It doesn’t take long to realize Anne-Isabelle Bonifassi is an extraordinary person, and that’s before the National Geographic Society named her as one of 15 Wayfinder Award winners this year.
The award honors her for, “outstanding achievements in science, conservation, education, technology and storytelling (that) further the Society’s mission to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world.”
Bonifassi, executive director of the Haiti National Trust, pursued her master’s degree online from the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS) in the ecological restoration track of forest resources and conservation.
“Receiving the National Geographic Wayfinder Award is a fitting recognition of Anne-Isabelle’s leadership,” said SFFGS Associate Director Shirley Baker, Ph.D., who taught Bonifassi in a spring 2025 class. “As one of her instructors, I had the privilege of seeing firsthand her extraordinary commitment, resilience, and determination to conserve biodiversity under incredibly challenging circumstances.
“Anne-Isabelle exemplifies the power of online graduate education. She didn’t have to leave Haiti or pause her conservation work to earn her degree. Instead, she brought her challenges and successes into our online classroom, making the learning experience richer for all of us.”
It’s her conservation work that drew National Geographic’s attention.
“Bonifassi is a conservation biologist and restoration ecologist dedicated to protecting Haiti’s last primary forests and restoring ecosystems that sustain the Caribbean’s most threatened species,” according to National Geographic’s award announcement. “Through creative, solutions-oriented strategies, Bonifassi strengthens local stewardship and works to prevent species extinctions.”
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