Madagascar Volunteer: Meet the Team

MRCI Directors of Operations

Amy Olson originally hails from Seattle, USA where she studied Biology at the University of Washington. She is an avid traveler, keen diver, and self-proclaimed food lover. She previously worked in Emergency Medicine until discovering her heart was in Madagascar! She has an extensive history with MRCI as a volunteer, intern, Marine Science Officer, and now Director of Operations.

Kyle has a love for the ocean and has been diving for eleven years. He is a qualified PADI OWSI Instructor (Open Water Scuba Instructor) and holds a Coastal Yacht Master Skipper’s ticket with the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) as well as a power boat level 2 certificate. He has been living in Madagascar for 8 years. In 2017, Kyle placed as one of PADIs top dive instructors in the whole of South Africa.

Tom was originally a long-term volunteer in the marine program, and now has returned as a marine intern. He is from the east coast of Australia, so he is happy to be back in the tropical climate of Nosy Komba. Tom enjoys working alongside volunteers and contributing to ocean conservation!

Kiri grew up all over the world and has a BSc in Biology. She has been diving for 7 years and is working as a scuba instructor for a few years before going on to get a Masters degree in Marine Biology. She is a competitive kickboxing, conservationist who drinks a lot of tea and loves all creatures, particularly those without spinal cords!

Llewellyn has been working in the Congo for the past couple of years as a quality control manager for an environmental solutions company. He is originally from a small coastal town in South Africa and thoroughly enjoys the ocean. After getting his instructors license a year ago, he decided to go back to the beach life. He is a very keen surfer, free-diver, and spear fisher.

Ella came to Madagascar as a volunteer 5 months after graduating high school, after 3 months of volunteering on our marine project she was asked to return as a marine intern. She is super happy to be back and in the water diving everyday. Also, she really likes the Madagascar banana chips.

Born in the South West of Australia Jen has always been very passionate about marine and terrestrial wildlife. She has just finished her BSc in Zoology and Marine Science at the University of WA and couldn't wait to start working in the field.

Marika is originally from Italy but has always dreamed of living and working in Africa! After her bachelor degree in Biology she continued her academic studies with a Masters in Education and Evolution at Pisa University and a MSc in Primate Conservation at Oxford Brookes University! She obviously is an avid Lemur seeker!

Eva is from Holland and this is her second time in Madagascar after a 2-year break. She’s currently in university majoring in Animal Health & Management. This led her to an internship for forest and animal conservation where she can gain hands on experience in the field. Eva loves working at MRCI because it feels like a second home. Hoop jullie gauw te ontmoeten op het mooie Nosy Komba! (Neem hagelslag en stroopwafels mee)

Born in Canmore, Alberta, Canada, Kaela has just finished high school where she found her interests lying in biology. She is specifically interested in diseases and human biology. She was working in Canada at a high-end restaurant and felt no benefit in doing that. This initiated her search for something new, something where she could do something good. This is when she came across MRCI and embarked on a new adventure and challenge to teach in the community.

Alanah is from the south west of Western Australia and loves the ocean, travelling and meeting new people. After recently completing her BSc majoring in Marine and Environmental Science she was looking for the opportunity to travel while also being able to gain life experience. Joining the community team at MRCI has provided her the perfect opportunity to teach and learn from other people at all stages of life.

Jess was born in Sydney, Australia where she lived for ten years after which she moved to Minnesota where she just graduated from Saint Louis Park High school. She originally came to MRCI as a forest conservation volunteer but fell in love with the culture and came back as a community intern. She looks forward to spending more time in the community and working on her Malagasy.

Toggle Display Demo

Caitlin started with MRCI as a volunteer on the Forest Conservation project in early 2016. She holds a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Zoology and Conservation Biology from the University of Western Australia, where she is now completing her masters in Conservation and Ecology.
Read more...
Her passion for wildlife, particularly reptiles, amphibians and anything marine has led her to work as a conservation biologist in various countries around the world. Caitlin has made it her life goal to visit as many countries as possible and see the diversity of animal life the planet has to offer.

Franck is based in our Hellville office and meticulously organises budgets and books for MRCI. He is also a well respected and educated member of the community and as such also assists with meetings, contracts, agreements and translating with our local partners.

Tantely is based in Hellville and organises reliable and safe transport for MRCI. He organises all MRCI's transport needs within Nosy Be and further afield if needed.

Christian is the centres co-ordination manager in Antananarivo where he liaises directly with the Department of Environmental Affairs as well as the Ministry of Higher Education.

Courtney joined MRCI in June 2017. She graduated with a B.A. Degree in Visual Communication from the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography in South Africa. She has always been interested in conservation and community development and is passionate about using her skills to make a positive impact.

Kelly recently graduated from James Madison University in Virginia with a degree in fine art, more specifically photography, in 2018. While searching for a post-university job she came across MRCI and felt it was the perfect fit for her. She loves to travel and experience new cultures and cannot wait to see what adventures Madagascar has in store for her!