the Pineapple Value Chain in Suriname; February
• Post Cotonou seminar, orga BuZa, January

• Sustainable value chain development pineapple, validation WS, LVV FAO, 3ADI+ project  in Suriname; October
• Information session cabinet President regarding timeline to transform earlier formulated INDCs into NDCs (for ratification Paris Agreement, UNFCCC
• Workshop 2 Formulating NAMA, UNDP JCCCP project; July
• Land degradation neutrality (LDN) national baseline data review workshop; April

• Outcome Agro Ecological Zoning project Suriname – Brazil. Stichting Planbureau
• National adaptation (NAP) workshop Japan-Caribbean CC partnership (JCCCP) – Ramada JCCCP-UNDP (March 1 day; November 2 days)
• Biosafety clearing house webinars. Information on the Cartagena protocol on biosafety (November).  Information on the BCH roster of experts (December).

• Validation Workshop 11^th EDF funded Agricultural Policy Program - component 1, MAAHF - EU

• Workshop Risk Identification, Communication and Mitigation in Agriculture, IICA
• National consultation on climate services, Meteorology Service
• Stakeholder workshop Country Program Framework, FAO/ Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (MAAHF) 
• Formulation Workshop Climate Change programma Suriname, GCCA/UNDP
• Workshop Value chain analysis, EDF project
• Brainstorming UNDP/IICA project Biofuel crops for the bauxite mined out region Coermotibo

• Stakeholder consultation workshop Agro ecological zoning project Suriname – Brazil. Stichting Planbureau Suriname
• Validation stakeholders meeting National Climate Change Policy and Action Plan (NCCPAP), MLTE
•  Inception meeting NCCPSAP, MLTE
•  Webinar FAOSTAT GHG emissions
• Validation meeting Upland rice project Suriname - New Zeeland – Brazil - MAAHF
• Stakeholder consultation meeting agro-ecological zoning - bilateral Suriname-Brazil project, Planning Bureau
• Workshop Invasive Alien Species and their influence on the environment, National Herbarium Suriname
• Validation workshop mainstreaming / national environmental management, UNDP
• SPS workshop, IICA
• Stakeholders meeting Agricultural Innovation Strategy, MAAHF