Our Staff

Discovery and adventure are around every corner, all in a safe, controlled, learning situation under the supervision of our credentialed staff.  Meet our team! See our staff bios below.

Leadership

The Chelonia Eco-Adventure team, reflect educational excellence. They bring decades of experience in museums, Zoos and Aquariums, outdoor conservation education projects, research studies, and environmental educational programs. This team of instructors uses their rich backgrounds and shares their knowledge with students on expertise in their area of research, location and cultural knowledge, safety skills, and outdoor experience to provide a unique and memorable experience like no other. We carefully select the appropriate experts for your group depending on your group’s itinerary and dynamics. We pair up the groups with a highly trained Field Leader and Field Instructor depending on group size. Field Leaders are usually contracted from top institutions to provide a variety of expertise and undergo a thorough training. For the best experience possible, we break large groups into smaller groups of 10-15 participants. Our instructor student ratio is 1:8 for International trips and 1:15 for the Florida Keys . All instructors have certifications in First Aid, CPR, and water safety and undergo a background check. Our groups are also joined by local researchers, naturalists, and guides as needed.

Megan Forbes

Marine Debris Public Affairs Specialist

Megan Forbes works for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the Public Affairs Specialist and Outreach Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program. The Marine Debris Program works to reduce and prevent the harmful impacts of marine debris on our oceans and coasts. Megan joined NOAA in July of 2005 after working at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, where she started out in the Education Department and then moved to the Conservation Department as the Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) Technician & Outreach Specialist. At the Aquarium, Megan spent 4 years working to rescue stranded marine mammals and sea turtles, providing physical and behavioral rehabilitation, and in many cases, releasing them back into their natural habitat. During this time Megan developed an interest in marine debris issues, as over 50% of the animals that were in the care of the Rescue Program were impacted by humans, many animals having ingested or become entangled in debris. She worked with Maryland legislation on marine debris issues and brought her knowledge of animals & marine debris to the NOAA team.

Megan is an alumnus of Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, where she earned her degree in Neuroscience. During this time Megan also studied at the Duke University Marine Laboratory, Nicholas School of the Environment in Beaufort, NC, with a concentration in marine mammal studies. She plans to finish her Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Maryland. Megan is SCUBA certified and has lead marine ecology trips with Chelonia Eco-Adventures since 2002.

Marjorie Bollinger

Outreach Specialist

Marjorie started at the National Aquarium In Baltimore in 1996 as a summer high school volunteer and continued to work part-time in the Education Department throughout college.  After finishing her undergraduate education, Marjorie worked at a residential marine science camp “SEACAMP” in San Diego, California.  This organization is designed to teach marine biology to elementary through high school students by immersing them in activities such as snorkeling, diving, and kayaking in the Pacific kelp forests. 

She currently is an Outreach Specialist in the Conservation Education Department at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, where she teaches and coordinates programs about marine biology and the conservation of the oceans, Chesapeake Bay, and rainforests.  She reaches out to students in grades preK-12 throughout Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, including grant-funded programming with at-risk youth in Baltimore City.  She also assists in the creation of age-appropriate curriculum materials to be used by classroom teachers in preparation for field trips with the Aquarium and assists with teacher workshops.

Marjorie earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Marine Biology from the University of Maryland College Park in 2002 and is pursuing a Masters in Science Education.  Marjorie is a certified SCUBA diver who has experience in the Gulf of Mexico, the coast of California, and waters around Hawaii.  She is also a member of the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) and the Mid-Atlantic Marine Educators Association (MAMEA) where she has been a presenter several times.  She also presented at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Conference in 2004.  Marjorie has various experiences with research projects ranging from fish surveys in California to coral reef surveys in the Florida Keys and has lead groups in marine ecology with Chelonia Eco-Adventures since 2002.

Lonnie McCaskill

Zoological Manager-Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Lonnie is currently a Zoological Manager at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. He has worked in the zoo field since 1982 and has had an interest in animals from his early childhood. He has always had a special interest in reptiles particularly tortoises and crocodilians but has kept and worked with numerous species of snakes. He was born in Dallas Texas where he began volunteering at the Dallas Zoo while in Junior High in the Reptile House. He was hired full time at the Dallas Zoo in 1982 and worked in the Primate, African hoof stock, Rhino and Reptile Sections of the park. In 1992 Lonnie was hired as an area leader of the rhino and hoof stock sections at White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee Florida. In 1997 he was hired as a Zoological Manager at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as part of the opening team and was instrumental in the transport, husbandry, training of the animals and keeper staff and the development of the day to day operational needs for the Primate and Ituri areas of the park. In his current role as one of the Zoological Managers of the Ituri section, he manages a diverse group of animals that includes a group of 27 Nile crocodiles, black rhino, okapi, bongo, kudu, 17 Nile hippos and various African storks and waterfowl.

As part of his involvement in conservation Lonnie is one of the founding members and serves on the steering committee of the Turtle Survival Alliance. He is on the Steering committee of the AZA Crocodile Advisory Group and has taught at several of the AZA Crocodile Management Schools in St. Augustine Florida. He has worked with Florida Fish and Wildlife Service doing population, West Nile Virus and egg surveys on alligators through out the state. He has done field work or traveled to Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Cambodia. He also participates with sea turtle data collection for 3 weeks in Vero Beach Florida every year. Lonnie has published papers on the management of rhinos, parasites in the Texas spiny soft shell turtle, training Nile crocodiles and the management of African cichlids in a large underwater viewing hippo exhibit. His off time is spent tending to his tortoises, palms, cycads, aloes and fishing.

Susan E. Matthews

Environmental Educator

Susan Matthews’s early interest in marine conservation has resulted from a varied career in environmental science and education. Susan is currently pursuing her Masters in Environmental Science and Policy at Johns Hopkins University. Her internship opportunities focus on work with sea turtle research. Currently, she is a Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Intern at The Turtle Hospital in Marathon Key where she is responsible for the daily care and husbandry of injured marine turtles. Prior to this, she interned at the Conservancy of South West Florida monitoring Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting on Keewaydin Island in Naples, Florida. Susan works in the Conservation Education Department part-time at The National Aquarium in Baltimore since 2003. In addition she volunteers for The National Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program. Prior to that in 2005, Susan conducted an Environmental Science Fellowship at The Prince William Sound Science Center in Cordova Alaska where she was responsible for co-teaching an environmental education science camp and leading sea kayaking trips across tranquil waters of Prince Sound. Susan also has previous experience in environmental education and biology working for institutions such as the Audubon Naturalist Society, Discovery Creek Children’s Museum, Meadowside Nature Center, as well as a Biological Technical Technician for the Food and Drug Administration. Susan has a B.A. Degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Hood College Frederick, MD. In her spare time she enjoys camping, hiking, canoeing, snorkeling, and wildlife illustration.

Other Instructors:

Mei Len Sanchez-Barr & Dr. Brady Barr - see bios on Who We Are page

Ken Burgener - Naturalist - FL Keys, Costa Rica , & Mexico

Kelly Sylvester - Biologist & Naturalist - FL Keys, Costa Rica

Juan Bolaños - Crocodilian Biologist - University of Costa Rica

Laura Porras - Crocodilian Biologist and Educator - Mexico

Luz Denia Barrantes - Wildlife Biologist and Educator - Costa Rica

Instructor Requests

Requesting a certain instructor is possible. Due to the nature of their current positions, some instructors may not be available during certain times of the year. In addition, certain instructors only work a specific number of trips a year; therefore any additional trips may require an additional fee. We recommend that you book as soon as possible and we will try to accommodate your requests.

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