Florencia Ocampo

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Florencia Ocampo was brought up in an environment where nature and conservation was highly valued. She started birding at the age of 17, and she spent her free time travelling around the whole of Uruguay, with the goal of getting to know all of its bird species. After university she joined a research project in conservation genetics, which aims to develop a program of breeding and reintroduction to the wild of the Yellow Cardinal, an endangered species in Uruguay. Parallel to her science studies, she became an entrepreneur in the growing birding tourism sector. Florencia initially worked as a freelance bird guide, before founding her own enterprise in 2014, called Birding With Me – Birdwatching Tours. As a tour operator, Florencia guides birders from all over the world, both in Uruguay and in neighbouring countries.