Dr. Chris Baraloto

Chris and his family moved from French Guiana to Coconut Grove in 2015, and his children attend Coconut Grove public schools. Chris is an expert in tropical biodiversity science, working to inventory tropical forest plants, fungi and insects in remote areas across Amazonia. Chris also works locally to contribute to data-driven solutions to environmental issues in our neighborhoods. A noteworthy example is the Grove ReLeaf program, which has inventoried more than 10,000 urban trees around Coconut Grove, and which is measuring eco-benefits of urban trees, including how they keep our neighborhoods cool. These data will help us to preserve trees and identify priority areas that need more trees—and also to make critical decisions about trees that may need replacement.

Chris has joined the CGVC to help promote objective, reasonable solutions to urban development that respect the environmental benefits we all derive from our natural resources. Key among these are limiting waste such as single-use plastics, mitigating runoff into our bay, and maintaining green spaces and urban canopy cover.