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Karen Allen,
MS, Earth SciencesI hold a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley and a Masters of Science in Earth Sciences from Montana State University, where I studied with the Mountain Research Center. I have long been fascinated with mountain environments and have spent a good part of my life living in and studying them.
I have been a wilderness/environmental educator and worked on a variety of environmental projects (involving botany, biology, geomorphology, wetlands, and streams) over the past 20 years. When not teaching for Sierra Institute, my other work livelihood entails protecting and restoring habitat, especially wetland and stream habitat, in Central Oregon on the east side of the Cascades where I live.
I have held other teaching positions at the University of Oregon, Montana State University, Yosemite Institute, and the National Outdoor Leadership School.
I am fascinated by the interrelationships between the biological and physical worlds, and how people of the earth mingle with, use and protect their environment. I am intrigued by the complex relationships that have evolved in the tropics between an amazing diversity of plants, birds, insects and other organisms there. One of my greatest passions is discovering the natural world with others and exploring ways to integrate the wisdom gained from these experiences into the rest of our lives.
I have taught the Rainforest Field Studies Program for Sierra Institute since 2000.
Sincerely,
Karen Allen
Sierra Institute
Office of Extended Education
Humboldt State University
Arcata, CA 95521
Phone (707) 826-3731
Curriculum Vitae for Karen Allen (PDF)
Over many centuries, the luxuriant tropics have been a source of discovery and inspiration for naturalists, scientists and explorers. It’s not that hard to fall under the spell of the tropics, especially if you were born there and see them as your home and bioregion; I am fortunate to say this is my case.
As a Costa Rican naturalist I have shared my passion about tropical nature for more than 15 years. In Costa Rica I have worked with several institutions as a speaker, environmental educator, artist, writer and naturalist guide. This work included giving presentations about wildlife, herpetology and tropical ecosystems for the Institute for Central American Developments Studies and the Scout Movement, authoring a book about the Chirripó National Park for the Fundación Neotrópica, and laboring at the department of natural history at two of the Organization for Tropical Studies’ field stations.
I started my studies in biology and ecology at two of the main state universities in Costa Rica (Universidad de Costa Rica and Universidad Estatal a Distancia), and graduated at the Evergreen State College in Olympia in Washington, where I currently reside. Here I work seasonally for the spotted owl’s habitat effectiveness monitoring, under the Washington State Department of Natural Resources' Habitat Conservation Plan.
Additionally, for the last two years I have co-taught for the Sierra Institute, the Tropical Rainforest Field Studies course. I am delighted to teach this course again in 2009, and explore with you a domain of corals, Mayans, kapok trees and jaguars!
See you next winter in Belize!
Chris Montero
Sierra Institute
Office of Extended Education
Humboldt State University
Arcata, CA 95521
Phone (707) 826-3731
Curriculum Vitae for Chris Montero (PDF)
program info | courses | field conditions | instructor | costs