Sergi Herrando Vila

I am a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Barcelona. Senior researcher at CREAF, I lead the Biodiversity Observation Integration Group (GOBi). I am also scientific director of the Catalan Institute of Ornithology and current president of the European Bird Census Council.

I am part of the work team of the Observatory of Natural Heritage and Biodiversity of Catalonia , where I participate in the coordination of the monitoring area, with the aim of generating useful knowledge to manage, conserve and restore biodiversity in a context of global change.

Throughout my professional career I have worked on the promotion and coordination of large-scale and long-term bird monitoring projects, contributing to the knowledge of changes in biodiversity and the factors that explain them, both in Catalonia and in Europe as a whole. This work has been closely linked to the obtaining of standardized field data through large-scale citizen science projects, with the 120,000 participants of the European Breeding Bird Atlas as a remarkable example.

Beyond the long career in the field of ornithology, the 30 years of monitoring butterflies in Catalonia and, in general, the interest in monitoring the temporal changes in the populations and distributions of animals and plants stand out. Within the GOBi group I work on the harmonization of monitoring in Catalonia (HARMON), and in the compilation of data and elaboration of trends of the Living Planet Index in Catalonia (LPI-Cat). In this context, I participate in several international research projects , without neglecting initiatives and knowledge needs at a more local scale.