Biography
My name is Aregaw Atinafu. I was born and raised in Tercha Zuriya Woreda, located in the Dawuro Zone of southwestern Ethiopia. I completed both my primary and secondary education in this region. Upon finishing high school, I enrolled at Wolaita Sodo University, in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, where I pursued a degree in Natural Resource Management. I was awarded a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in this field.
Following graduation, I began working in my home woreda, initially as a development agent at the kebele level, and later advancing to the role of Woreda Coordinator for Natural Resource Management and Land Use. Over the past ten years, I have accumulated extensive field-based experience in natural resource conservation and sustainable land use practices in this region. Notably, this woreda is one of three that border Chebera-Churchura National Park, making it a critical area for conservation efforts.
Driven by a commitment to environmental stewardship, I pursued postgraduate studies at Jimma University, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, in the Department of Natural Resource Management. During my MSc program, I developed a thesis titled "Species Range, Threats, and Conservation Status of the Endangered African Elephant (Loxodonta africana Blumenbach, 1979) in Chebera-Churchura National Park, Southwestern Ethiopia." My research was conducted across nine of the 21 villages bordering the park, within both Dawuro and Konta zones.
Upon completing my Master of Science degree in Natural Resource Management, with a specialization in Wildlife and Ecotourism Management, I joined Bonga University in 2021. Currently, I serve as a lecturer in the Department of Natural Resource Management, under the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. As part of my teaching, I regularly lead field trips and practical sessions for students in courses such as Wildlife Ecology and Management, Species Interaction with Ecology, Ecotourism, and Biodiversity Conservation.
