Jaime Couto Júnior

YEP period 2021 - 2023, batch 26

YEP Role

As a Young Expert, I coordinate income generation micro-projects (beekeeping and agriculture) in local communities. Further, in the capacity of a Forestry Manager, I plan, organise, execute, supervise and prepare reports on the activities of forestry exploitation, silviculture, and forest protection in LevasFlor.

Skills

• Planning, monitoring and evaluation
• Team training abilities
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Proactive and creative
• Work under pressure
• Preparation of maps using the QGIS platform
• Microsoft office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Internet.
• Quick software familiarisation skills

Background

• Nationality: Mozambican
• Education:
  • BSc. degree in Environment Management at Universidade Aberta ISCED, Mozambique
  • Graduated as a Forestry Technician at the Agrarian Institute of Chimoio, Mozambique

Experience before YEP

• July 2014 to June 2017 – Worked as a forestry technician and cooperator of activities in the Forestry Management unit at LevasFlor Forest Concession (Certified by FSC).
• June 2017 – promoted to the category of Forestry Manager in LevasFlor's Forestry Concession, performing the following activities:
  • Integrated Forest Inventory – planning, data processing, and reporting;
  • Forestry Exploitation – planning, preparation of reports, personnel management, training in good practices in chainsaw operation, equipment management (tractors, trucks, chainsaws), maintenance management for field personnel.
  • Silviculture – production of native species seedlings and planting in the definitive field, management of regeneration of stumps from forestry exploitation.
  • Beekeeping – identification of individuals interested in honey production, distribution of hives, and training of members of local communities, management of apiaries within the organisation.
  • Monitoring and evaluation – bio-aquatic, growth rates, regeneration and forest conditions; environmental and social impacts resulting from slaughter; costs, productivity, and efficiency of forest management, outflow control of NTFPs from the concession; measurement of growth within Permanent Sample Plots; and, precipitation.
  • GIS – Preparation of thematic maps of different activities and events within the forest concession using the QGIS platform.
  • Conflict management with local communities.
  • Research – coordinate research in the forest sector with different educational institutions such as UEM, UNIZAMBEZE, ISPG, ISPM, IAC, PNG.
• July 2020 to present – promoted to Manager of the Department of Conservation at LevasFlor with the following main activities:
  • Data collection and verification of changes in the concession's flora and fauna composition, especially in the High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF).
  • Ensure the inspection of the concession's Forest and Wildlife resources and the proper referral of possible offenders to the competent authorities.
  • Fire management through cold fire practices, awareness, and the fight against uncontrolled fires.