Juan Carlos Bravo2021Juan Carlos has dedicated his career to preserving habitat and species across the U.S.-Mexico border. He is a pragmatic visionary who can work across cultures, who looks for and identifies solutions, and who is always guided by a deep commitment to the natural world and the people who depend on it. As Mexico Program Director for Wildlands Network, Juan Carlos works with landowners to conserve habitat on private lands, collaborates with authorities on both sides of the southern border to develop wildlife crossings, and helps policymakers understand the critical importance of habitats and keystone species across boundaries. “Wildlife knows no borders. The artificial lines between countries have real impacts on biodiversity and species survival. We need to make these lines permeable for animals. We’re humbled and grateful that the Wilburforce Foundation has supported our work on the U.S.-Mexico border.” —Juan Carlos Bravo In recent years, Juan Carlos has led efforts to identify jaguar corridors in the borderlands; to protect the Cocóspera River from highway development; to protect in perpetuity a half million acres in the Sky Islands region of the Bavispe Natural Protected Area; and to make wildlife crossings mandatory for roads throughout the state of Sonora. All bios are from the year the award was presented.