Julio Solis

Latin America Regional Representative

Julio was born Sept 20, 1976 in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero. At the age of 14 he moved to the western state of Baja California Sur to continue his studies as a naval mechanic. Has worked aboard all types and sizes of vessels, as a an artisanal fishermen, a deckhand, and a mechanic. He found out that the best job he has learned to do is conservation of our resources.

In 1999 he started working at the Mexican field station for an international research and higher education center known as the School for Field Studies.  He helped found the regional network for sea turtle monitoring and conservation: Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias.  In 2004 Solis was awarded the Don Manuel Orantes prize (a national accomplishment) for the best community efforts for protecting sea turtles. In 2005 he co-founded Magdalena Baykeeper.  In 2007 he was elected to the Board of this sea turtle network.

Despite physical threats to himself and his family, he was able to halt a mega tourism development project known as Magdalena Secret. Together with other conservationists, scientist and lawyers, they pointed out inconsistencies in the environmental impact studies presented by this company.  In 2008 he received the Latin American ecological merit award from Conde Nast Traveler for his ecotourism endeavors.

In 2009 Solis was elected to the Board of directors of Waterkeeper Alliance as regional representative to Latin American Waterkeeper organization.