The Staff
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Tara Short
Assistant Director
2008 will mark my eigth year with Wild Studies. My role with Wild Studies is very diverse. From Sept-May I oversee all of the pre-trip logistics such as promotion, scheduling, payments/accounting, web management, travel throughout the US for conferences, arrange domestic and international travel for all participants, research and design educational content, and provide one-on-one support to parents, teachers, and students. From May to early August, I am the Lead Educator in the Bahamas. Onsite I have the pleasure of seeing all the year's work come to fruition. Each day is a new an exciting adventure in tropical paradise and each week brings new young adults, parents, and teachers to share my experiences with!!
My degree is in Natural Resource Management with an emphasis on Environmental Education/Interpretation from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. I have always loved the outdoors, traveling, and teaching. My degree has enabled me to work in wide range of places from Chicago's John G. Shedd Aquarium to Portage, Alaska. I joined the Wild Studies team shortly after returning from working for the Forest Service in Alaska. I traded white snow for white sand and spent 3 month enjoying the warm waters and undeveloped shores of Eleuthera Island. Eight years later, I am grateful to continue to have the opportunity to be a part of this adventure.
When I was in high school, I participated in a program similar to Wild Studies. It was one of the best experience of my life and has inspired many more adventures. Since then, I have listened to the sounds of a Costa Rican rainforest come to life at sunrise, climbed a 3,000 foot glacier by way snow-machine in Alaska, touched Mayan temples in Guatemala, explored a sulfur volcano on the island of St. Vincent in the West Indies, and snorkeled the Barrier Reef off the coast of Belize. I believe that the lessons learned by traveling can change the world because it makes you more accepting of others, breaks down social barriers, and helps you see first-hand how we are disrupting the natural systems.
I encourage you to get out of your hometown. Leave the country. Do something different, and continue to learn even when school is over. Be part of Wild Studies and you will do what most people only dream about ... and you will be a better person for having done so.
Reade Jordan
Guide - Costa Rica Green
Reade Jordan is the son of WILD STUDIES founder Jim Jordan. Reade helped build the Wild Studies program and its facilities in the Bahamas from its beginnings in the early 1990’s, and as a group leader and adventure guide there until 1998. He then moved on to the wild South Pacific coast of Costa Rica to form another version of the program called La Escuela del Bosque or “The school of the forest”. Here, high above the beautiful Pacific beaches, he designed and constructed a lodge and cabinas, to accommodate visiting students and teachers.
This program focuses on Neotropical rainforests and the animals that live in that unique environment. Reade is the program director, and naturalist/ adventure guide that will lead you on the wild side of these WILD STUDIES. In Costa Rica, Reade has also gone on to form is own guiding outfit called Carate Adventure Tours “C.A.T.s” that specializes in trips to Corcovado National Park, waterfall rappelling, and rock and tree climbing. He is the only American in the country to obtain a guiding license through the national tourism board. Reade holds certificates in: medic-first aid, C.P.R., vertical rescue, and is also a PADI rescue diver.
Krispen Park
Bahamas Field Station Supervisor
My family and friends will tell you that this “globe trotter” has some ocean water in her veins. Although I was born in the plains and cold of Minnesota and transplanted to Maryland’s Eastern Shore, anywhere near an ocean is where I can call home.
I attended Salisbury University in Maryland, majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Although I never considered a career in marine science during college, now the ocean, nature and traveling to remote places is my life. During the last 5 years this life of mine has taken me to incredible locations such as Alaska, Hawaii, Central America and California. In Alaska I worked as a naturalist guide at a prestigious wilderness lodge in beautiful Denali National Park for three summers, hiking the foothills of Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America. I collected data on surface behavior of migrating Humpback whales on the island of Maui, Hawaii; data that would be used in legislation to protect the species from the harassment of boaters. In Central America, I spent time in a Honduran cloud forest working with college volunteers to discover new successful DNA extraction techniques in an extremely rustic camp setting. I have also had many travel experiences in Central America that let me SCUBA dive off the island of Utila in Honduras, climb a dozen Mayan temples of Tikal and hike within feet of flowing lava in Guatemala, and feed toucans papaya and float down the Mopan River in Belize. For the better part of 3 years, I worked as a Marine Science Instructor on Catalina Island off the coast of California, which has opened yet another passion of mine: teaching. Working with kids in an outdoor and hands-on setting keeps me on my toes, constantly teaches me new things, and allows me to make a connection with students that wouldn't be possible in a classroom.
I look forward to making the Wild Studies program on Eleuthera my next outdoor classroom, where we can exchange textbooks for snorkel gear and instead of cramming for final exams we will surprise ourselves with our personal accomplishments, set and meet our goals and overcome fears. I am a firm believer that getting in touch with our natural world by experiencing it first hand is what grounds us. Creating this connection instills a life-long respect for not only what is around us, but for what is within us. So, I implore you: see all that you can, see parts of the world that most people only read about, live for the journey and not the destination!
Jessica Smith- Dive Leader/Educator
Bahamas Field Station Supervisor
Hi, everyone! My name is Jessica and I just received my Bachelor’s
of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte in May 2008. I’ve been living in the city for about 3 years
now, and I am ready to have an adventure in the wild! Born in Hobe Sound,
Florida, I moved to Western North Carolina with my family in 1986. I grew
up hiking, backpacking, snow and water skiing all over the Southeastern
United States. My favorite experiences have taken place in South Mountain
State Park in Connelly Springs, NC, where I have been hiking and backpacking
since I was 8 years old. I visited the Bahamas for the first time last summer,
and am now returning to share my passion for the outdoors in an entirely
new environment.
Why am I so excited about Wild Studies? First of all, I have always been
fascinated by the ocean. As my place of birth, I have always felt a sentimental
connection with the beauty of Atlantic Ocean. I have decided to begin my
life-long dream of becoming an educator in the field of science by joining
with the Wild Studies staff this summer. My particular interests include
environmental responsibilities of society, the positive impacts that can
be made on a daily basis through sustainability concepts, and an overall
love for living on this beautiful earth. My goal for the students of Wild
Studies is to challenge each one of you to become life-long learners, even
after the incredible summer adventure has ended. Each day is a new opportunity
to find your own incredible adventure, no matter where you are. I can’t
wait to share my excitement and passion with the students, the staff, the
world! I look forward to meeting each and every one of you!
Katie
Onkowski
Bahamas Intern
I will be attending college at Florida State University. During my first year I will be studying abroad in Panama, where I will major in Marine Biology. I have attended the Wild Studies program twice as a student from Milan, Michigan but this will be my first summer as an intern. I am so excited for this opportunity to teach students about the ocean creatures, the beautiful island of Eleuthera and each individual’s impact on the environment. Each trip I have taken with Wild Studies has had a profound impact on me; in fact, I had no interest in Marine Biology as a career until my first trip to Eleuthera. Once I attended the Wild Studies program I realized that I am passionate about the oceans and all of the creatures in it. I can’t wait to see other students enjoying the same things that I have. It is amazing how much students learn while with Wild Studies. The education one gains, the life changing experiences, and the friendships you make all come together to make a magical experience.
Jeff
Gard
Bahamas Intern
Ever since I was a kid I have been intrigued by the ocean from all the
vastness it offers and the diverse groups of life it sustains. Even though
I grew up in a small town called Dubuque, IA I always made it a mission
to travel and go see the world. I received my first degree from Northeast
Iowa Community College in associate of science. After I completed multiple
summer internships in Alaska working at the Kenai Watershed Forum for the
summers of 2006 and 2007, I gained the confidence needed to launch my career
as well as familiarize myself with working out in the field. In Alaska,
I worked as an environmental science intern and obtained hands-on experience
such as culvert assessments, water sampling and quality, creek and habitat
restoration, hydrocarbon testing, fish identification, wildlife monitoring,
and educating teachers for teachers workshops.
I recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental
Science from Upper Iowa University. My primary focus at school was interpreting
the impact of human actions on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and develop
strategies for restoring ecosystems. In addition to Environmental Science,
I also studied toward a specialilization in biology. I look forward to working
in the conservation biology field. I have found myself committed to the
preservation of wildlife and I am interested in expanding my professional
horizons by seeking new challenges in the area of environmental science.
I plan on continuing with my education to get my masters in Tropical Conservation
Biology and Environmental Science in Hawaii, in the meantime, I looking
forward to gaining valuable experience and meeting new people.
Everything in nature is connected and for students to join Wild Studies
provides the opportunity to learn from the outdoor and hands-on setting.
I feel that students who participate in Wild Studies will have a greater
appreciation for the ocean and be able to understand our ecological footprint
on earth. I feel very fortunate to be apart of Wild Studies and I am looking
forward to share my experiences and assist with teaching students in these
key areas of the sciences. The education one will gain and the life experiences
will make endless possibilities for anyone’s future.
Regional Represenatives:
New York: Megan Mc Sherry megan@wildstudies.com
Megan
was born and raised in Syracuse, NY and attended college at Cornell University
in nearby Ithaca, NY. She majored in Natural Resources with minors in Development
Sociology and International Studies and spent the spring semester of her
junior year studying abroad with the School for Field Studies’ Wildlife
Ecology and Management program in Kenya. After graduating in 2006, she has
worked with Humboldt penguins at the Syracuse zoo, Harpy eagles in the jungle
of Panama, Leatherback and Olive Ridley sea turtles in Ghana, and students
of various ages at environmental education programs in Alabama, Connecticut,
and northern California. She plans to attend Syracuse University in the
fall to work towards her PhD in Biology for which she will study some aspect
of human-wildlife interactions in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Megan
enjoys hiking, traveling, teaching, exploring new places, learning new languages
and just generally being outside in the sunshine. She is very excited for
the opportunity to work with Wild Studies to help make travel and environmental
learning a reality for others!
Florida: Pam Crowell pam@wildstudies.com
Pam
Crowell brings with her a love of traveling and 23 years of teaching experience.
She has enjoyed snorkeling in the Bahamas, the Keys, and Aruba and exploring
parts of Costa Rica, England, Scotland, Paris, and the northern coast of
South America, as well as, along the United States East Coast including
the Outer Banks and the Chesapeake Bay. Her latest indoor adventure has
been being part of the education staff for the Kennedy Space Center's Astronaut
Hall of Fame and her latest outdoor adventure has been to hike through sections
of the Rocky Mountains. Pam feels that when students and teachers participate
in various programs then they gain a better understanding of the world around
them and what they can really do to help take care of it.
Ohio: Katelyn Shumaker katelyn@wildstudies.com
Katelyn
is a lover of travel and adventure and is passionate about sharing her enthusiasm
with others. She graduated from Colorado State University with a degree
in Nature Resource Recreation and Tourism. During college she led backpacking
trips, instructed wilderness first aid, studied abroad in Costa Rica and
interned in Ireland. She is also a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership
School (NOLS).
Since college she’s lived in five states and traveled though fifteen
different countries. Most recently, she worked as an underwater videographer
and aquarium naturalist in Maui. Before Hawaii, Katelyn taught marine science
for two years at a marine biology institute in the Florida Keys. Some of
her favorite adventures include; backpacking the Inca Trail in Peru, biking
the “Most Dangerous Road” in Bolivia, hiking the cloud forests
of Costa Rica, diving the Blue Hole in Belize, whale watching in Baja and
nighttime diving with manta rays in Hawaii. Katelyn encourages everyone
to explore the world and is excited to be apart of the Wild Studies education
team"