Elvino Aparicio de Oliveira

Elvino is based in Dili, Timor-Leste, where he brings local knowledge and international expertise to development challenges. Fluent in Tetum, Portuguese, Indonesian, and English, Elvino bridges cultures and technical disciplines with ease. He's an experienced forestry specialist with deep expertise in agroforestry, environmental management, and monitoring and evaluation.

Elvino is passionate about Timor-Leste's sustainable development and has dedicated his career to strengthening the country's forestry sector. From coordinating mangrove conservation projects to co-developing the national Forestry Sector Strategy 2026-2035, he's committed to initiatives that are locally owned and technically sound. His work spans the full spectrum of forestry – from field-based forest inventory and GIS mapping to strategic policy development and capacity building. What sets Elvino apart is his ability to translate complex technical concepts across languages and audiences, having provided both written and simultaneous translation for significant national projects, international workshops, ministerial-level meetings, and the number of Presidential Lecture Series events, including keynote speakers such as the Prime Minister of Malaysia, the former Prime Minister of Cambodia, and other international guest speakers.

Elvino has worked with leading development partners including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), GIZ, Terra Global Capital, Alinea International, and Space Intelligence as well as the Timorese Government's State Secretary for Forestry. He has also supported Future Partners on evaluation assignments, including MFAT's early childhood education programme and Oxfam's Kōtui Negotiated Partnership Programme.

Elvino studied at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, where he earned his Bachelor of Forestry Science. His time in New Zealand gave him valuable international perspective while deepening his technical skills in silviculture, restoration ecology, and forest management systems.

When he's not in the field or writing reports, Elvino can usually be found exploring Timor-Leste's forests and coastlines, continuing to learn from the landscapes he works to protect.

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