About Kristoffer Noriel Ordoñez
I’m a field-based conservationist and institutional founder working at the intersection of ecology, governance, and knowledge systems in the Philippines.
For over 15 years, my work has involved biodiversity research, trail and landscape exploration, community-integrated conservation, and long-term engagement with Indigenous Peoples and local governments. I’ve worked on species rediscovery, reforestation and carbon forestry, conservation field surveys, and governance-oriented mountain initiatives across Luzon and Mindoro.
Rather than focusing on single projects or short funding cycles, my work centers on a broader question: how societies recognize, translate, and govern ecological reality in biodiversity-rich but institutionally fragmented contexts.
In 2024, I co-founded the Sierra Madre Conservation Society (SierraPH), where I initiated four interlinked programs:
• Found Nation, a counter-archive for forgotten and long-undocumented species
• The Sierra Madre Trail Program, a governance-first framework for ethical movement through mountains
• SierraCon, a knowledge summit connecting science, society, and climate resilience
• The League of Indigenous Peoples Innovators (LIPI), an institutional incubation platform for Indigenous-led governance innovation
Increasingly, my work explores how cultural memory, art, and ethics shape which species are seen, remembered, or forgotten, and how these forces influence conservation priorities and public understanding.
Across these efforts, my focus is on building durable structures that allow ecological knowledge, Indigenous authority, and conservation practice to endure beyond individual projects, personalities, or funding cycles.
Which category below best describes the type of organisation you currently work for/or run?
Areas of expertise
Would you be willing to be approached and share your lessons learned in your area(s) of expertise with our community?
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Intro Content
Sa ngalan ng Sierra Madre
Influencer Of
Flavia Manieri
WildHub Community Advocates Coordinator|Interdisciplinary Researcher, Uppsala University
Nervours Daka
Donor Relations Specialist, AFRICAN HEALTH VOLUNTEERS FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE RESCUE AND REFERRALS PARTNERSHIPS
ADITI SHARMA
Independent Wildlife Consultant (Former Senior Veterinary Officer, AHD, UK Govt.), EY, WII,GIZ, Member, Wildlife SAB, Morris Animal Foundation, Colorado Member, WiNN Global Mentoring Committee
Recent Comments
Hello, Tara. You piqued my interest. I'll send an email. Thank you.
Thank you for these, Frank, though I keep getting a "There has been a critical error on this website." message every time I click the hyperlinks. I tried searching via Google and if I click the link through there, the same error message shows up.
Signed up! Thanks, @Loretta Andrade!
Great to have you join us Kristoffer, what progress are you making with the UP Mountaineers' Sierra Madre Nature Trail project?
Hi Grace. SMNT's on the back pedal at this time, making sure the local government units and agencies are onboard. We're also hoping to get funding soon so we can have people working on it fulltime.
Welcome to the Wildhub Community, Kristoffer
Thank you, Chrissy. See you around. :)
Welcome to WildHub, Kristoffer.
Thanks, Lara. Nice to meet you.
A warm welcome to WildHub, Kristoffer! Which approach has worked the best for you so far in terms of engaging local indigenous people's communities in conservation activities?
I may not get the terms right at this time but based on my experience, I believe it works best both ways if we defer to their right to self-determination. At first, I thought having good intentions was good enough. Sure, for starters definitely, but you just can't proceed with laying your plans as you see fit. They need to be informed, involved, and indispensable. They have to own the project of their own volition and see the gains from their perspectives.