Our Team
ALEXIA MORALES – OPERATIONS MANAGER
Alexia Morales has over seven years of experience working in office administration. She has a Bachelor´s degree in Office Systems from the University of Puerto Rico, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Digital Marketing from NUC University. Alexia volunteers as a Social Media Manager at Conservation Opportunity, a non-profit organization that connects people with paid and volunteer opportunities in the field of environmental conservation. Alexia is also a birder and co-founded De Pajareo Puerto Rico, a social media group that emphasizes the beauty and importance of birds from the island through photography. Alexia says, “I’m thrilled to use my skills and passion for the conservation of birds to further the mission of BirdsCaribbean.”
Email: alexia.morales@birdscaribbean.org
Christel Mohammed – Communications manager
Christel Mohammed is a multidisciplinary communications professional with a Master of Science in Marketing from Heriott-Watt University and Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts from the University of the West Indies. She is a national of the twin-island country of Trinidad and Tobago. She has just under a decade of experience working in communications for environmental, sustainability and developmental projects with the government of Trinidad and Tobago, which is where she developed a passion for communications as a tool for development. Before joining BirdsCaribbean she served as the Corporate Communications Officer in the Ministry of Planning and Development. In her role there, she promoted mangrove and seagrass conservation with the Institute of Marine Affairs; supported the Ministry in championing national development strategies; promoted information technology offshoring in Trinidad and Tobago as part of the Global Services Promotion Program; and led design for national and regional branding projects. She is a communications professional with a flair for the creative—her skills extend beyond communications strategy to video production and hosting; design and brand development; and creative direction. She especially loves applying those skills to science communication and public education projects! Read more about Christel’s vision and work for BirdsCaribbean here.
Email: christel.mohammed@
delores kellman – Administrative Assistant
Delores lives in Freeport, Grand Bahama. She worked as an Educator for 38 years – most of those years working with the hearing impaired. After retiring, she was searching for a new hobby and birdwatching caught her interest! In November 2013 she took a beginners birdwatching class with the late, great Erika Gates (former BirdsCaribbean Board member) and has been birding ever since. Delores has attended our BirdsCaribbean conferences in Cuba, Guadeloupe and San Juan. She is an avid birder and now leads the Grand Bahama Island Birders, which carries out regular birding activities, including participating in bird surveys like the Caribbean Waterbird Census and Christmas Bird Count. She also carried out important surveys with fellow birders following the passage of Category 5 Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Her favorite bird is the Western Spindalis. Delores helps us to manage our membership and other administrative tasks.
Email: delores.kellman@
Aliya Hosein – Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival Regional Co-Coordinator & Communications Officer
Aliya graduated from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus with a a B.Sc. in Biology and M.Sc. in Sustainable Development and Conservation in the Caribbean (with Distinction). She is an alumna of the Conservation Leadership in the Caribbean (CLiC) Program. In 2017, Aliya attended our International Conference in Cuba and presented her research studying the interactions of people with Blue-and-Yellow Macaws and their knowledge and attitudes towards their conservation. Aliya is passionate about parrots and their conservation and worked for five years on a project to reduce the illegal wildlife trade on Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) at the Centre for the Rescue of Endangered Species of T&T. Aliya now works full-time for BirdsCaribbean on our Communications Team, writing, editing, and developing exciting content to educate and engage people year-round in learning about birds and as part of our annual Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival. She also co-organizes our annual Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival held every spring.
Email: aliya.hosein@BirdsCaribbean.org
Eduardo Llegus– Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) REgional Co-Coordinator
Eduardo is an environmental specialist in public health with experience in biomedical research, environmental education, and interdisciplinary social projects. He has a Bachelor’s in Biology Biomedicine and a Master’s degree in Environmental Health from the University of Puerto Rico. Eduardo is president of the organization, “Organización Reverdece y Educa tu Comunidad” (OREC), Inc., a non-profit project dedicated to reforestation and environmental education in communities. OREC operates in the municipality of Ponce, in southern Puerto Rico, the location of bird festivals (Endemic and Migratory) for many years. Currently, Eduardo is the Regional Coordinator of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF), working with a team of bird educators and coordinators across the West Indies to create awareness about the importance of conserving birds and their habitats. Eduardo’s first BirdsCaribbean Conference was in Cuba 2017, where he met the magnificent team of BirdsCaribbean and partners. He loves to coordinate urban gardens, camping in the woods, interacting with people, birdwatching in marine environments, and collaborating on issues related to the interaction of humans with their environment.
Email: cebf@BirdsCaribbean.org
Maya Wilson, Ph.D – Landbird Monitoring Program Manager
Maya has an undergraduate degree in Biology from Franklin and Marshall College and a Ph.D in Biological Sciences from Virginia Tech. She became passionate about birds and conservation in college, and after graduating, conducted field research at several sites as part of the Golondrinas de las Americas project at Cornell University. She started working in the Caribbean for her graduate research, studying the breeding biology and ecology of the endangered Bahama Swallow in The Bahamas. In 2021, Maya began managing BirdsCaribbean’s Landbird Monitoring Program, working with partners across the region to increase local capacity and build regional networks to monitor and conserve Caribbean landbirds.
Email: Maya.Wilson@BirdsCaribbean.org
Holly Garrod, MSc. Caribbean Bird Banding coordinator
Holly has a B.Sc. in Applied Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology with a minor in Business from Humboldt State University and an M.Sc. in Biology from Villanova. Her master’s research focused on the two todies of Hispaniola, which is how Holly got her start in the Caribbean. Afterwards she spent a year running the Jama Coaque Bird Observatory in Ecuador, and 2.5 years running the Costa Rica Bird Observatories banding program. Holly was certified as a North American Banding Council (NABC) trainer in 2011 after her training at Humboldt Bay Bird Observatory. Since then, Holly has worked on banding projects throughout the US and Latin America. She has led multiple workshops throughout Latin America and helped with NABC certification sessions in both English and Spanish. As Caribbean Bird Banding Coordinator, Holly is working with our Caribbean partners to create a unified bird banding program for the region called the Caribbean Bird Banding Network. Holly is also the Outreach Manager and an Avian Ecologist at the University of Montana Bird Ecology Lab and is an invaluable member of BirdsCaribbean’s social media and communications team.
Email: Holly.Garrod@birdscaribbean.org
Alex Sansom, Ph.D – Waterbird Program Manager
Alex is an ornithologist with a background in ecology, conservation, and animal behaviour. She is passionate about conservation and has worked in this field for more than a decade. Alex completed her Ph.D. at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 2009, investigating predation risk and Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) foraging behaviour. Subsequently, she worked extensively on how wind farms and other human developments affect birds, with research mainly focused on three broad species groups, shorebirds, seabirds, and raptors. Originally from the UK, in 2018 she moved to live the tropical and ornithological paradise of Trinidad and Tobago. She first got involved with BirdsCaribbean after attending a Shorebird Monitoring Training Workshop held by BirdsCaribbean in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico in 2019. As Waterbird Program Manager for BirdsCaribbean, she coordinates the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) and supports BirdsCaribbean’s work promoting education, outreach, monitoring, and the conservation of shorebirds, waterbirds, and wetlands in the Caribbean.
Email: waterbird.manager@birdscaribbean.org
HOLLY ROBERTSON, M.SC. – CARIBBEAN BIRDING TRAIL (CBT) PROJECT MANAGER
Holly first became interested in birds through her work with the non-profit Rainforest Biodiversity Group and its flagship project, the Costa Rican Bird Route. Holding a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine and a M.Sc. in Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development from University of Wisconsin-Madison, Holly wrote her master’s thesis on sustainable bird tourism and its role in bird conservation, with a geographical focus of Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Collaborating closely with BirdsCaribbean during her master’s work to develop and launch the Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT), Holly has been the CBT’s Project Manager since 2012. Holly also works with the non-profit American Bird Conservancy as an International Development Officer.
Email: holly.robertson@birdscaribbean.org
ALISON (DEGRAFF) OLLIVIERRE, M.SC. – CARTOGRAPHER, Caribbean birding trail (CBT) PROJECT COORDINATOR, journal of caribbean (JCO) MAP EDITOR
Aly is a geographer, an award-winning cartographer, and a certified GIS professional (GISP) focused on participatory mapping and conservation in island environments. She in an alumna of the University of the West Indies in St. Augustine, Trinidad, where she earned her M.Sc. in Geoinformatics (her B.A. is in Geography from Middlebury College in Vermont) and she has lived and worked in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and in Grenada since 2011. Aly is the co-author (with Juliana Coffey), of a collaborative avian field guide, “Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines“, which highlights both scientific and local ecological knowledge and she is an Associate for Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) on the “Protecting Seabirds in the Transboundary Grenadines” project, which works to train local community rangers to record essential seabird data. Her full-time job is as a Senior Cartographer at National Geographic. Aly has worked with BirdsCaribbean since 2014 where she primarily focuses on map design, content collection and creation, and production and management of sites for the Caribbean Birding Trail. She also assists with cartographic and design work for publications, editing and design for blog posts, and she supports the planning and coordination of the BirdsCaribbean Conference (first attending the conference in Jamaica in 2015). Finally, Aly also assists the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology as the Map Editor, providing cartographic assistance to ensure the publication of high-quality maps in the JCO.
Email: aly.degraff@birdscaribbean.org
Our Working Groups
Nils Navarro – Caribbean Wildlife Art Working Group Chair
Nils has dedicated his life to the study and conservation of the biodiversity of his native Cuba as well as other areas of the West Indies and Latin America. He holds a degree in Fine Arts with a specialization in painting. He worked for ten years as taxonomist and curator of the herpetology collection in the Museum of Natural History in Holguín where he described several new species of reptiles and amphibians for Cuba. An extraordinarily versatile and internationally recognized wildlife artist and illustrator, Nils’ work is characterized by a refined technique combined with a profound understanding of the biodiversity of the Caribbean region. He is an avid conservationist and as Chair of the Wildlife Art Working Group of BirdsCaribbean has pioneered the promotion and formation of young wildlife illustrators and artists in the Caribbean and Latin America. Currently, Nils works from his studio gallery in view of the unique landscape of the Viñales Valley National Park in Cuba. Nils also conducts research on Cuban birds, including the Zapata Rail, carries out education campaigns for the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, and mentors many young ornithologists in Cuba. He also publishes the Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Cuba annually. Nils is a long-time member of BirdsCaribbean and has contributed his original works, such as his paintings of Caribbean endemic birds and proceeds from the sale of his landmark Field guide to the Endemic Birds of Cuba to BirdsCaribbean and other conservation organizations for their fund-raising efforts, and participated in the creation of regional books on biodiversity and conservation.
Email: nilsarts71@gmail.com
EMMA LEWIS – Chair, Media Working Group
Emma is British but is a permanent resident of Jamaica, having lived there since 1988. She has worked as a Public Affairs Specialist in the U.S. Embassy of Jamaica (1995–2011), worked in publishing/retail bookselling in Jamaica (1988–1995), and is now a freelance online writer and blogger. She has been a BirdsCaribbean member since 2013 when she also joined the Media Working Group. Emma was a member of the Organizing Committee for the BirdsCaribbean International Conference in Jamaica, 2015. She has hosted her own personal blog (“Petchary”) since 2010 that regularly reports on environmental and conservation issues in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean. Emma also conducts media/social media training, in recent years for a European Union NGO project and for the Press Association of Jamaica. Luckily for us, Emma also use here fantastic writing and editorial talents and skill to help us with sharing news in our BirdsCaribbean blog posts.
Email: petchary@gmail.com
Ann Haynes-Sutton, Ph.D. – SEABIRD WORKING GROUP CO-CHAIR, Bird Monitoring Working Group Co-Chair
Ann has an undergraduate degree in Zoology from the University of Dundee, and a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of the West Indies, Mona. She has 35 years of experience working in wildlife conservation, protected areas management, conservation planning, wetlands, seabirds, monitoring, and education and outreach, with government, local and international NGOs, and in academia. She is the senior author of “A photographic field guide to the birds of Jamaica” published by A&C Black/Princeton University Press. Her first Society meeting was in St. Croix in 1988 as a member of the original Executive Committee. Ann served as Secretary to the Board of Directors from 2001-2018. She has extensive experience in project development and management, including managing the recently completed NFWF seabirds project. Ann is co-chair of the Seabirds and Monitoring Working Groups. Ann is inspired by her deep commitment to implementing practical approaches to conserving Caribbean biodiversity and heritage.
Email: asutton@cwjamaica.com
YVAN SATGÉ – SEABIRD WORKING GROUP CO-CHAIR
Yvan Satgé studies tropical and subtropical seabirds as an independent researcher associated with the South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Yvan is an Engineer in Agricultural Sciences and has a MSc from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Toulouse, France. He has more than 10 years of experience working in seabird research and conservation from the Arctic to the tropics. As a Research Associate for more than 5 years at Clemson University, South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Yvan studied the spatial ecology of seabirds and waterbirds in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic Bight of the U.S., and the Caribbean. An active member of the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group and a co-chair of the BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group, Yvan strives to provide opportunities for Caribbean students and researchers to develop research programs on seabirds. He currently lives in the southeast of France.
Email: ysatge@g.clemson.edu
JENNIFER WHEELER, M.SC. – FINANCE OFFICER, BLACK-CAPPED PETREL WORKING GROUP CO-CHAIR
Jennifer has a M.Sc. in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology from the University of Maryland and professional experience in both private for-profit and non-profit environmental organizations as well as US federal government. She has been involved in waterbird and seabird conservation projects in the Caribbean since 2002, when she met Caribbean delegates to the North American Ornithological Congress in New Orleans. She attended her first Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds regional conference in 2003 and hasn’t missed one since. This is because she is inspired by the energy and passion that Caribbean conservationists bring to their work. She is particularly interested in seabird conservation, chairing the International Conservation Group for the Black-capped Petrel (an Endangered Species on the IUCN Red List) and supporting the Seabirds and Invasive Species (one of the key threats to seabirds worldwide) working groups. She is excited to see BirdsCaribbean continue to be a force for addressing seabird conservation issues important to the Caribbean region.
Email: jennifer.wheeler@birdscaribbean.org
Howard Nelson, Ph.D. – PAST President, endemic and THREATENED Species Working Group co-Chair
Howard earned his BSc. and MPhil. in Zoology at the University of the West Indies – St Augustine, and a dual PhD in Wildlife Ecology and Forestry from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Much of his research focuses on wildlife conservation and forest and protected areas policy, planning and management in the Caribbean. Howard was previously the Chief Executive Officer and Conservation Manager for the Asa Wright Nature Centre, an environmental policy specialist in Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of the Environment, and the former lead of the UWI-St. Augustine’s Regional MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development. He is currently a Lecturer in Conservation Leadership at Fauna and Flora International and an Affiliate Lecturer at the University of Cambridge. Howard attended his first Society meeting in 1992 in Puerto Rico. He has had an active history serving on BirdsCaribbean’s board for many years, including as President and Past-President. Howard brings his extensive knowledge of environmental policy and wildlife ecology to BirdsCaribbean and is co-chair of the Endemic and Threatened Species Working Group. Howard’s research interests include species and habitat management activities for island endemics, with current projects on the Trinidad Piping-Guan and the Grenada Dove. Howard’s first BirdCaribbean (then the Society for Caribbean Ornithology) meeting was in Cuba in 1993. Howard is driven by a desire to ensure the protection of intact ecosystems.
Email: howien@hotmail.com
Ellie Devenish-Nelson, Ph.D. – Endemic and THREATENED Species Working Group co-Chair
Ellie completed her PhD in Ecology at Durham University, and previously studied for an MSc in Conservation at University College London and a BSc in Zoology at the University of Leeds. She has worked as an ecological consultant at the Asa Wright Nature Centre, as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the University of Chester, modelling climate change impacts on dry forest habitats in Grenada and taught for the University of the West Indies MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development in the Caribbean. Ellie has broad research interests in the ecology and conservation of island species. She is currently a Teaching Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, for the MSc in Biodiversity, Wildlife and Ecosystem Health. Ellie’s first Society meeting was in Tobago in 2003 and she has been a member of the BirdsCaribbean International Meetings Scientific Committee for several years.
Email: ellie.devenish@ed.ac.uk
Anthony Levesque – WEST INDIES CHECKLIST WORKING GROUP CO-CHAIR
Anthony studied Wildlife Management and Nature Protection in France from 1991 to 1995. He has lived in Guadeloupe since 1998, working as a ranger at the Petite-Terre Nature Reserve from 2001 to 2009. From 2009 to the present, he is working as a Wildlife Consultant for the National Hunting and Wildlife Agency. He is an active birdwatcher and studies birds all the time. He has discovered 40 species never before recorded in Guadeloupe and banded more than 10,000 birds. He is particularly interested in shorebirds and has been conducting shorebird counts for many years. He is the Guadeloupean coordinator of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) since the first edition in 2002. He also organized the first International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) in Guadeloupe in 2006 and served as the Regional Coordinator for IMBD for 6 years, helping to develop outreach materials and raise funds for BirdsCaribbean conservation projects. He served as Vice President for BirdsCaribbean (2009-2010) and is a founding member of AMAZONA – a local bird NGO, active in Guadeloupe with over 200 members. Anthony, together with co-author, Jeff Gerbracht, recently completed the first West Indies Bird Checklist, a wonderful resource for our members and everyone interest in Caribbean birds.
Email: anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr
Jeff Gerbracht, M.SC. – West Indies Checklist Working Group Co-Chair
Jeff is a lead architect and software engineer at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology where he manages the development of eBird, Birds of North American Online and Neotropical Birds Online. In addition, his lifelong interests in conservation, birds and the Caribbean has led him to become deeply involved with BirdsCaribbean and various bird monitoring programs throughout the Caribbean. Jeff was an original team member who designed and developed the Caribbean Waterbirds Census (CWC) and protocols. He was a co-author on the CWC manual and has facilitated and presented at a number of our CWC training workshops and international conferences. Additionally, he has conducted shorebird and seabird surveys as well as post-hurricane surveys in the Caribbean and is well familiar with the Caribbean landscape and its conservation challenges. Jeff, together with co-author, Anthony Levesque, recently completed the first West Indies Bird Checklist, a wonderful resource for our members and everyone interest in Caribbean birds.
Email: jeffgerbracht@gmail.com