He serves as a member of the Coordination Committee of the FLARE network (Forests & Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, and Engagement) and is the lead of a Working Group on Randomized Controlled Trials in Forest Conservation. His research has examined the impact of payment for environmental services (PES) in protecting forest cover, as well as issues of community forestry, reforestation and illegal logging. Prior to joining the faculty at UBC he held a post-doctoral appointment at the Research Center for Environmental Geography (CIGA) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Morelia, Mexico. He has also worked as a Forest Conservation Officer with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Mexico City and Michoacán, and has been a consultant with the World Bank.