Shen Xiaoli (pronounced shen show lee) is a biologist studying Conservation Biology at Peking University in Beijing, China. She also works for Conservation International in China (CI-China) as a consultant where she runs the scientific survey for the Sacred Lands Project. Her PhD thesis will be based on this CI project. Xiaoli is mapping sacred sites in the Tibetan region of China and gathering information about indigenous culture, animals, plants, and people. Xiaoli and her colleagues hope to promote legal recognition of the Tibetan style of land management because it offers protection for both cultural and biological diversity. As a result of her work, she has also become an avid birder.

Career Path: Xiaoli earned her bachelor’s degree from the Peking University College of Life Sciences and is now seeking a doctorate degree in conservation biology. Her interests include Tibetan culture and ornithology. Xiaoli has an exceptionally quick eye for birds and remembers every detail, even the page number in the guide book.