Francisco Dallmeier: The Ornithologist who Conquered the Smithsonian

Finding the balance between the economic development of emerging nations and respect for biodiversity is the passion that guides the work of this Venezuelan scientist with four decades in the U.S.

Casto Ocando | @cocando

Venezuelan-American Francisco Dallmeier's interest in nature is innate in him. His passion and discipline has led him to many destinations, from his native Caracas to Peru’s forest, to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington DC. He is now the Director of the Center for Conservation and Sustainability at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, DC.

Naturalism runs deep in his family. His great-grandfather was Adolfo Ernst, a prominent German naturalist, botanist and zoologist who made most of his discoveries and investigations in Venezuela.

The scientist explored and documented nature in the South American country and was naturalized as a Venezuelan.

Ernst was responsible for the creation of the Museum of Sciences of Venezuela. He also founded the chair of Biology at the Venezuela’s Central University (UCV).

“From a very young age my family told me about him, about his expeditions to remote areas of the country and the many studies he carried out,” recalled Dallmeier in a recent interview.

His Granpa’s stories captured the imagination of the young man who already showed an interest in outdoor activities. As a young he joined the Boy Scouts and constantly visited the Natural History Museum of Caracas.

When he was 13 years old, after trying several times, he was accepted into the museum as an intern, an achievment that made his family proud.

Young prodigy

But his interest in nature did not stop there. Five years later, in 1971, at the age of 18, Dallmeier was named curator of the mammal section at the Museum. Two years later he was running the entire museum.

His passion took him beyond the walls of the institution. He started to take interest in Ecology and eventually got obsessed over the idea that there should be a balance between human activity and prosperity, and the environment.

Along with his work in charge of the museum, Dallmeier also assumed responsibilities as a research assistant at the Institute of Tropical Zoology at UCV. From that position, he studied the flora and fauna of southern Venezuela. He collaborated on various ecological projects with Polish scientists Kazimierz Dobrolowski and Jan Pinowski.

In 1977, he graduated in Biology and began working as director of the ecology program in a Venezuelan environmental engineering company. He also worked on Venezuela's first environmental impact statement made on the Morón power plant.

Studies in the US

In 1981, Dallmeier got a scolarships from the Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho Foundation, (sponsored by the Venezuelan government) and the Organization of American States (OAS) to pursue a Master Degree in Wildlife and Natural Resources Management, and a PhD degree on Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation and Management at Colorado State University.

After graduating in 1986, he became assistant director of the then newly created Smithsonian Biodiversity Monitoring and Assessment Program (SI/MAB). Two years later became Acting Director and from 1989, Director for 18 years, until 2003.

Throughout his career at the Smithsonian’s SI/MAB, Dallmeier developed an extensive track record with hundreds of international research projects, and numerous training courses for scientists worldwide on forest monitoring techniques.

During his tenure, SI/MAB has established more than 300 research plots in 23 countries and has trained more than 400 scientists from more than 40 countries in the techniques of forest monitoring and assessment. SI/MAB works directly with local partners, including governments, non-governmental organizations, industry, academia, and local communities, to assess biodiversity in various regions and to establish ongoing biodiversity monitoring programs.

Through its research and training courses held in various parts of the world, SI/MAB has disseminated standardized scientific protocols for assessing and monitoring biodiversity. SI/MAB also maintains its own research sites in various places including Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Canada, and China.

Dallmeier has also coordinated long-term field biodiversity research projects and training in more than ten countries, including Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Panama, as well as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.

Research in Peru

But Dallmeier's life and experience is not limited to academia. His work goes to the real world, to nature. His obsession with finding a balance between economic development and the natural world has led him to the field in numerous ocassions.

He has worked, and taught, in most of the world's largest rainforests. But, particularly, much of his work is in Peru. In 1987 he led an expedition of the Smithsonian Institution to study the biodiversity of Manu National Park. At the time, it was one of the most remote and biodiverse places on Earth.

“It took us five days of travel from DC to get to our camp in Pakitsa and five days back. We studied this magnificent area for over ten years and documented all aspects of biodiversity, from large mammals to fishes, insects and plants,” recalled Dallmeier in an interview.

Since those years, Peru has undergone an enormous transformation in terms of natural resources exploitation, including oil, gas, mining, forestry among other activities.

“We have been working with energy development companies in Peru for almost 20 years to integrate biodiversity conservation with sustainable development,” he commented.

He has developed a trade mark method. First, the investigative team identify areas of great value for biodiversity conservation that should be avoided. Then they identify the areas that will be impacted. Later, they design processes that minimize the impact of development on biodiversity.

“For areas where the impact of development cannot be avoided, we provide restoration programs,” adds Dallmeier. With the use of science they try to return the areas to their original state or even improve them.

The teams he led worked on mapping and assessment of important conservation areas in the Amazon; they studied Andean wetlands and the species it support; they mapped the distribution of endangered species in some areas of the Andes. Finally, the teams implemented a marine monitoring program in the desert coastal zone of Peru. 

Global work

Dallmeier has extensive global experience in planning biodiversity-friendly landscapes. He also is working on planning the conservation of sustainable infrastructure, mitigation towards net loss of biodiversity, and planning scenarios to inform policy makers.

On that basis he has designed Biodiversity Monitoring and Evaluation Programs (BMAP), to manage conflicts between humans and wildlife. He has also created professional training programs for leaders and conservation professionals.

Alongside his work in the Biodiversity field, Dallmeier as been profesor at the universities John Hopkins and George Mason. He currently directs the Center for Conservation and Sustainability, in Washington DC.