A ROCHA has a team of people responsible for developing and executing the activities in our departments. These are the people that work with us:

Marcial Felgueiras
CEO
Since September 2000, Marcial has been coordinating all operations of the nature conservation work of A ROCHA, as well as the activities of the Study Center in Cruzinha. He first came into contact wirh A ROCHA during a visit made to the Centre in 1987 but his passion for the environment goes back to his childhood. Marcial started working for A ROCHA in 1992, under the leadership of its founders Peter and Miranda Harris, as soon as he graduated in Agricultural Engineering. He has a Masters in Agricultural Engineering and is doing a PhD in Interdisciplinary Management of Landscapes.

Jasper & Tayler Gerhardt
Co-Center Directors 
Jasper & Tayler moved from Oregon, USA, to take on the management of the Community & Study Centre in early 2020, overseeing all the hospitality, caretaking of the Centre, and sustainable management of the property and grounds. They bring to their role a passion for cultivating community, backgrounds in youth leadership and service, and a love for educating and fostering conservation experiences. Jasper & Tayler love bringing people together around intentional community and practical initiatives, as well as leading the many students, interns, and volunteers who pass through the Centre throughout the year, as they live full-time onsite.

Paula Banza
Director of Science and Conservation
Paula has been coordinating our Science and Conservation work since 2011, but she has also been very involved as Environmental Educator and in jointly managing the Study Center in Cruzinha, in the Algarve, since 2000. She first came into contact with A ROCHA when the Study Center was established in Cruzinha.
Paula is a Biology and Geology teacher, with a Masters degress in Conservation Biology. She is currently doing a PhD in Biology.
She likes combining science, conservation and environmental education in her work and the opportunity to do this in a community.

Isabel Soares
Director of Environmental Education
Isabel has been coordinating our environmental education program since 2001, having first started to work as Assistant Director in 1998. She first came into contact with A ROCHA in 1987, after visiting our center in Cruzinha.
Isabel studied Agricultural Engineering at the University of Évora and taught Mathematics and Science for two years.
She enjoys living and working in a community, being in contact with people and new cultures.

Filipa Bragança
Manager of Friends of A ROCHA Portugal Program
Filipa is Portuguese and grew up in this part of the Algarve. She has been volunteer at A Rocha Portugal for the last 9 years and has worked mainly with the Monitoring of Kentish Plovers on the Alvor Estuary. She is also a licensed bird ringer in Portugal and participates regularly on Bird Census Projects. Currently Filipa is Program Manager for Friends of A ROCHA Portugal and also works on the ENTRELAB project.

Nuno Alexandre
Webmaster
Nuno has been our Webmaster since the beginning of 2012. He joined our team in order to renew our communication interfaces and provide technological services.
Nuno is studying Computer Engineering at the Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon, combining his studies with his work at A ROCHA. He cares about nature and the sustainable use of natural resources and considers a true privilege to contribute professionally to the work of A ROCHA.

Júlio Gaspar Reis
Alcobaça Local Project Coordinator
Julio is a pioneer, among us, of a local group of A ROCHA Portugal, where he tries to involve his community in a lifestyle more aware and careful with the environment. Got to know A ROCHA in 1992, when he met its founders, Peter and Miranda Harris. In 1993 he visited the Centre, Cruzinha, in which he and his wife ended up spending the honeymoon! Since then A ROCHA has been a passion. He is the webmaster for A ROCHA International since 2000 (volunteer until 2002). Motivated by the rediscovery of the Christian faith in combination with the care of nature.