René Navarro was employed in 1990 by the Southern African Bird Atlas Project, later at the Avian Demography Unit (ADU) as a Scientific Research Officer. In 1999 he was re-appointed to a full-time post as IT Manager for the ADU. In January 2018 his position was transferred to the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology. René is the developer and creator of the Virtual Museum, a citizen science platform for African biodiversity.
He completed a BSc at the Universidad Austral de Chile in 1979, and an MSc in Zoology at the same university in 1985. Between 1980 and 1985, he was a teaching assistant at this university and worked on research projects relating to aquaculture and conservation. He was a diver on the 22nd Antarctic Expedition of the Chilean Antarctic Institute. He came to South Africa in 1986 and has done research on gannets as part of the Benguela Ecology Programme. In addition to his ornithological expertise, he has developed an extensive knowledge of computers and software. He is also a keen wildlife photographer.
René completed his PhD "Energy Budget and Foraging Behaviour of the Cape Gannet Morus capensis During the Breeding Season" in 2010 at the Department of Zoology (Animal Demography Unit) University of Cape Town.
