Dr. Frank V. Paladino
Professor of Biology at Indiana-Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Vice President of the Leatherback Trust
Dr. Paladino has been at IPFW for 16 years and conducted research in the field of comparative vertebrate physiological ecology. He has over 40 scientific papers in reviewed professional journals on animals ranging from songbirds to elephants to fish to sea turtles. He has been conducting research on sea turtles in Costa Rica since 1988. He has a Ph.D. in Zoophysiology from Washington State University (1979) and a Master's degree in Ecology from Buffalo State University College (1976).

Dr. Richard Reina
Lecturer in Vertebrate Biology at the School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Dr. Reina joined the Las Baulas project in 1996 after completing his PhD at the Australian National University studying sea turtle physiology. He is interested in the conservation, physiology and developmental biology of leatherbacks and other turtles. He particularly enjoys interacting with volunteers and students and the enthusiasm they bring.

Dr. Harold W. Avery
Associate Professor in the Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology at Drexel University, Philadelphia
Dr. Avery is an experienced Earthwatch Principal Investigator (PI) and is currently PI for the Diamondback Terrapins of Barnegat Bay New Jersey (website). He is also a Co-PI on the Costa Rican Sea Turtles Earthwatch expedition and was Principal Investigator for the Mojave Desert Tortoise expedition in 2003 - 2004. Dr. Avery’s research specialties include population ecology, nutritional ecology, physiological ecology and conservation biology. His current and past research projects include conservation and population ecology of turtles and tortoises. He and his students are also currently studying the population ecology of reptiles, amphibians and birds in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Costa Rica. He has worked at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory in South Carolina, University of Michigan, and has spent 12 years as a research biologist with the federal government in the Department of Interior. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Biology from State University College at Buffalo, New York and his Ph.D. in Biology from UCLA (1998). He has published many scientific and technical papers on the biology of the desert tortoise and freshwater turtles and is recognized as the world’s expert on the effects of grazing livestock on tortoises. Dr. Avery is also an avid amateur astronomer, rock-hound, collector of fluorescent minerals, member of the American Fern Society, and collector of rare vinyl records, among many other interests.

Dr. Paul Sotherland
Kalamazoo College, Michigan

 Education Program (working with the local grade school):

Judy Zabriskie
Education Coordinator
Judy is a registered teacher and wildlife artist, with many year's experience coordinating the education project at Playa Grande. Contact Judy for further details on the activities and timing of the education component, gypsy3@localnet.com

 2007-2008 Field Staff:

Gabriela Blanco
Field Manager
I am originally from Argentina; I finished my Licenciatura at the National University of Patagonia, Comodoro Rivadavia. I am currently starting my third year as a PhD student at Drexel University, and this is also my third year working with the Leatherbacks in this project. For my PhD research I am studying the migration and behavior of the black turtles nesting in the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. 

Rebecca Frick
Field Assistant
I recently earned a B.S. in Biology from Southern Connecticut State University.  This is my first year working with this project and the first opportunity I have had to work with Leatherbacks.  My previous experience with sea turtles includes volunteering and working as an assistant for the Caretta Research Project on Wassaw Island, Georgia.

Tera Dornfeld
Field Assistant and Hatchery Manager
I am returning to the project for a second season after completing my Biology degree from Cornell College in Iowa.  Last season I was working with Professor Andy McCollum as a research assistant for a study of hatchling predation and conducting my own research on the Spanish language and sea turtle conservation.  I am so excited to be back as a full-time member of the research staff.

Nikki Kowalczyk
Field Assistant
My heritage is Polish although I was born and raised in the beautiful country of South Africa. It is here where I developed my curiosity and love for wildlife and I am so happy that I have been given the opportunity to pursue my dream of learning biology in Costa Rica one of the richest animal and plant diversity centers of the world. I completed my biology degree in Australia in 2006 with units in marine biology, animal diversity, animal behavior, and environmental policy and management. By next year I will complete my honors thesis with data collected at Playa Grande. My study will focus on the behavioral and environmental cues for selection of female turtles’ nesting time. In particular, moonlight and tide influences on emergence will be closely examined, so as to further understand the consequences for the energetics of turtle nesting and the suitability of nest location.

Sara Valentine
Field Assistant and Volunteer coordinator
I was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Indiana-Purdue University in Fort Wayne (IPFW) and I also did a national student exchange program for one year at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming. I focused on ecology, animal behavior, and conservation. I am currently a graduate student at Indiana-Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Indiana working toward my Master’s degree in Ecology and Wildlife Conservation. My advisor is Dr. Frank V. Paladino, who is one of the Principal Investigators of this project. This is my third season with the project. I was an Earthwatch volunteer the first time I was here for 10 days. Last year I was here for three months as a research assistant and this year I will be here for the entire nesting season from October until March. I look forward to learning more about factors affecting the survival of the amazing leatherbacks in the Pacific Ocean including: Hatchling success rates and conditions that affect them, reproductive behavior and fecundity, internesting activities, nest-site selection, etc. I am excited to experience another great nesting season here in Playa Grande, Costa Rica and I hope to see our number of nesting females increase this year. 

 Local Officials:

Biol. Rotney Piedra
M.Sc. graduate of the University of Costa Rica
Director of Las Baulas National Park
Señor Piedra conducted research work at Las Baulas previously and now oversees all aspects of Park Management and personnel.

 Park Guards:

Responsible for enforcement of Park laws and regulations, as well as working with local guides.