Desert Leaves Team Members

About Us

Learn about our mission, our team, and the partners who make our work possible.

Our Mission

To increase and disseminate knowledge about forests and forestation in dryland regions, to connect and support people and organizations around the globe that are involved in dryland afforestation and forest preservation, and thus to support initiatives that pursuit the growth of sustainable forests in drylands.

Our Vision

We believe that increasing both the quality and quantity of forests in drylands is an answer to many of the major challenges facing our planet. Forests play a vital role in supporting biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and sustaining the livelihoods of local communities. Desert Leaves aims to be a trusted partner for all stakeholders involved in afforestation, reforestation, and forest protection in dryland areas.

Our Values

  • Sustainability
    We prioritize long-term ecological health in all our projects.
  • Community
    We work closely with local communities to ensure mutual benefits.
  • Innovation
    We embrace new approaches and technologies for better outcomes.
  • Transparency
    We are open about our work, results, and use of resources.
  • Commitment
    We stand by our mission with unwavering dedication and follow through on our promises.
  • Rigour
    We apply high standards, evidence-based practices, and careful evaluation to everything we do.
Our team working on reforestation

Our People

We collaborate with a diverse range of organizations to maximize our impact and reach.

Wim Cambien
Wim Cambien
Agricultural Engineer

Wim Cambien is an Agricultural Engineer from the University of Leuven in Belgium, with additional master’s degrees in Energy Management from the Universidad Politécnica of Valencia and in Business Administration from IESE in Madrid. He has dedicated most of his career to renewable energy and the energy transition.

Maite Ibarretxe
Maite Ibarretxe
Head of Sustainability & Innovation

Maite is a senior executive specializing in sustainability strategy, innovation, and business development, with global experience across energy, finance, and philanthropy. Currently Head of the Sustainability & Innovation Lab at Q8, she designs and leads transformative strategies that embed ESG, climate action, and new business models into organizations.

Roberto Ballester
Roberto Ballester
Ethics & Sustainability Consultant

Roberto is the Founding Partner of Felidarity, a Certified B Corp specialized in ethics and sustainability consulting. With a background in philosophy and over 20 years in non-profit management, he teaches business ethics and leadership and has chaired Fairtrade Ibérica since 2014.

Maria Cantó Martínez
Maria Cantó Martínez
International Development & Governance Specialist

Maria is an international development professional with experience in project design, financing, and community resilience across the UN, AECID, and NGOs. She has worked in Latin America, Africa, and Europe on social programs, conflict, and counter-terrorism, and is founder of Way To Sustainable Impact, promoting sustainability and the SDGs through education.

Alba Contreras Corrochano
Alba Contreras Corrochano
ESG & Sustainability Leader

Alba, with degrees in Law, Philology, Religion, and Public Administration, has over 15 years of experience in sustainability, governance, and ESG strategies. She is currently Director and ESG & Sustainability Leader at Capgemini, where she advises on sustainable finance, regulatory compliance, and climate-related initiatives.

Pieter Duerinckx
Pieter Duerinckx
Industrial Engineer

Pieter is a commercial engineer with more than 20 years of international experience in the energy sector, combining leadership in global renewable energy procurement with economic diplomacy consulting. His approach combines business acumen, environmental commitment, and expertise in international relations.

Ariadna Mendoza Mederos
Ariadna Mendoza Mederos
Science communicator

Ariadna is a science communicator with training in agricultural biotechnology and plant sciences. She specializes in inclusive, cross-cultural and institutional communication for scientific and social projects in Europe, with a strong focus on sustainability, nature and agriculture.

José Mainez Bosch
José Mainez Bosch
Industrial Engineer

José works as a professional consultant improving the efficiency of systems. Passionate about nature, he draws inspiration from it and explores its positive effects on mental health through sport. He values team play as the most effective way to foster professional collaborations.

Juan Uriol Batuecas
Juan Uriol Batuecas
Forestry Engineer & Senior Public Official in Forest Management

Juan Uriol is a forestry engineer with over 37 years of public service in the Generalitat Valenciana and 10 years as Associate Professor at the Polytechnic University of Valencia. He has led European projects such as INTERREG, COST, and LIFE, including the award-winning LIFE TECMINE project, finalist in the 2023 LIFE Environment category.

Fernanda Serrano Noreña
Fernanda Serrano Noreña
Executive in Agriculture & Environment

Fernanda is an agronomist and senior executive with over 30 years of experience in agriculture, environment, and rural development. President & CEO of Agropecuaria 'El Monte', she has also led foundations and public institutions, driving projects in sustainability, natural resource conservation, and rural innovation across Europe.

Jorge Castañer Pla
Jorge Castañer Pla
Forestry Engineer

Jorge, a Forestry Engineer with a double master's in sustainable forest management, currently coordinates Nature Based Solutions in Africa at South Pole. His expertise includes forest management, climate change mitigation, reforestation, agroforestry, and sustainable value chains in global projects.

Manuel Esteban Lucas Borja
Manuel Esteban Lucas Borja
Forestry Engineer

Manuel is a forestry engineer and associate professor at the UCLM School of Forestry, specializing in hydrology and forest restoration. His research focuses on sustainable and multifunctional forest ecosystem management under climate change, with expertise in restoring and managing areas affected by wildfires.

Our Partners

We collaborate with a diverse range of organizations to maximize our impact and reach.

1% for the Planet Logo

1% for the Planet

Non-profit

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Alto Turia Biosphere Reserve Logo

Alto Turia Biosphere Reserve

Government

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UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Logo

UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Government

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European Union Logo

European Union

Government

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Pego Viu Logo

Pego Viu

Non-profit

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Regenera Natura Logo

Regenera Natura

Corporate

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Town Council of Fuente La Reina Logo

Town Council of Fuente La Reina

Municipality

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Generalitat Valenciana Logo

Generalitat Valenciana

Government

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Ministry of Ecological Transition Logo

Ministry of Ecological Transition

Government

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Lignaverda Logo

Lignaverda

Non-profit

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Universidad Politécnica de Valencia Logo

Universidad Politécnica de Valencia

Academic

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LifeTerra Logo

LifeTerra

Non-profit

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Hosbec Logo

Hosbec

Corporate association

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Música Pel Clima Logo

Música Pel Clima

Non-profit

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Townlab Logo

Townlab

Corporate

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Globexs Logo

Globexs

Corporate

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RH Hotels Logo

RH Hotels

Corporate

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Logopost Logo

Logopost

Corporate

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Zubi Logo

Zubi

Corporate

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Plymag S.L. Logo

Plymag S.L.

Corporate

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Fundación Valenciaport Logo

Fundación Valenciaport

Non-profit

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Kreab Logo

Kreab

Corporate

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Covamur Logo

Covamur

Corporate

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Camp Altiplano Logo

Camp Altiplano

Non-profit

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Pax# Logo

Pax#

Corporate

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Redit Logo

Redit

Corporate association

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Bioscore Logo

Bioscore

Corporate

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Become a Partner

We're always looking out for new organizations to collaborate with. If you're interested in partnering with us, get in touch.

Contact Us About Partnerships