Lorena Derežanin

Hi, my name is Lorena Derežanin. I finished a master's programme in Experimental Biology in November 2012 at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Sciencein Croatia. Since then, I have been conducting environmental impact analyses at the Institute for Research and Development of Sustainable Ecosystems.

Throughout my studies and participation in the students association and other NGOs, I have focused on projects concerning nature conservation and ecologyon top of solving various problems related to these fields of science. My colleagues and I have successfully carried out several biodiversity research projects which resulted in the strengthening of nature protection legislation in those areas.

I've also had a chance to work at the Ministry of Environmental and Nature Protection, where I have gained valuable organizational skills and also came across people and institutions of different profiles. Furthermore, I organized several events and educational workshops regarding popularization of science and successfully conducted them.

For the past two months I have been enrolled in a SCUBA Divemaster course in Indonesia where I also got a chance to fundraise for the Project AWARE Foundation, manage online media contentand shoot numerous promotional videos. My aim is touse this experience and apply it in my further progress as a Conservation Specialist.

Moreover, my goal is to persist on reducing human impact on the environment and continue learning about global threats, habitat restoration and issues concerning biodiversity loss.