Cassandra Nichols - Field Operations Manager
Cassandra has a Bachelor of Animal Science with honours in Ecology. Her research experience includes the ecology of dugongs and studying the sensitivity of rainforest flora and fauna to climate change. Prior to working for Earthwatch, Cassandra had been managing a research station for James Cook University in the Daintree rainforest of far north Queensland. This role saw her become an accredited Work Place Health and Safety Officer and she has since become Oxford Cambridge and RSA (Royal Society of Arts) accredited in Off-Site Safety Management, certified in Leadership Wilderness First Aid, and has training in Incident Management.
Cassandra is the program manager for all Earthwatch Australia projects.
Casandra joined Earthwatch in May 2011.
Lisa Drescher - Field Operations Intern
Lisa graduated with a Bachelor in Business and Economics, and a Masters in Environmental Studies, majoring in Ecological Economics and Environmental Management. Her interests include various sustainability issues at the interface of environmental policy, corporate social responsibility and social investment.
Her passion for the natural environmental is an early one as her favourite activity during childhood was to go to the lakes and watch the frogs. This passion developed during high school years where Biology was always her favourite subject and where she was involved in various green food/gardening projects.
Lisa loves foreign languages, travelling and exploring, having some experience in the tourism industry as well as having lived in more than 8 countries since the age of 15. Looking to broaden her experience in project management, Lisa joined Earthwatch in February 2013 for a one year internship in the Field Management department. As Field Operations Intern she works in the Melbourne office to ensure the successful delivery of the different expeditions.
Rich completed a Bachelor of Science (Cell Physiology) and Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 1999 at the University of Western Australia. After three years developing medical research software at Royal Perth Hospital he started further post graduate studies and completed a Graduate Diploma in Sciences Communication in 2005.
Rich worked for five years at Scitech, WA's leading science centre, first developing activities for visitors to the centre and then moved to managing the outreach team who take science programs to communities across Western Australia. He has developed innovative science communication programs for international audiences, indigenous and regional communities.
Before joining Earthwatch Rich coordinated WA's pre-eminent youth conservation program for the Department of Environment and Conservation. As Program Manager, ClimateWatch, Rich is working with the scientific community, corporate partners and volunteer networks to ensure EarthWatch's online initiative is a success.
Rich joined Earthwatch in February 2010.
Kristine Nga - Program Coordinator, Climatewatch
Kristine joined the ClimateWatch team after completing her Masters of Environment from the University of Melbourne. Originally hailing from sunny California, Kristine has a Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in environmental science and urban planning. Prior to working at Earthwatch Australia, Kristine was a GIS analyst where she provided demography mapping and analysis services to community groups and non-profits in the Los Angeles region.
She joined Earthwatch Australia because she is interested in climate change mitigation and adaptation and environmental education. As the new Program Coordinator, Kristine is responsible for program delivery and communication. Working alongside partners and Earthwatch employees, she will help to maintain current partnerships and to initiate new collaborations with educational institutions.
Kristine joined Earthwatch in January 2013.
Chris Gillies - Research Manager
Chris Gillies graduated with honours from
University of Technology, Sydney in 2004 and has since worked consistently in
the environmental industry for the NSW EPA, Biotrack Australia, Institute of
Water and Environmental Resource Management and the Australian Antarctic
Division before joining Earthwatch in May 2011. Chris has a diverse expertise
in freshwater invertebrate diversity and monitoring, terrestrial landscape
assessment and Antarctic coastal ecology.
Chris has recently spent three seasons
living and working as an Australian Antarctic Expeditioner in Antarctica and on
Macquarie Island as part of the Human Impacts Division, where he was a member
of the of the 2009 Davis dive team. Chris is now in the final stages of completing
his PhD with Southern Cross University where he has been studying shallow water
food webs of coastal Antarctica. Chris has travelled extensively in South and Central
America, holds an ADAS commercial dive licence and private pilot's licence.
As Research Manager, Chris coordinates the
science and development of new Earthwatch projects, liaises with the scientific
community and is part of the ClimateWatch development team.
Chris joined Earthwatch in May 2011.
Geraldine Davis - Program Manager, TeachWild
Geraldine Davis completed a Bachelor of Science with honours in Zoology at Monash University. She has also completed a Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) and a Graduate Diploma in Agriculture. Since then, she has worked in a variety of roles which have combined her passion for environmental education and sustainability. This has included working at the Marine Discovery Centre, metropolitan and national parks and the school camping industry.
Geraldine has also worked as a Volunteer Advisor in Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste. Programs have included community based ecotourism and environmental sustainability programs. During this time she completed a research consultancy with the European Commission exploring effective community based ecotourism programs in Australasia.
As Program Manager–TeachWild, Geraldine is working with CSIRO scientists in engaging schools, the community and corporate partners in a national marine science program. TeachWild explores the impact of marine debris on Australian oceans and wildlife.
Geraldine joined Earthwatch in November 2011.
Nonnie Kamau - Program Support Intern
Nonnie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations from the University Of Nairobi (2010), Kenya and a Diploma in Computers from AUSI College, Kenya (2005). She is an alumnus of AIESEC Nairobi.
Her career started by gaining experience in the fields of audio-visual and market research leading her into the role of Corporate Communications Assistant at Bamburi Cement Ltd. (Kenya) Here, she assisted in handling corporate affair matters gaining an understanding of community based projects.
Her passion for environmental issues started when she volunteered in an environmental club to be a team lead in a forest adventure activity back in Kenya. She believes her experience at Earthwatch will broaden her view on scientific research and the issues affecting our planet and hopes to be considered as a change agent to all things sustainable.
She enjoys gardening, the aspect of discovering new things and chilling out with her 5 year old brother.
Nonnie joined Earthwatch in February 2013.
Bonnie Cleland - Program Support Assistant
Bonnie graduated with Honours from the University of Victoria, Canada with a combined Biology and Psychology degree in 2011. Her interest in the environment began when she worked as a Naturalist at the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre, an aquarium devoted to marine life in the Salish Sea. Her most recent adventure, a research internship in Mossel Bay, South Africa, further increased her passion for marine science and ocean sustainability. As a participant she was able to explore field research while tracking and identifying Great White sharks.
Bonnie loves travelling and exploring; she is always up for an adventure. Prior to university she lived in Mexico for a year as a Rotary exchange student and has not stopped travelling since. She has participated in leadership development conferences all over the world including Canada, Puerto Rico, Austria and Australia, been a translator on humanitarian trips to Mexico and Guatemala, and backpacked around southern Africa and Europe.
Looking to broaden her experience in field research Bonnie joined the Earthwatch team for a one year internship in the Field Management department. As Program Support Assistant, Bonnie works in the Melbourne office to ensure the successful delivery of the different expeditions.
Bonnie joined Earthwatch in March 2012