Biography
Michael Esbach is an interdisciplinary conservation scientist with over 15 years of experience developing and managing international conservation partnerships across Amazonia, Melanesia and Africa. Currently a Program Fellow at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Andes-Amazon Initiative, he co-designs and monitors efforts to secure the biodiversity and climatic function of the Amazon region.
Prior to joining the foundation, Michael worked at Princeton University’s High Meadows Environmental Institute, where he led participatory research projects that bridged Indigenous knowledge and conservation science. As part of his research, he collaborated closely with Indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon to co-design culturally relevant studies, build capacity through tailored training initiatives, and develop innovative monitoring systems that directly informed territorial governance and conservation practices. At the American Museum of Natural History, he also advanced marine and terrestrial conservation strategies in the Solomon Islands and British Colombia, fostering cross-cultural collaborations and securing funding to protect critical ecosystems.
Michael holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida with concentrations in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and Latin American Studies. He also has a B.A. in Sustainable Development from the University of Virginia.
related links
Andes-Amazon Initiative 
Environmental Conservation
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