Colton Naval is an Engagement Specialist with Global Forest Watch (GFW). He leads the operations, communications, and capacity building of the GFW Small Grants Fund and Tech Fellowship, and supports a wide array of initiatives within the GFW Engagement team centered around understanding forest monitoring solutions to accelerate global forest conservation outcomes.

Prior to joining WRI, Colton held a variety of roles in the nonprofit space, including: a Research Coordinator with the Pew Charitable Trusts, a Climate Safeguards Fellow with the National Wildlife Federation, and a Research and Communications Intern with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in Cambodia.

Colton holds a B.A. in Political Science and Communication from the College of Charleston. In 2015, he was selected as a US-UK Fulbright award recipient to attend the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, where he received his MSc in Environment and International Development.

Colton lives in Washington D.C. He enjoys: exercising, traveling/exploring, cooking and eating, cinematic and live concert experiences, teaching himself guitar, and drinking coffee - especially when paired with good conversation.