Bray Beltrán

Bray Beltrán is a spatial ecologist with deep expertise in species distribution modeling, climate and land-use change effects on ecosystems, and conservation science. A bridge-builder by nature, he spent a decade as Science and Conservation & Equity Director at the Heart of the Rockies Initiative, where he developed research that was quickly adopted and applied on the ground across large landscapes — connecting ranchers, farmers, and frontline communities around shared conservation values. He later served as Director of Ocean Justice at Ocean Conservancy, bringing the same science-grounded, community-centered approach to marine and coastal policy. He is the founder of KinshipNow, an organization advancing a conservation model rooted in reciprocity, relationship, and the inseparability of ecological and human wellbeing.

A multicultural Colombian ecologist with over 20 years of experience advancing systemic solutions and inclusive conservation across North America and the Global South, Bray brings rare credibility at the intersection of western science, Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge, and frontline community leadership. His work makes the case that durable conservation policy cannot be built on science alone — it must be grounded in the lived experiences of the communities most affected by nature loss. At the Access Granted Group, Bray anchors the science and legitimacy of the policy manifesto process, ensuring best available evidence and diverse knowledge systems together shape bold, lasting land, water, and ocean policy.