NESTOR GREGORIO
Little Mountain,Australia
Summary
Collaboratively developed a large-scale nature-based carbon project and spearheaded its implementation in partnership with communities. Over 20 years of leading the implementation of a series of large-scale research projects on community-based forest landscape restoration in the tropics. Over ten years of experience as a university lecturer in tropical forestry and natural resource management. Completed postgraduate programs (MPhil and PhD) in Natural and Rural Systems Management at The University of Queensland, Australia. Substantial research publications in high-quality peer-reviewed journals. Considerable knowledge in systems modelling.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Stakeholder Engagement Lead – Nature-based Carbon Project
University of the Sunshine Coast
Australia, Australia
07.2023 - Current
- Spearhead the operation of the Stakeholder Engagement Team responsible for fostering solid partnerships with stakeholder groups, including the national and local forestry departments, forestry academics and researchers, provincial and local government units, communities, and people’s organisations
- Perform stakeholder engagement mapping and develop an effective stakeholder engagement plan with approaches tailored to specific stakeholder groups
- Conduct engagement activities that enhance stakeholders’ awareness and knowledge about the carbon project
- Analyse stakeholder expertise, needs, concerns, and expectations, crucial in project planning and decision-making
- Communicate project development updates and research findings through an effective stakeholder-based communication pathway
- Develop stakeholder-based materials for Information, Education and Communication campaigns and capacity development initiatives
- Perform training activities that enhance community capacity in implementing and monitoring carbon-based reforestation projects.
Land and Tree Tenure Acquisition Lead – Nature-based Carbon Project
University of the Sunshine Coast
Australia, Australia
07.2023 - Current
- Supervise the operation of the Land and Tree Tenure Team responsible for guiding and assisting partner people’s organisations in obtaining Community-based Forest Management Agreements
- Assess existing formal and informal land tenure arrangements in identified restoration sites
- Evaluate the capacity and support needs of people’s organisations in renewing existing or applying for new tenurial instruments
- Empower communities to navigate regulatory frameworks in obtaining land and tree tenure rights
- Conduct training activities to enhance smallholders’ knowledge of community-based forest management and their roles, rights and responsibilities in the Community-based Forest Management Agreement
- Collaborate closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to facilitate the issuance of tenurial instruments to partner people’s organisations.
Implementation Lead – Nature-based Carbon Project
University of the Sunshine Coast
Australia, Australia
02.2022 - 06.2023
- Spearheaded the implementation of a carbon-based reforestation project to restore about 10,000 ha of deforested and degraded forest landscapes in partnership with local communities in five provinces in the Philippines
- Managed the project operations with over 30 staff members and 17 community organisations (people’s organisations), including obtaining contractual agreements with communities following the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) process; developing reforestation plans; producing high-quality planting materials; and establishing forest plantations following the evidence-based best practice
- Designed and led engagement initiatives that fostered strong partnerships with stakeholder groups, including the national and local forestry departments, forestry academics and researchers, provincial and local government units, communities, and people’s organisations
- Empowered local communities to obtain land and tree tenure instruments necessary for carbon ownership
- Established forest plantations and designed and implemented restoration monitoring protocols in collaboration with communities and local forestry departments
- Developed and implemented a skills enhancement program for partner communities and developed information, education, and communication (IEC) materials for the social preparation phase of the project
- Engaged with project stakeholders in developing a multi-stakeholder forest protection program essential for the project’s success.
Research Fellow
University of the Sunshine Coast
Australia, Australia
08.2014 - 01.2022
- Co-authored developing a significant carbon-based forest restoration project, spanning over 10,000 ha, to restore deforested and degraded forest landscapes across five provinces in the Philippines
- Designed and implemented an evidence-based, community-managed forest restoration project published by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as an exemplar of improved food security in forest and landscape restoration
- Played a pivotal role in orchestrating three large-scale community-based natural resource management research projects across five provinces in the Philippines, securing funding from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
- Designed and implemented biophysical, socio-economic, and policy and governance research contributing to improved forest restoration outcomes in the country
- Established several nursery and field trials that contributed to improving seedling production techniques and tree establishment technologies in private and government forest restoration initiatives
- Engaged and collaborated with project partners and stakeholders essential to the projects’ success
- As part of another research project funded by ACIAR, established nursery experiments and field silvicultural trials and conducted training programs to enhance community forestry outcomes in Papua New Guinea
- Published research findings in peer-reviewed journals and communicated research results at local and international scientific conferences
- Developed training manuals and extension materials showcasing best practices derived from research findings
- Supervised four successful postgraduate (PhD) students at USC.
Research Fellow
The University of Queensland
Australia, Australia
01.2010 - 01.2014
- Managed the implementation of a large-scale watershed rehabilitation research project by The University of Queensland in partnership with the Philippine government and with funding support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
- Designed and managed the implementation of bio-physical, socio-economic and policy research, which largely contributed to formulating a national policy for improved watershed rehabilitation outcomes in the Philippines
- Established several nursery and field trials that contributed to improving seedling production techniques and tree establishment technologies in private and government forest restoration initiatives
- Conducted engagement activities essential to maintaining a strong collaborative relationship with key officials of local and national forestry departments and other key stakeholders
- Performed part-time lectures on tropical forestry to undergraduate students at the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences at the University of Queensland, Australia
- Published project results in international research journals.
Associate Professor
Visayas State University
Philippines, Philippines
01.1997 - 01.2012
- Performed semester lectures and laboratory classes on forestry and natural resource management courses for graduate and undergraduate students
- Implemented research projects funded by the Australian Centre for International agricultural Research
- Supervised research projects of graduate and undergraduate students in forestry and environmental science programs
- Contributed to revising the BSc in Forestry curriculum of the university
- Developed, administered, and marked exams of graduate and undergraduate students during school semesters and summer classes.
Consultant - Forestry Research and Development Project
XStrata Copper and SMI Mining Companies
Australia and Philippines, Australia and Philippines
01.2010 - 01.2011
- Designed forestry and environmental programs necessary to approve Xstrata Copper and SMI's environmental and social impact assessment application
- Developed forest-based livelihood projects for communities inside the mining lease
- Designed and implemented a capacity development program enhancing the human and social capital of communities, staff members of local government units and forestry departments, and the SMI in implementing best practices in reforestation projects
- Supervised a team of foresters in conducting forest inventory to assess the volume of timber that would be extracted from the mine lease
- Spearheaded the development of a local government unit-based forest nursery accreditation policy that regulates the quality of seedlings from communal and private nurseries
- Designed and implemented a survey of mother trees in five municipalities in two regions in Mindanao, Philippines.
In-country Leader – Agricultural Systems Management Research Project
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
Australia and Philippines, Australia and Philippines
01.2007 - 01.2010
- Co-authored the development and led and managed the implementation of a large-scale research project, which helped improve the species base and increase the supply of high-quality seedlings of native tree species in reforestation programs in the Philippines
- Collaborated with the forestry department in spearheading the development of a national policy (DAO 2010-11) that regulates the quality of seedlings in forest restoration programs of the Philippine government
- Established several nursery and field trials on seedling production techniques and tree establishment technologies.
Science Research Assistant
Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, Visayas State University
Philippines, Philippines
01.1994 - 01.1997
- Established nursery and field experiments with findings translated into a manual on Smallholder-based Best Management Practice in Quality Seedling Production used by the forestry department in training communities engaged in watershed rehabilitation
- Established field trials to evaluate the field survival and growth performance of trees from various provenances in Australia, Philippines and Costa Rica
- Developed manuals on smallholder-based best practices in plantation establishment disseminated to communities, forestry offices, local government units, private tree farmers and other stakeholders.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Natural and Rural Systems Management -
The University of Queensland
01.2006
Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Natural and Rural Systems Management -
The University of Queensland
01.2004
Master of Science in Soil Science -
Visayas State University
01.2001
Bachelor of Science in Forestry -
Visayas State University
01.1994
Research Project Manuals
- A Guide to Community-based Forest Establishment and Monitoring, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Project ASEM/2016/103, College of Forestry and Environmental Science, Visayas State University, Philippines
- Target Seedling Concept in Forest Restoration, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Project ASEM/2016/103, College of Forestry and Environmental Science, Visayas State University, Philippines
- Selecting Mother Trees for Production Plantings in Tree Farming and Forest and Landscape Restoration Projects, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Project ASEM/2016/103, College of Forestry and Environmental Science, Visayas State University, Philippines
- Smallholder-based Best Practice in Establishing Forest Plantations, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Project ASEM/2016/103, College of Forestry and Environmental Science, Visayas State University, Philippines
- A Simple Guide to Establishing Field Trials, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Project FST/2016/153, FRI, Papua New Guinea
- Guide to Forest Nursery Accreditation, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Project ASEM/2006/091 and ASEM/2016/103, College of Forestry and Environmental Science, Visayas State University, Philippines, 10.13140/RG.2.2.26626.30407
- High Quality Seedling Production in Smallholder Nurseries, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Project ASEM/2006/091 and ASEM/2016/103, College of Forestry and Environmental Science, Visayas State University, Philippines, 10.13140/RG.2.2.26626.30407
- Regulating Seedling Quality in Forest Restoration: A Simplified Method of Assessing Tree Seedling Quality, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Project ASEM/2006/091 and ASEM/2010/050, College of Forestry and Environmental Science, Visayas State University, Philippines
- Phenotypically Superior Mother Trees in Biliran Province, Philippines, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Project ASEM/2010/050, College of Forestry and Environmental Science, Visayas State University, Philippines
Awards And Memberships
- Awardee
- Scholar
- Outstanding Lecturer
- Topnotcher (1st Placer)
- Cum laude
- Outstanding VISCAn Award for Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability (2024)
- UniSC Vice Chancellor Award for Best Research Project, Australia (2023)
- John Allwright Fellowship for postgraduate programs in Australia (2002-2006)
- Visayas State University, Philippines (1999 and 2000)
- National Board Exam for Foresters in the Philippines (91.4%) (1997)
- Bachelor of Science in Forestry, Philippines (1994)
- Guest Editor
- Small-scale Forestry Journal 7:3-4; Forests 2020, 11(4)
- Member
- International Society for the Systems Sciences
- Society for Ecological Restoration
- Society of Filipino Foresters
Publications
- Effects of hardening bed on the target seedling morphology and field performance of big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla L., Jacq.) seedlings, Gregorio, N., Moreno. O., Tripoli, R., Rife, K., Solano, C., Herbohn, J., in preparation
- A Local Initiative to Achieve Global Forest and Landscape Restoration Challenge—Lessons Learned from a Community-Based Forest Restoration Project in Biliran Province, Philippines, Gregorio, N., Herbohn, J., Tripoli, R., Pasa, A., Forests, 11, 475, 2020
- Regulating the quality of seedlings for forest restoration: Lessons from the National Greening Program in the Philippines, Gregorio, N., Herbohn, J., Harrison, S., Pasa, A., Small-scale Forestry, 10.1007/s11842-016-9344-z, 2016
- Evidence-based best practice community-based forest restoration in Biliran: integrating food security and livelihood improvements into watershed rehabilitation in the Philippines, Gregorio N, Herbohn J, Harrison S, Pasa A, Fernandez J, Tripoli R, Polinar B, Enhancing food security through forest landscape restoration: lessons from Burkina Faso, Brazil, Guatemala, Viet Nam, Ghana, Ethiopia and the Philippines, IUCN, 174–217, 2015, 10.2305/IUCN.CH.2015.FR.2.en
- A systems approach to improving the quality of seedlings for agroforestry, tree farming and reforestation in the Philippines to improve the supply of high-quality planting stock for tree farming and reforestation programs in developing countries, Gregorio, N., Herbohn, J., Harrison, S., Smith, C., Land Use Policy, 47, 29-41, 2015
- Developing establishment guidelines for Shorea palosapis in smallholder plantings in the Philippines, Gregorio, N., Herbohn, J., Vanclay, J., International Forestry Review, 14, 4, 492-501, 2012
- Assessing the effectiveness of the engagement of local people in restoring degraded forest landscapes in Leyte and Biliran Provinces, the Philippines, Wiset, K., Gregorio, N., Fischer, R., Herbohn, J., Environmental Science & Policy, 148, 103545, 2023
- Gender Roles, Relations, and Perspectives in Small-Scale and Community Forestry – Implications for Policy and Practice, Ota, L., Lidestav, G., Andersson, E., Page, T., Curnow, J., Nuñez, L., Goltiano, H., Gregorio, N., Herbohn. J., 2023, 10.2139/ssrn.4628905
- The community capacity curve applied to reforestation: a framework to support success, Herbohn, J., Ota, L., Gregorio, N., Gregorio, N., Chazdon, R., Fischer, R., Baynes, J., Applegate, G., Page, T., Vega, D., Romero, C., Putz, F., Firn, J., Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, 378, 1867, 2022
- Competition in a Mixed-Species Planting with Four Contrasting Tree Species, Vanclay, J., Gregorio, N., Herbohn, J., Small-scale Forestry, 22, 2, 10.1007/s11842-022-09532-w, 2022
- Using leading and lagging indicators for forest restoration, Ota, L., Herbohn, J., Firn, J., Gregorio, N., 2021, 10.1111/1365-2664.13938
- The Effect of the Implementation of the National Greening Program on the Socioeconomic Status of Smallholders in Caibiran, Biliran, Philippines, Goltiano, H., Gregorio, N., Pasa, A., Herbohn, J., Tripoli, R., Valenzona, J., Small-scale Forestry, 20, 1, 10.1007/s11842-021-09482-9, 2021
- In book: Farmer Innovations and Best Practices by Shifting Cultivators in Asia-Pacific, Mukul, S., Herbohn, J., Firn, J., Gregorio, N., CABI, 2021
- Beyond fixes that fail: identifying sustainable improvements to tree seed supply and farmer participation in forest and landscape restoration, Valette, M., Barbara, V., Gregorio, N., Bailey, A., Thomas, E., Jalonen, R., Ecology and Society, 25, 4, 10.5751/ES-12032-250430, 2020
- Community-based management of tropical forests: lessons learned and implications for sustainable forest management, Ota, L., Mukul, S., Gregorio, N., Herbohn, J., 2020, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK
- Achieving Quality Forest and Landscape Restoration in the Tropics, Ota, L., Chazdon, R., Herbohn, J., Gregorio, N., Mukul, S., Wilson, S., Forests, 11, 8, 820, 10.3390/f11080820, 2020
- Manila Declaration on Forest and Landscape Restoration: Making It Happen, Chazdon, R., Herbohn, J., Mukul, S., Gregorio, N., Ota, L., Harrison, R., Durst, P., Chavez, R., Pasa, A., Hallett, J., Niedel, D., Watson, C., Gutierrez, V., Forests, 11, 6, 685, 10.3390/f11060685
Timeline
Stakeholder Engagement Lead – Nature-based Carbon Project
University of the Sunshine Coast
07.2023 - Current
Land and Tree Tenure Acquisition Lead – Nature-based Carbon Project
University of the Sunshine Coast
07.2023 - Current
Implementation Lead – Nature-based Carbon Project
University of the Sunshine Coast
02.2022 - 06.2023
Research Fellow
University of the Sunshine Coast
08.2014 - 01.2022
Research Fellow
The University of Queensland
01.2010 - 01.2014
Consultant - Forestry Research and Development Project
XStrata Copper and SMI Mining Companies
01.2010 - 01.2011
In-country Leader – Agricultural Systems Management Research Project
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
01.2007 - 01.2010
Associate Professor
Visayas State University
01.1997 - 01.2012
Science Research Assistant
Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, Visayas State University
01.1994 - 01.1997
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Natural and Rural Systems Management -
The University of Queensland
Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Natural and Rural Systems Management -
The University of Queensland
Master of Science in Soil Science -
Visayas State University
Bachelor of Science in Forestry -
Visayas State University
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