People
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Board of Directors
spacer Michelle Hester, President & Executive Director Kailua, HI Valentina Colodro, Chile Legal Representative Valparaíso, Chile Grant Ballard, Secretary spacer San Francisco, CA Aaron Hebshi, Director San Diego, CA Peter Hodum, Director Tacoma, WA Cristián Pérez, Director Santiago, Chile Molly Hagemann, Director Kailua, HI -
The Eggs
Management Jessie Beck, Program Manager Santa Cruz, CA Ryan Carle, Conservation Coordinator/Program Manager Santa Cruz, CA Valentina Colodro, Chile Program Manager Valparaíso, Chile Paola González, Juan Fernández Coordinator Juan Fernández Islands, Chile Héctor Gutiérrez Guzmán, Juan Fernández Manager Santiago, Chile Michelle Hester, Director of US Programs Kailua, HI Peter Hodum, Director of Chile Programs spacer Tacoma, WA Verónica López, Isla Mocha & Bycatch Program Manager Valparaíso, Chile Pablo Manriguez, Juan Fernández Coordinator Juan Fernández Islands, Chile Trinidad Mena, Finances & Admin Manager Haleiwa, HI Kirsten Moy, Development Coordinator Kaneohe, Hawaii Staff
Rozy Bathrick, Ecologist Santa Cruz, California Carissa Cabrera, Website Editor Kailua, HI David Calleri, Biologist Santa Cruz, CA Emily Coletta, Biologist Santa Cruz, CA Sarah Donahue, Biologist Haliewa, HI Sara de Rodt, Collaborator, Island Conservation Juan Fernández Islands, Chile Guillermo de Rodt, Senior Technician Juan Fernández Islands, Chile Verónica Muñoz, Chile Administrative Assistant Chile Cabila Manriquez, Technician Juan Fernández Islands, Chile Ilana Nimz, Biologist & Winged Ambassadors Coordinator Honolulu, HI John (JJ) Baczenas, Project Assistant Kapolei, Hawai’i Rolando Recabarren, Project Assistant Juan Fernández Islands, Chile Flora Rojas, Field Assistant Juan Fernández Islands, Chile Tiare Varela, Project Supervisor Isla Mocha, Chile Wings and Fins Conservation Scholars Link to current and past scholars Operation Specialists Greg Hester, Design & Web Specialist Los Angeles, CA -
Erica Donnelly-Greenan, Ecologist II, Research Collaborator Santa Cruz, CA Myra Finkelstein, UCSC Santa Cruz, CA Erin Hagen, Island Conservation Santiago, Chile Heather Harris, Cal Poly Morro Bay, CA Bill Henry, Groundswell Davenport, CA David Hyrenbach, Hawai‘i Pacific University Kailua, HI Carol Keiper, Oikonos Benicia, CA Hannah Nevins, American Bird Conservancy Santa Cruz, CA Viola Toniolo, Oikonos San Francisco, CA Sophie Webb, Oikonos Felton, CA -
Lloyd Fales, Film Producer spacer New York, NY David Ainley, H.T. Harvey & Associates spacer Sausalito, CA Lisa Ballance, NOAA & Scripps Institution of Oceanography San Diego, CA Ellen Hines, San Francisco SU San Francisco, CA Matthew Passmore, MoreLabs Oakland, CA Nathaniel Polish, Daedalus Technology Group New York, NY -
Grant Ballard San Francisco, CA Thomas Gardali Inverness, CA Sacha Heath Davis, CA Michelle Hester Kailua, HI Peter Hodum Tacoma, WA Carol Keiper spacer Benicia, CA Hannah Nevins Santa Cruz, CA Viola Toniolo San Francisco, CA Sophie Webb Felton, CA -
Apply for our current Job Openings:
Job Opening: Board of Directors
Seeking new Board members to support this great organization. Become a part of the Oikonos Nest and lead the organization towards our ambitious goals for wildlife and communities. Have fun, make connections, engage your networks, learn, be inspired, and serve.
Learn more about this position
Scholar Program: The “Wings & Fins” Marine Conservation Career Training Program
Offering mentored research and stewardship training for young biologists and early career graduates that are interested in the marine conservation field.
David Ainley
Advisor
dainley@penguinscience.com
Sausalito, California
David is an ecologist specializing in the ecological role of top predators in marine foodwebs and the ways that those roles are impacted by climate change. He is a mentor for many Oikonos leaders. See penguinscience.com for details about his current research focus in Antarctica. David also founded the significant international effort to protect the Ross Sea – details at lastocean.org
Cabila Manriquez Angulo
Technician
Juan Fernández Islands, Chile
Cabila was grateful and motivated to study Veterrinary Medicine at Universidad de Concepción by the island which she loves and that has kept her in touch with nature. The experience and knowledge that she is gaining now as a senior at the Universidad will contribute to the terrestrial and oceanic wildlife conservation of these oceanic chilean islands.
John (JJ) Baczenas
Project Assistant
Kapolei, Hawai’i
JJ is a student at Hawai’i Pacific University working towards his BS in Marine Biology. He is currently assisting graduate student IIana Nimz with her project researching the diets of Christmas Shearwaters located on the Kure Atoll. Most of his spare time is occupied by studying, adventuring with his lovely wife, and sleeping every now and then. He loves movies, comics, board games, and food.
Lisa Ballance
Advisor
lisa.ballance@noaa.gov
San Diego, California
Lisa Ballance is the Director of the Marine Mammal and Turtle Division at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries Service and an Adjunct Professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She provides Oikonos guidance and graduate student advisement on collaborative research efforts. Her research includes a strong ecological component and is heavily focused on cetaceans and seabird ecology in oceanic systems, ecological trends in space and time, and ecosystem-based approaches to management. Link to Lisa’s NOAA profile and publications.
Grant Ballard
Board of Directors
grant@oikonos.org
San Francisco, California
Grant is Chief Science Officer at Point Blue Conservation Science, with more than 20 years experience in ecology and bioinformatics. He currently leads several projects investigating and communicating the effects of landscape-scale environmental stressors on ecosystems and human stakeholders in western North America and the Southern Ocean. Originally from St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, Grant has made the Bay Area is home since 1991.
Rozy Bathrick
Ecologist, Año Nuevo Island
rozy@oikonos.org
Santa Cruz, California
Rozy is a downy chick in the Oikonos nest. She began her first full season in 2019 after volunteering for several years. She joins the Año Nuevo team with 5 years of experience as an educator at University of California Santa Cruz, where she has worked leading backpacking and natural history courses. She is thrilled to be a member of an international community of seabirds and ecologists.
Jessie Beck
Project Manager, Ecologist
jessie@oikonos.org
Santa Cruz, California
Jessie manages several Oikonos projects in California. At the Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center in Santa Cruz, she investigates seabird mortality from longline fisheries, oil spills, plastic pollution and unusual mortality events. She also co-manages projects on Año Nuevo Island that contributing to long-term seabird monitoring and restoration of breeding habitat, and is an advising ecologist to several projects in Chile.
Carissa Cabrera
Website Editor
carissacabrera1@gmail.com
Kailua, Hawaii
Carissa is the website editor for Oikonos. After finishing her graduate coursework at Hawaii Pacific University, she became involved in conservation work and science communication with nonprofits. Her passions include free diving, cooking, sustainable living, traveling, and photography.
David Calleri
Biologist, Master Blacksmith
calleri@oikonos.org
Santa Cruz, California
Dave is an integral team member working on Año Nuevo State Park seabird populations and habitat both on the island and the mainland cliff colonies. For 20 years Dave has volunteered his diverse expertise from biological monitoring to hand-crafting hardware for numerous restoration designs. One of Dave’s focal species is the Pelagic Cormorant and he is documenting their breeding success in response to Common Raven predation. You can also find Dave at Wilder Ranch State Park demonstrating past and present blacksmith skills.
Ken Campbell
Ikkatsu Project
ken@ikkatsuproject.org
Tacoma, Washington
Ken is a paddle sports instructor with expedition experience in Washington, California, British Columbia and Newfoundland and is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Environmental Studies. In addition to authoring several books on Pacific Northwest kayaking, he is a long-time presenter at symposia and clinics throughout the region. With the Ikkatsu Project, Ken has turned his efforts to environmental issues that affect our oceans, focusing on increasing awareness of the dangers to our fragile shorelines and finding ways that they can be protected.
Ryan Carle
Conservation Coordinator/Año Nuevo Island Project Manager
ryan@oikonos.org
Santa Cruz, California
Ryan co-manages Oikonos’ seabird ecology and habitat restoration project at Año Nuevo Island. As Conservation Coordinator Ryan works to advance Oikonos’ conservation goals by bridging gaps in skills and knowledge between Oikonos project worldwide. He is currently working with Chilean staff at Isla Mocha, Chile, on conservation and tracking of Pink-footed Shearwaters. Ryan completed his Master’s degree at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in 2014, and has received honors including a Switzer Leadership Development Grant for work in Chile. Before joining Oikonos, Ryan worked on diverse conservation projects for the Mono Lake Committee, the International Crane Foundation, Point Blue Conservation Science, Friends of the Inyo, and California State Parks.
Emily Coletta
Research Associate, Año Nuevo Island
emily@oikonos.org
Santa Cruz, California
Emily has been working on Año Nuevo Island since 2016, at which point she began as an Oikonos Wings and Fins scholar. She holds Bachelors’ degrees in Environmental Studies and Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She also holds birds.
Valentina Colodro
Board of Directors – Chile Representative, Program Manager of Chile Projects
valentina@oikonos.org
Valparaíso, Chile
Valentina is a wildlife veterinarian and Program Manager for Oikonos’ Chile Programs. She has been involved with Oikonos’ projects in Chile since 2007. Her main interests include wildlife medicine and seabird conservation.
Guillermo de Rodt
Senior Technician
San Juan Bautista, Archipiélago Juan Fernández, Chile
Guillermo was born in the island and spent 14 years dedicated to agricultural work on mainland Chile. Once back in the Archipelago, he worked with CONAF and the Holland Project in 2004 on rabbit and goat control programs, plus invasive plant control and erosion control plans. He has worked at Oikonos since 2013 on different projects including rodent and invasive incipient plant control programs and monitoring the reproductive success of the Pink-footed Shearwater.
Sara de Rodt
Asistente de proyectos, Island Conservation
San Juan Bautista, Archipiélago Juan Fernández, Chile
Born and raised in Robinson Crusoe, Sara has worked for Oikonos since 2003 searching for and monitoring endemic Firecrown nests and restoring its habitat through invasive plant control including maqui and blackberry. She has worked at Alejandro Selkirk Island monitoring Masafuera Rayadito’s population and restoration through artificial nest habitat. She has also participated in shearwater and petrel projects by monitoring their breeding success in several colonies throughout the Archipelago. She is currently Island Conservation’s project assistant on the Archipelago, with whom she’s been involved in rodent and cat control programs within town, a joint program with Oikonos.
Sara likes her work in the field and is passionate about studying the endemic Firecrown. She is happy to contribute in a small way for her island home.
Erica Donnelly-Greenan
Research Collaborator
erica@oikonos.org
Santa Cruz, California
Erica is a marine ecologist with Oikonos and previously the Operations Manager for The Marine Mammal Center in Moss Landing. Erica has worked with Oikonos since 2008 on the BiOPS program investigating plastic ingestion in seabirds. More recently, Erica is working Jessie Beck and Ryan Carle on Brandt’s and Pelagic Cormorant diet data obtained from pellets collected from Año Nuevo Island – a collaboration with Point Blue Conservation Science. Erica completed her M.S. degree in Marine Vertebrate Ecology at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in 2012, where she examined prey and plastic ingestion in Pacific Northern Fulmars.
Sarah Donahue
Biologist
sarah.donahue@oikonos.org
Haleiwa, Oahu
Originally from Arizona, Sarah came to Hawaii to pursue her education in marine science. She works as a biologist to evaluate diet samples and foraging ecology for Oahu’s Red Footed Boobies. In her free time she enjoys spending time near the ocean.
Myra Finkelstein
Research Associate, University of California Santa Cruz
myraf@ucsc.edu
Santa Cruz, California
Myra is an Adjunct Professor at UCSC and her research focuses on human impacts to wildlife with an emphasis on contaminant-induced effects. To fulfill this goal, her research seeks to develop links in the often difficult-to-understand causal chain between physiological responses to contaminants and population-level impacts of these effects. Myra is a co-investigator with Oikonos on seabird plastic ingestion projects and provides leadership in contaminant investigations and faculty sponsorship of project interns.
Lloyd Fales
Advisor, Film Producer
lloyd.fales@nbcuni.com
Manhattan, New York
Lloyd has worked as an Executive Producer for Peacock Productions, a unit of NBC News in New York City since 2011 where he oversees specials and series. Before that, Lloyd was an independent producer, writer and cameraman focusing on science and wildlife topics for National Geographic, PBS, BBC, Animal Planet, History and other cable networks. He has worked in conservation films throughout his career, including Return to Penguin City under Animal Planet.
Thomas Gardali
Co-Founder
Inverness, California
Tom is the Director of the Pacific Coast and Central Valley Group at Point Blue Conservation Science. As a co-founder of Oikonos, Tom created the organization’s vision and brought his expertise in ecological restoration, climate change impacts on wildlife, migratory ecology, and conservation of at-risk species.
Paola González
Program Coordinator, Juan Fernández Islands
paola@oikonos.org
San Juan Bautista, Juan Fernández Islands, Chile
Paola has co-managed Oikonos’ projects on the Juan Fernández Islands for over 10 years. She leads the citizen science and restoration efforts to protect the unique biodiversity of the Archipelago. Pao embodies the depth and diversity of skills islanders posses. She is working to protect critically endangered endemic birds on Robinson and Selkirk.
Héctor Gutiérrez Guzmán
Juan Fernández Manager
hgutierrez@oikonos.org
Héctor (Chipi) has great interest and passion for conservation. He started working on Juan Fernandez in 2009 as a volunteer for Oikonos helping with the invasive plant control within nesting sites of the endemic Firecrown. In 2012 Chipi and partners founded “Rescatemos Juan Fernández”, an organization focused on local education and outreach through pacific islands. Also, every year they support Oikonos and the National Parks Services with volunteering programs. He received his degree in Natural Renewable Resources Engineering from Universidad de Chile. Currently he coordinates Oikonos projects on the ground in the archipelago.
Molly Hagemann
Board of Directors
molly@bishopmuseum.org
Kailua, Hawaii
Molly grew up in east Texas with a strong interest in wildlife, thanks mostly to her mother’s many bird feeders. Not surprisingly, she decided to study biology at the University of Texas. While there, she began volunteering in the natural history museum and quickly fell in love with working in a museum
environment. Since then she’s worked in several different museums before finding her way to Honolulu’s Bishop Museum, where she currently manages the Vertebrate Zoology Collection. Her role at the museum puts her in contact with researchers, resource managers, artists, educators, and students. Molly is hoping these connections, along with her commitment to preserving biodiversity, will help her serve as a strong advocate for Oikonos and its mission.
Heather Harris
Wildlife Veterinarian, Sea Turtle Health
heather@oikonos.org
Morro Bay, California
Heather is a wildlife veterinarian with a strong interest in marine ecosystem health. She completed her graduate training (DVM and MPVM) at UC Davis in wildlife medicine and epidemiology, and a clinical internship in marine mammal medicine and pathology at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. She currently works in collaboration with the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center investigating the health of endangered sea turtle populations in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Caribbean Oceans. She is also the site veterinarian for The Marine Mammal Center field office in Morro Bay and part-time surgeon at Woods Humane Society in San Luis Obispo.
Erin Hagen
Research Associate, Island Conservation
erin@oikonos.org
Santiago, Chile
Erin is the Program Manager for Island Conservation in Chile. She has led Oikonos projects on the Juan Fernandez Islands throughout her graduate career and now supports our collaborative research and conservation efforts with IC on the islands. Her PhD dissertation and other research has focused on examining ecological and genetic relationships of critically endangered island birds to guide management actions in systems threatened by invasive mammals and plants. She currently leads restoration projects in South America focused on inhabited islands where island species are most imperiled.
Sacha Heath
Co-Founder
Davis, California
As a co-founder, Sacha helped develop Oikonos’ integrative science-art-conservation vision and initiated studies on the nesting ecology of birds recolonizing the recovering tributary streams of Mono Lake. After a decade spent managing programs and mentoring new ecologists at Point Blue Conservation Science, she is now completing her PhD at UC Davis. Sacha feels lucky to occasionally spend field time with Oikonos ecologists at Año Nuevo Island!
Aaron Hebshi
Board of Directors
aaron@oikonos.org
San Diego, California
Aaron has worked in natural resources for the Air Force and Navy the past eight years and received his PhD at University of Hawai‘i. He is an island ecologist specializing in shearwater ecology and eradication planning. Aaron’s current work with the Department of Defense includes coastal sage scrub, dune, and riparian habitat
restoration, and an effort on San Clemente Island to eradicate Argentine ants.
Bill Henry
Research Associate, Coastal Ecology
henry@oikonos.org
Davenport, California
Bill is the founder of Groundswell, a non-profit managing the West Cliff Ecosystem Restoration Project, a community-based coastal restoration effort in Santa Cruz, CA. He has over 20 years of working with seabirds and marine conservation and also held positions at USGS and UC Santa Cruz. His PhD dissertation at UC Santa Cruz examined the consequences of range expansion for Laysan Albatrosses in the North Pacific Ocean. He used electronic tagging to examine at-sea distribution and understand geographic patterns diet, stable isotopes, and contaminant loading. His current research interests include vertebrate ecology, biogeography, conservation, and coastal restoration. Bill loves photography and you can often find him behind a lens.
Michelle Hester
President, Executive Director, and Ecologist
michelle@oikonos.org
Kailua, Hawai‘i
Michelle is a co-founder of Oikonos and the Executive Director. She brings over 25 years of research and applied conservation experience throughout the Pacific. Her research focuses on island ecology, seabird prey dynamics, and habitat restoration with an emphasis on inter-disciplinary approaches.
Greg Hester
Graphic design, WordPress specialist, Video editor
greg@hestergraphics.com
Los Angeles, California
Greg worked for Yahoo! Sports and the Los Angeles Times. He created the “Where We Work” interactive infographic based on Twitter bootstrap code, to highlight our work around the world. He also setup our new responsive WordPress site, customized to our goals. He also setup our anonuevoisland.org site using Buddypress.
Ellen Hines
Advisor
ehines@sfsu.edu
San Francisco, California
Ellen in a Professor at San Francisco State University and leader of the Marine and Coastal Conservation and Spatial Planning Lab of the Institute for Geographic Information Science. She leads collaborators, faculty, and students seeking to describe, model and predict the effects of human use on the marine and coastal environment. Her research interests include the integrated use of GIS and remote sensing in delineation of marine mammal habitat, issues of conservation in small-scale fisheries, and the development of research protocols for marine mammals in developing countries.
Peter Hodum
Board of Directors, Chile Program Director, Seabird conservation and ecology
peter@oikonos.org
Tacoma, Washington
Peter is a conservation biologist who serves as the Chile Program Director for Oikonos and as an Associate Professor at the University of Puget Sound. He has more than 25 years of experience in seabird ecology and conservation. His work focuses on the assessment of threats to seabird populations, restoration of native island ecosystems, conservation planning for endangered bird species, and the role of seabirds as upper-trophic level predators. In addition, Peter is involved with community-based conservation initiatives both locally and in Chile.
David Hyrenbach
Research Associate, Ocean Ecology, Cafetito
david@oikonos.org
Kailua, Hawai‘i
David is an Associate Professor at Hawai‘i Pacific University and leads Oikonos research and outreach projects involving graduate students, resource managers and local conservation groups. He is currently working on Hawaiian seabird foraging ecology in both the main and the northwestern islands. He is a Pew marine conservation fellow and serves in the federal MPA advisory council and the WESTPAC protected species committee.
Carol Keiper
Research Associate, Sailing
carol@oikonos.org
Benicia, California
Carol is an educator and marine ecologist with a Master’s Degree in Marine Science from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. She was presented with the NOAA Environmental Hero Award, and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s Volunteer of the Year Award for outstanding work. She was one of the Oikonos founding board members and she brings an impressive variety of expertise to Oikonos including geospatial analysis skills, curriculum development and her passion for marine debris prevention, ocean stewardship and risk assessment of vessel traffic on the endangered whales. The ocean is her home and she has worked as a naturalist and researcher on cruises for almost 25 years along the west coast of California, Hawaii, the Gulf of Alaska, Baja California, and the Caribbean. As a sailor for over 30 years she has a strong interest in inspiring sailors from Yacht Clubs to take action for ocean conservation.
Veronica López
Fishery Bycatch and Isla Mocha Program Manager
veronica@oikonos.org
Viña Del Mar, Chile
Veronica is a veterinarian with a Master’s degree in wildlife conservation from Universidad Mayor, Chile. She has been involved with avian research in Chile for 15 years, and coordinates Oikonos’ conservation and education strategies in Isla Mocha, Chile. She plays a key role in partnering with government agencies and other NGOs in Chile to advance programs preventing seabird mortality in fisheries.
Pablo Manriquez
Program Coordinator, Juan Fernández Islands
pmanriguez@oikonos.org
Robinson Crusoe, Juan Fernandez, Chile
As an Islander, grandson of a lobster fisher, sustainable fishery leader, and professional research biologist, Pablo brings unique expertise to Oikonos’ mission to protect ecosystems in the Juan Fernandez Archipelago. Since 2006 he has coordinated research and monitoring of the lobster fishery and played a key role in the establishment of MSC certification and designation of a Marine Protected Area. Masters in Sciences from the University of Concepción.
Trinidad Mena
Financial & Administrative Manager
trinidad@oikonos.org
Haleiwa, Hawai‘i
Born and raised in Vina del Mar, Chile. Trini grew up with a strong love for nature and the ocean. After obtaining a Master’s Degree in Finance from Universidad Adolfo Ibanez in 2012, she relocated to Hawai‘i. Trini is in charge of managing financial and administrative support for programs in Chile and the U.S. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor adventures of many different kinds.
Kirsten V. Moy
Development Coordinator
kirstenvmoy@oikonos.org
Kaneohe, Hawai‘i
Kirsten Moy is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and Blue Devil hailing from North Carolina. After working for the National Park Service in St. Croix, USVI, she served as a Community Environmental Conservation volunteer in Panama and then moved to Hawaii to work as the Hawaii state marine debris coordinator. Kirsten is a graduate student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the Geography Department.
Verónica Muñoz
Chile Administrative Assistant
veromuoz@oikonos.org
Viña del Mar, Chile
Vero was a pre-school teacher in her younger years and then moved to the office world. After many years working as a Manager Assistant in international companies, she joined the Chile nest in 2019 to support administration tasks. Vero lives in beautiful Viña del Mar and is a big craft lover. In her free time, you will find her either painting, kneading or embroidering.
Hannah Nevins
Research Associate & Co-Founder
hnevins@abcbirds.org
Santa Cruz, California
Hannah is the seabird program director for American Bird Conservancy’s Oceans and Islands Program. She has investigated ecology and population health in California, Alaska, Antarctica, South Africa, Hawaii and New Zealand. Her research interests include diet, demography and conservation of seabirds. She has been involved in oil spill response, bycatch fishery issues, documenting plastic ingestion impacts and mass mortality events. She is a research associate with Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, UC Davis Wildlife Health Center and Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center and is an adjunct biology Professor at Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA. She is a founding board member of Oikonos and enjoys the engaging and collaborative atmosphere fostered by this unique group of people.
Ilana Nimz
Biologist & Winged Ambassadors Coordinator
nimz@oikonos.org
Waimanalo, Hawai‘i
Nimz is the Education Partnership Coordinator for Winged Ambassadors and a research assistant for various Oikonos projects in Hawai’i. She has spent five seasons on Kure Atoll, collecting boluses from Laysan and black-footed albatrosses to share with educators around the world. Nimz is currently a graduate student in the Pelagicos lab at Hawai’i Pacific University studying the foraging behavior of Christmas Shearwaters on Kure Atoll. She also loves creating art based on her field experiences to inspire others to appreciate seabirds and nature.
Matthew Passmore
Advisor and Collaborator
matt@oikonos.org
Berkeley, California
Matthew Passmore is an internationally recognized artist, teacher and public space advocate. Best known as the original founder of the Rebar Art & Design Studio. He is a key collaborator in Oikonos’ efforts to revive wildlife habitat on Ano Nuevo Island by creating and implementing design solutions that create habitat – this time for rare seabirds rather than humans. In 2014, Matthew formed MoreLab, a new creative endeavor focused specifically on museum exhibitions and public art projects. Recently completed projects include Urbanauts, an 18-month artist fellowship at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, exhibitions at Make It Louder Beijing, the 2012 Istanbul Design Biennial and Kaleidoscape, a three-year social sculpture project at the Berkeley Art Museum. Matthew currently teaches in the graduate school of Urban Studies at the San Francisco Art Institute.
Cristián Pérez
Board of Directors, long-haul cyclist
cristian.perez@oikonos.org
Santiago, Chile
Cristián is an architect and urbanist (University of Chile, 2001) with postgraduate studies on design leadership at the University of Washington. He brings nearly 15 years of architectural design and sustainable urban planning experience in France, the United States and Chile. He has been involved in sustainable planning on the Juan Fernandez Islands since 1997, continuously providing useful grassroots tools to help bring awareness and consensus around best practices, facilitating informed dialogue between both local and regional leaders about a possible sustainable future to enhance the livelihoods of the Juan Fernández Islands community. Cristián is executive director at Global·Nomad.org in Chile, and a member of The Explorers Club of New York.
Nathanial Polish
Advisor
polish@dtgroup.com
New York, New York
Nat has founded and managed several high technology companies specializing in the development and manufacturing of portable computer products. He has also served as a consultant to the computer industry for over 20 years, with clients ranging from small entrepreneurial start-up companies to Fortune 500 corporations. In conjunction with his consulting work, Dr. Polish has provided electronic and computer development services for a wide range of companies and products.
Rolando Recabarren Chamorro
Project Assistant
Robinson Crusoe, Juan Fernández Islands, Chile
I am a veterinarian technician by profession and currently a student of Agricultural Engineering. I was raised on an island hosting many endemic species and it is for this reason that since childhood I set a goal to protect and conserve the ecosystems of the Juan Fernandez Archipelago. I have worked with Oikonos for 5 years conducting environmental education, control of invasive alien species and monitoring of endemic species such as the Pink-footed Shearwater and Juan Fernandez Firecrown. As an islander it is my dream to finish my studies to return to the island as a professional and thus contribute to the conservation and protection of our species.
Flora Rojas
Field Assistant
San Juan Bautista, Archipiélago Juan Fernández, Chile
Flora has worked in landscaping and green area maintenance within Robinson since 2003. In 2013 she began working with Oikonos, participating in different projects such as rodent control and invasive plant control, as well as monitoring Pink-footed Shearwater breeding colonies and the endemic Firecrown nesting habitat. For Flora, her work in Oikonos makes her very happy because she loves nature and enjoys the great working environment within Oikonos.
“Bobo” Sula Scott
Compliance Officer, Chasing flying fish
bobo@oikonos.org
Pacific Ocean
Bobo, who joined Oikonos after a career in free-lance fishing, is committed to the removal of invasive predators from islands, especially cats. When he is not working, Bobo enjoys sipping on a squid smoothy by the shore.
Viola Toniolo
Research Associate & Co-Founder
viola@oikonos.org
San Francisco, California
Viola is a co-founder of Oikonos and continues to contribute by providing GIS expertise and training. Her graduate work at Stanford focused on the foraging and spatial ecology of Adelie Penguins on Ross Island, Antarctica, with Dr. Kevin Arrigo. Her diverse passions also include design, writing, and food.
Tiare Varela
Supervisor, Isla Mocha Projects
tiare@oikonos.org
Isla Mocha, Chile
Originally from Isla Mocha, Tiare became an electrical technician in Lebu and returned to the island a few years ago. She has worked with Oikonos on the Pink-footed Shearwater Conservation Project since 2012, where she monitors invasive animal predation through camera trails deployed within the species’ breeding colony. She’s also an onboard observer in gillnet fisheries operating from Mocha, where she monitors possible seabird bycatch. Tiare also oversees the environmental educational program, a joint program of Oikonos and CONAF with the environmental group from the local school. Tiare is grateful for her work with Oikonos since it allows her to be near nature, something she loves.
Sophie Webb
Associate, Artist, Ecologist
sophie@oikonos.org
Felton, California
Sophie has drawn and painted wildlife since childhood. She has traveled as a biologist studying and painting birds from the Amazon to the Arctic and Antarctic. In 1995 she co-authored and illustrated A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. She has written and illustrated 3 children’s books. The first is about penguins, the second is about seabirds and the most recent book is about dolphins and the ecosystem in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Far from Shore: Chronicles of an Open Ocean Voyage. She also recently collaborated on a Field guide to the Marine Mammals of the Pacific Coast and continues to create illustrations for various neotropical bird field guides. She has worked on numerous cruises either as a researcher or naturalist in the Central Pacific, Eastern Tropical Pacific, Atlantic, Antarctic, Aleutians, Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea.