Yago Lestido-Cardama grew up in Galicia, Spain and graduated from University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) with a Bachelor of Forest Engineering and Natural Environment with a mention in Forestry in 2020. After graduating, he completed a master’s degree in Forest Engineering from the USC in 2022 with a specialization in Protected Areas Management.

While studying for his master’s degree, he has worked on drafting forest management projects, simple management documents, preparation of technical documents, cartography and forestry projects, forestry consultancy, standing timber assessments, as well as fieldwork and pest control in two different companies. He has also participated as a technician in research projects related to the Galician rural environment. In the environmental field, he studied wild boar activity in natural parks using camera-trapping techniques.

Currently, he is doing a PhD in forest management at the Higher Polytechnic School of Engineering (USC), within the Department of Plant Production and Engineering Projects (Engineering Projects Area). Within the Department, he teaches classes related to environmental impact assessment and project management in different degree programs.

Research background and interests:
He is a PhD student specializing in forestry and sustainable forest management, with a strong focus on the quantification and evaluation of forest management intensity. His research centers on developing and applying objective indices to compare different silvicultural and management schemes, integrating ecological, productive, and socio-economic variables.

In addition to his academic interests, he has a strong personal interest in nature and wildlife, which underpins his motivation to study forest ecosystems.