Valentina Balestra has a degree in Environmental Engineering, University of Genoa, with a final mark of 101/110, and a degree in Natural Systems Science, University of Genoa, with full marks and honours (110/110 cum laude). From May 2020 to October 2022, she worked as a Research Fellow at DIATI, Politecnico di Torino, within the national PRIN SHOWCAVE project. Since November 2022, she has been a PhD candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering at DIATI, Politecnico di Torino. She is also certified as an Environmental Education and Sustainability Operator for Regione Liguria and as a Field Ecologist specialised in environmental analysis and management. She has conducted research in the following fields: monitoring and conservation of hypogeal fauna, karst systems, microplastic and microfibre pollution in natural environments, especially in karst systems, and in the textile sectors, anthropogenic impact in show caves, monitoring of environmental parameters in natural caves and climate change, impact of wind farms on wildlife, artropods, bat, amphibian, wolf, nocturnal and diurnal birds of prey monitoring and conservation.