Who are we?

Here's some information about each member of our team.  The profiles of each member will give a you a little flavour of our personality and what you can expect to hear from us in the upcoming weeks.  Enjoy.


Katie Bigras

I am 23 years old and am in my third year at Sir Sandford Fleming College. Last April I graduated from the Forestry course, and I chose to come back for this year to earn a dual diploma for Ecosystem Management. When I first heard about the Costa Rica field placement I was beyond excited. I could feel my hair standing on edge learning more and more about the field placement! During the application process, I would at times get so overwhelmed and excited that I would just need to get up and run to release the build up I had. It is finally starting to sink in that I am going to get to undergo this amazing opportunity with 7 of my awesome peers and 2 great mentors. When I am done at Fleming College, I look forward to ongoing learning. Fleming College has really helped me determine a lot of my future goals. I love ecological restoration, and I also love ecological monitoring and assesment, I want to work in both fields! Every opportunity that has been offered has brought me one step forward in the right direction. This placement, I know will have a major impact on my life. I am looking forward to every moment of it. I know the experience is going to be unreal and I CAN’T WAIT!

Joshua Cronmiller

As a future graduate of Fleming College’s Ecosystem Management Program, I have fortunately been able to recognize, interpret, and respect our planet with an understanding of how connected the natural world really is. Weekly field trips in all weather conditions have taught my colleagues and I, to be as patient and liberal as possible (emphasis on liberal). However, the program was far from just fun outdoor field trips every week; assignments, projects and presentations kept us on our toes for the most part, making the entire program an active yet diligent experience. As a student with international hopes, this placement is the first step to, optimistically, a fulfilling career of travel and study. It will be a useful learning experience in biodiversity documentation, human relations and understanding a little more about international employment. The Canadian wilderness provides us with an incredible range of biodiversity, not to mention awe-inspiring landscapes that leave adventure seekers breathless. It is part of the world that is unique and accomplished, yet seemingly endless. However, to be able to apply our wealth of knowledge in a completely different climate and eco-region is the opportunity of a lifetime. Going from Canada to Costa Rica for a labour intensive field placement will undoubtedly leave us with an experience that we’ll never forget.

David Dunn

I have spent most of my life on a small horse farm north of Barrie. It was there that I first developed my love and respect for nature, and inspired me to travel down my current educational path. My hope is that the Ecosystem Management Program will lead me to a fulfilling career where I can make a positive contribution to the natural world and take enjoyment in my occupation. I believe the upcoming expedition to Costa Rica will be a tremendous opportunity for personal growth and development, both spiritually and mentally, and will assist me in constructing life plans and objectives. As well, I expect the experience and knowledge attained during the trip will help me advance within the environmental field.

Andrea Follett

Andrea is enrolled in the Ecosystem Management Joint Program between York University and Sir Sandford Fleming College. Having already completed three years at York she is currently in her first year at SSFC. Her interests include studying the structure and function of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, restoration ecology, resource management and global issues. Andrea feels that the opportunity to study ecosystems within Costa Rica will provide her with insight into the complex relationship between flora and fauna within biologically diverse Neotropical environments. She expects to learn to collect field data and obtain unbiased information about organisms to further the study of the role that Ficus trees place in tropical ecosystems. Most importantly, she expects to gain hands-on experience about the intricate relationships within rainforest communities.

Carolyn Knapper

Carolyn is in her second year at Frost. She happily rides her motorcycle from the small town of Hillsburgh, located in Southern Ontario, each fall to live in Lindsay. Previous to Fleming she attended McMaster University for Nursing before returning to Hillsburgh to work with thoroughbred racehorses at Woodlands Farm. As an avid hunter, fisher and explorer, Carolyn has always been passionate about the environment. She currently holds the position of President of the Frost Initiative, a volunteer group on campus that promotes sustainability. She plans to take Fish and Wildlife in coming semesters and eventually would like to obtain her degree as a Biologist. In making the Costa Rica Team for 2010, Carolyn hopes to gain some international experience with wildlife studies that will aid her in landing future jobs as a research technician throughout the world. Her initial reaction was of sheer excitement, which tilted slightly as the she subdued her arachnophobia to allow a tarantula to crawl across her hand in a field trip in preparation for the placement. Carolyn hopes to avoid the spiders, but plans to make the trip an experience of a lifetime.

Radoslaw Odolczyk

I am Radoslaw (Radek) Odolczyk, and I have been dubbed as many things, but deep down I am a tree hugger who is fascinated with the natural world. I am a mature student and it had taken a bit of time for me to decide which direction I wanted to go in life, and have finally found my path thanks to the Ecosystem Management Program. I am an adventurous lad by nature, and have done a fair bit of backpacking in the past which has helped me to develop as a person. Now that I have been accepted to partake in the Costa Rica Field Placement (which I am totally stoked about!), I have the opportunity to advance my career development. Our team is packed with some good friends, and we are going to ROCK Costa Rica’s socks off, and learn so much while we’re at it. My expectations are very high, and I know that this will be the most fun educational experience ever! I just hope the Dukerol works…

Brian Shipp

Hey guys, here’s a little about me. Right out of high school I attended Brock University. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology but I realized that it was not something that I wanted to pursue a career in. So after I graduated in 2008, I decided I wanted a career in the environmental field. I enrolled in the Ecosystem Management program at Fleming College’s Frost Campus and 2 years later, here I am. I feel extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to go to Costa Rica. It was a goal of mine to be chosen and it is very rewarding to have been selected to go. I’m very excited to be going and I’m getting a little more excited every day. I haven’t done much travelling so I am really looking forward to be going somewhere new. I also expect to get a lot out of this trip. I want to take full advantage of the time I’m there and learn as much as I can. I wouldn’t be surprised if this trip gives me a new outlook on life and makes me want to see more of the world. It’s going to be awesome!

Jesse Van Allen

I was born and raised in Lakefield ON and obtained an Honours Degree in Geography from Carleton University prior to enrolling in Fleming College’s Ecosystem Management program. I’ve always been interested in the natural environment and have planned on turning this interest into a future career. The opportunity to participate in an international field placement is what attracted me to the college and the Ecosystem Management program in particular. When I learned of the chance to conduct research in Costa Rica, I immediately became interested and took part in the selection process. From this experience I hope to be able to apply the knowledge I have already gained in a new and unfamiliar setting. By participating in an international field placement, I hope the experience will put me in a position to work internationally following my graduation from Fleming.