In August 2019, Romina Maria Yitani Medina started working with the LAT monkey project as field research assistant and data manager.

Romina was born in Venezuela and grew up in Baja California. In March 2018 she graduated from the University of Baja California with a bachelors in Biology and in the summer of 2018 she contacted Filippo Aureli to volunteer with the NGO ConMonoMaya. From January 2019 she helped the long-term project on spider monkeys that Filippo Aureli has conducted since 2000 in the protected area of Otoch Ma’ax yetel Kooh, near the village of Punta Laguna, Yucatan. She did a marvelous job and so, Filippo invited her to join LAT monkey project.

In the few months that Romina has worked with the LAT monkey project she made a big difference with her motivation and organizational skills. She has collected data on the spider monkey ranging movements, their feeding behavior and their use of sleeping sites.

Romina will apply for a Masters program at UNAM, the most well-known Mexican university. But do not worry. She will still be associated with the LAT monkey project as the plan is that she will carry out her Masters project at LAT.