Ximena Noriega is a Chilean biotechnologist with a Master’s degree in Wildlife and Nature Conservation (MASCN) from the University of Chile. Her thesis explored community conservation in the Mapu Lahual territory, a coastal area managed by ten Williche communities in southern Chile. With a background in biotechnology and the human dimensions of conservation, she is passionate about the biological sciences and traditional knowledge. Her recent graduate work strengthened her interest in continuing to learn from and collaborate with Indigenous communities, and in deepening understanding of ways of inhabiting territories as part of nature—relationships that Indigenous Peoples have long upheld. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, practicing yoga, reading, and being in nature.