Matthew Steil works in WRI’s People and Ecosystems Program as a Research Associate - focusing on issues of forest mapping, conservation and policy in Central Africa. He currently leads projects dealing with forest revenue distribution to local communities, is collaborating to set up the Forest Transparency Initiative and in the production of the interactive forest atlases for Central Africa. He has more than 7 years of forest conservation related experience in Central Africa - including five years in the field both as a Peace Corps Volunteer and as a technical assistant to Gabon’s National Parks Agency with the Wildlife Conservation Society. When not with WRI in Washington D.C., he continues to work with WCS and Gabon’s Ivindo National Park on freshwater conservation planning, collaborative mitigation of extractive resource activities and local capacity building in scientific research, mapping and park management. Matthew holds a B.A. in Biology from St. John’s University (MN) and a M.S. in Conservation Biology from the University of Maryland.