About Us

Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary Staff

, Center Director ext 109

Since receiving a degree in environmental studies from UC Santa Barbara in 1992, Brooke has been helping people connect with nature from the tops of Rocky Mountains, to the Great Barrier Reef and everywhere in between. Brooke has been with Audubon for 11 years in 5 offices and 3 states, and finds Audubon to be the perfect niche for her dual passions—people and the outdoors. Since becoming director here at Richardson Bay, Brooke has enjoyed building an advisory board, learning the new skills of staff and budget management.

Other than exploring the natural side of Marin with her husband, Brooke enjoys spicy food, red wines and good novels.

, Office Manager, ext 113

Gretchen is a Bay Area native who has lived in several states but finds herself drawn back to Marin because of its beauty and proximity to water. Gretchen studied environmental planning at Univ. Pennsylvania (receiving a Masters degree) and took a semester to focus on coastal studies at the Yale School of Forestry. She has lead workshops and given presentations on ecopsychology and water resources management, was a co-author of The Web of Life Imperative, and has written a children’s story.

In addition to her green side, Gretchen comes from a family of successful entrepreneurs, which explains her practical side as well as her affinity for organizing and managing budgets. Gretchen also enjoys meeting and helping people, which makes the Audubon Center a perfect roost for her to land.  In between things, Gretchen enjoys hiking on the Mountain, boating, teaching fitness, cooking, hanging out with friends, and playing with her two boys.

 

, Bay Ecologist, ext 104

Suzanne has spent the last few years working on her PhD at UC Davis’ Bodega Marine Lab, where she conducted research in both rocky intertidal and seagrass systems of the California coast. Originally a marketing professional, her experience volunteering for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s western snowy plover monitoring program in San Francisco inspired her to become an ecologist. Since then she has conducted research in a variety of habitats from terrestrial to freshwater to marine, and is now thrilled to return to conserving California’s birds and other wildlife and the habitats that support them. In her spare time she also enjoys backpacking, scuba diving, horseback riding, and watching the Pittsburgh Steelers win.

, Marine Research Assistant, ext 108

Lara studied Biochemistry at Earlham College with the hopes of attending veterinary school. Since moving to San Francisco in 1995, she has been lured away from this idea by the ocean and the rich mud of the estuary. She has worked as a naturalist and aquarist for a local aquarium and as a surveyor for Pacific States Marine Fisheries. Lara divides her time between Audubon and the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve where she works as a monitoring technician. She is an avid scuba diver and spends as much time as possible in or on the water.

, Sanctuary Manager, ext 101

Kerry studied Biology at Tufts University and San Francisco State University, and has spent the last decade studying birds throughout the U.S., Mexico, and during a much-too-brief stint on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In addition to providing for general maintenance here at the Center, he oversees bird banding, waterbird surveys and the removal of non-native vegetation.

, Education Director, ext 111

Wendy Dalia is a coastal marine ecologist by training, receiving a BS and MA in Marine Science/Biology. With over 16 years of experience, Wendy has enjoyed leading and developing environmental education programs for children ages 2 through college. She has worked with a diversity of great environmental organizations including the Marine Science Institute, Redwood City, CA, Massachusetts Audubon’s Blue Hills Reservation, and the New England Aquarium.

, Teacher Naturalist and Blackie’s Student Brigade Coordinator, ext 107

Mindy has been doing environmental education in the Bay Area for the past 6 years. Mindy has been inspired by the natural world since childhood as she grew up playing among the redwood trees. This passion for our planet has lead her to be an environmental educator so she can ignite this excitement in kids and adults in the community. Her background in biology and marine science, and her commitment to connecting people to their world makes her a great Teacher Naturalist for Richardson Bay.

, Teacher Naturalist, ext 103

Born just outside Buffalo New York, Lisa has been enjoying the milder climate of the bay area for the past four years. Originally brought to the Bay as an intern for the then Tiburon Audubon Society, Lisa is very excited to be back working at the Center as a full time Teacher Naturalist. In her four year hiatus, Lisa worked as a preschool science teacher, then a high school science teacher, and thinks it is great that her experiences have brought her full circle, to the type of teaching she love best. To the position, Lisa brings a B.S. in biology, a B.S. in environmental studies, along with teaching credentials for early childhood education, and secondary education-specifically in biology. When not working at the Center, you'll find Lisa enjoying tide pooling, leisurely or not so leisurely bike rides to various destinations, journaling, drawing and photography, reading Michael Pollan and Diane Ackerman, attending Shabbat ceremonies, poking through thrift stores, hearing wonderful live music and life in general in the Bay Area