Alfonso Alonso is Managing Director of International Field Programs of the Center for Conservation and Sustainability at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Working as a conservation biologist for 25 years with the Smithsonian, he has focused on integrating conservation needs with development priorities to maintain biodiversity. Dr. Alonso develops biodiversity assessment and monitoring programs to minimize impacts in infrastructure projects with the aim of developing best practices to protect biodiversity and maintain ecosystem services. He is also an expert in the ecology and conservation of the monarch butterfly. Dr. Alonso enjoys giving talks and working with people from different cultures and has conducted studies in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. He has published more than 100 scientific articles and five books. Dr. Alonso earned a master’s degree and a PhD in zoology from the University of Florida. He can be reached at alonsoa@si.edu.