Roger is originally from Florida de Opatoro, La Paz, known by its inhabitants as the ‘Pearl of the Mountain,’ and is located close to the Guajiquiro Biological Reserve. Being so close to nature as a child has led him to have a keen interest in the natural world.

During grade school, between the ages of 12 to 15, he took notice of the vast raptor migration that his town called ‘alzacuanes’ and took it upon himself to rescue injured hawks. When they flew low they were attacked by hordes of grackles and occasionally hawks were hurdles to the ground, sometimes dying. He remembers upon hearing the racket of the grackles he would rush out on his BMX bicycle with a saddlebag and towel to look for injured hawks. He would rescue and heal them back to a point where they could be released, which he did by taking them by bicycle to La Esperanza, some 15 kilometers away from his town. In his own words, “Being conservative, I think I had rescued at least 50 birds, although I believe it was much more.”

After elementary school he moved to the city to continue his education. His will for service, patriotic values and feelings toward security and the growth of society eventually led him to join the National Police force. There, he was trained in various fields of investigation, civilian protection and police procedures and has ample experience in criminal investigation. He was also trained in the management, operation and maintenance of an array of terrestrial and aquatic vehicles.

Thanks to his passion for the natural world he decided to return to his roots where he now works with topics related to environmental education, ecosystem conservation and reforestation projects, including the Jilguero (Solitaire) forest reserve.

It was his enthusiasm for bird watching that led him to unite a group of friends and nature enthusiasts to form the local bird club ‘Birds of the Sierra Lenca (COASL)’ in the city of Marcala, La Paz. His passion for bird watching and their habitats has taken him to report more than 50 new species for the department of La Paz. This activity has captured the attention of national and international naturalists who have visited the area, thereby providing another economic incentive in order to protect the natural resources of the region.

He is an entrepreneur and successful businessman, currently residing in the city of Marcala where he has a small agricultural operation that utilizes innovative techniques with a high yield and low impact on the environment.