Meet The Team

Dr. Andrew Whitworth a wildlife biologist and conservation ecologist who has over 12 years of experience leading non-profits & academic institutions to advance conservation science and protect tropical biodiversity. He leads a science-driven conservation agenda with an emphasis on measuring conservation impact. He completed his doctoral degree at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, where he investigated the conservation and biodiversity value of regenerating tropical forest systems. With more than 40 scientific publications, he is dedicated to building programs to reduce hunting pressure, to restore rainforest habitat and preserve plant and wildlife species, and to find human-friendly approaches to tackle climate change. He is a National Geographic Explorer and as Executive Director at Osa Conservation he launched the Ridge to Reef Initiative with the goal of restoring forest connectivity to allow wildlife populations to migrate and adapt to climate. He is also leading efforts for the 1.8 million hectare expansion of the Corcovado Marine Reserve to protect marine ecosystems, increase fish stocks, and build a blue economy to sustain coastal communities threatened by climate change.

Melissa is Osa Conservation´s Costa Rican Director of Operations. She has an administrative and economics background with a strong professional career in operations and administration. In addition to her ambitious, practical approach to structure and administrative matters, she maintains a bold vision.
Her love for the natural world and commitment to conservation and her country's own biodiversity encourages her to be a passionate, full-time working mom. She leads by example with integrity, honesty and positivity to constantly empower and encourage OC´s team to give their very best.

Carol is a conservation scientist and practitioner with over 15 years of experience working in Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia across various sectors, including conservation NGOs, academic institutions, the private sector, and multilateral agencies. She has extensive experience designing, managing, and leading landscape-level and species-focused conservation projects and partnerships backed by vast public and private fundraising to effectively tackle complex and challenging environmental issues. She strives for game-changing impact in biodiversity conservation by designing innovative and transdisciplinary conservation action programs based on robust science, cross-sectorial engagement, and knowledge exchange.
As the Director of Conservation Programs, she leads OC’s regional conservation programs. As a senior management team member, she oversees strategic direction, organizational development, and performance during a period of significant growth at the organization.
She is an avid traveler, passionate wildlife illustrator, and graphic designer. After living in Southeast Asia, she has a sweet spot for Asian wildlife, food, and culture.

Gabriela is an Ecuadorian marine ecologist with a Masters degree from University of Aberdeen, Scotland. She has more than 12 years of experience in conservation, primarily in Ecuador. Before joining Osa Conservation, she managed a field station in the lowland Ecuadorian Amazon for five years.
Her role is to ensure the Conservation Campus continues to be a top facility for researchers, student groups, and volunteers, while offering stellar experiences to visitors. Gabriela is passionate about maintaining and protecting over 7000 acres of land supported by an incredible local team.
Gabriela has a particular interest in invertebrates, especially caterpillars and corals. She is also an amateur photographer and certified diver.

Marco Hidalgo is a Tropical Biologist specializing in natural resource and wildlife management, with an extensive understanding of the human dimension of conservation. He has worked in conservation biology within rural communities for 25 years and has an extensive background in different conservation organizations in Costa Rica and Central America.
He began his first contributions to conservation in the 1990s when he volunteered with sea turtle projects at Santa Rosa National Park. He later consolidated his experience to focus on ecosystem relationships between terrestrial and marine human activities.
In 2022, Marco received the Disney Conservation Fund Award, an honor given to individuals profoundly committed to biodiversity preservation.

Chris is a research scientist who studies how wildlife communities respond to anthropogenic disturbance and, ultimately, the implications of such changes. He has spent over 10 years living and working in areas of extreme biodiversity (including Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru and Gabon) or the extreme cold (Canada), and contributed to > 45 scientific publications along the way.
He is now applying his skills to Osa Conservation’s Movement Ecology program - leveraging next generation tracking technology and traditional field techniques to understand how scavenger communities function in the Osa and beyond.
Chris is passionate about open access science, reproducible research and doughnut consumption.

Carolina is an Argentinian community ecologist who has worked in conservation since 2015. She completed her bachelor's studies and Ph.D. at Argentina's Buenos Aires University. As a biology student, she participated in various conservation projects in Latin America, volunteering with sea turtle, monkey, and wildcat programs. After finishing her Ph.D. in 2020, she joined the Osa Conservation team as the Wildlife Program Biologist, after which she became Wildlife Coordinator.
After two years leading our arboreal bridge, camera trapping, and other wildlife monitoring projects, she utilized her significant experience to assume her current role as Wildlife and Conservation Tech Manager. She is currently initiating a rewilding project in Costa Rica, where she works to take our restoration efforts to the next level.

Lucy Kleiner is a bilingual storyteller who has been on the Osa Conservation team since 2019. Since then, she has helped elevate our communications to reach 10x the annual audience, supported the fundraising of over 2 million dollars annually, and hosts our podcast "The Nature Dilemma" from the frontlines of conservation.
Lucy grew up in the temperate rainforest in the USA Pacific Northwest, where she found her roots in environmental sciences. Prior to moving to the Costa Rican rainforest, Lucy worked as a reporter on science and the environment for numerous news outlets in Oregon. Her work has been featured by National Geographic, The Seattle Times, US Daily, La Nacion, La Republica, and more.

Rodrigo is a Venezuelan agronomist who graduated from the Central University of Venezuela. He earned his MSc in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California, Davis, and his MA in Environment, Development and Peace from the UN Mandated University for Peace in San Jose, Costa Rica. For over 15 years, he has worked in the design, execution and monitoring of landscaping projects, soil stabilization, erosion prevention, reforestation and forest restoration in Venezuela and Costa Rica.
He now dedicates his efforts to community outreach and forest restoration projects in several sites of the Coto Brus Region of southern Costa Rica. Under this project, Rodrigo will lead agricultural sustainability, tree restoration and connectivity between existing forest patches and agricultural landscapes.