About: Education Team
THE EDUCATION TEAM
Laura Lee Bahr is an author, filmmaker, and performer. She recently relocated from the City of Angels to the City of Champions (Brockton, MA). In addition to the eclectic “you name it, I’ve done it” artistic endeavors, she has spent years in education, teaching everything from mathematics to vocal performance. Her debut feature film as writer/director, BONED, is about a dogwalker/detective who ultimately discovers that the only “true love is a dog’s love.” But in real life, Laura’s obsession has always been with her cats.
Her mantra is “may all beings be happy and free, and may my actions contribute to the happiness and freedom of others.” You can learn more about her personal work at lauraleebahr.co. Laura is the author of NEPC’s The Case of the Disappearing Habitat: The Candy Culprit lessons and stars in the series’ videos.
Debra is New England Primate Conservancy’s founder. For 35 years, Debra developed and delivered presentations, workshops, and training seminars for professionals in multiple industries.
Well-versed in the plight of nonhuman primates in captivity and in the wild, coupled with her awareness of the worldwide habitat loss crisis, Debra launched New England Primate Conservancy’s outreach programs in 2004, developed the Conservancy’s original Education Center curriculum, and has spoken at a variety of venues on behalf of the Conservancy’s mission, including to students from elementary to university and post-graduate programs. Debra develops some of NEPC’s web-based education programs, continues to produce its educational videos, designs educational activities, and leads the talented and diverse Education Team that carries out the Conservancy’s mission to leave a legacy of hope and tools to build a better tomorrow for all the Earth’s citizens… because education is the heart of animal protection.
Caroline is a writer based in Bangalore, India, with a keen interest in environmental education and communication. She has worked across roles in communications and arts management, and her poetry has appeared as part of a short dance film screened at Cannes Shorts. Caroline’s work for children has been published by Hachette India, DFC, and more recently, Current Conservation. She has also worked in film and the performing arts across roles including art direction, screenplay, assistant direction, and production.
Alex grew up in the Finger Lakes Region of New York, where she developed her love of nature, hiking, camping, reading, and animals. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in Environmental Science and her master’s degree in Geoscience and Applied Meteorology. An editor at Cornell Alumni Magazine since 2013, Alex is the proud guardian of the cutest dachshund in the world.
Acima was born in Dubai, studied in India, worked in South Africa, and is getting her Ph.D. on African civets at the University of Connecticut. After a B.Sc. in Zoology and M.Sc. in Environmental Science, Acima worked as a field guide in South Africa for multiple years where she lived on a reserve surrounded by antelopes, lions, rhinos, and elephants. Acima credits her ability to think laterally and solve problems to the many mishaps she has had during her adventures in strange places.
Acima is a lifelong learner, and her writing reflects her love and curiosity about natural history and ecology . Easily distracted by fascinating animals and their behavior, she loves traveling down rabbit holes of research. Breaking down complex ecological relations into simplified analogies is Acima’s favorite part of writing for NEPC. When she is not writing about primates, she is birding, trying to photograph birds, and working on wildlife research projects.
Kathy is a lifelong animal protection advocate. At age 11, she successfully appealed to her town’s legislators for the preservation of a pet cemetery that was to be razed. As an adult, she’s participated in and helped organize several animal protection campaigns in Massachusetts, including the successful 1996 Ban the Steel-Jaw Leghold Trap; Grey2K campaigns, which succeeded in banning the abusive practice of greyhound racing in 2008; and a 2016 Massachusetts initiative, working with Citizens for Farm Animal Protection, to ban the cruelest of farm animal confinements.
As a journalist, Kathleen has worked as a correspondent for regional publications, profiling people in the community and writing feature articles—highlighting animal protection and environmental causes whenever the opportunity arose. For seven years, she wrote the newsletter and fundraising appeals for the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (mrfrs.org), along with appeals for other animal rescue organizations. She also wrote a regional book, Legendary Locals of Newburyport, published in 2014, for Arcadia Publishing.
Kathleen has been writing NEPC primate profiles, editing our book and other educational content, and contributing her input to NEPC initiatives since early 2016.
Eli manages the Child Cognition Lab at Boston University. He also assists with research on religious change at the Center for Mind and Culture and causal reasoning at the Center for Neuroscience in UC Davis. He graduated from UC Davis in 2022, where he received several awards for his scholarship, commitment to service, leadership, and writing. He is working on a book about the evolving place of nonhuman primates in human culture and understanding.
Dana is a writer with a passion for natural history, environmental policy, and wildlife conservation. She is currently finishing her Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Tourism at Colorado State University, where she leverages her love for animals, nature, and travel with education and sustainability. Despite her Chicagoan roots, her heart belongs to the wilderness, except for the small—some may say deep― portion that is dedicated to pizza. As well as hiking, kayaking, and reading, she is raising her Great Dane, Ben Kenobi, to the rank of grandmaster.
Scarlett grew up in the Atlanta metropolitan area, graduating from the University of West Georgia with a B.S. in Geography, and later from Georgia College and State University with a Master of Arts in Teaching. Scarlett’s love of the natural world stems from her outdoorsy family, who were always up for a hike at a local park, a backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail, or a paddle down the Chattahoochee River. Scarlett has experience in outdoor leadership, Montessori, and public education. Her goal is to make environmental education engaging, informative, and accessible, so that young people may better understand their place in nature and the importance of environmental stewardship. Scarlett is the author of New England Primate Conservancy’s Conservation Exploration! activity and Using a Dichotomous Key to Identify Primates lessons.
Zach grew up in rural Connecticut where he spent a large portion of his childhood out-of-doors. The many summers he spent on Monhegan Island, 12-miles off the coast of Maine, roaming through the woods, climbing up and down cliffs, and swimming in the frigid North-Atlantic ocean endure as some of his most cherished and influential memories. He briefly studied in Boulder, Colorado with the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University. While living in Providence, Rhode Island Zach proudly worked at the Providence Children Museum and began writing for New England Primate Conservancy. While finishing his degree at the University of Rhode Island, he developed a keen interest in all things primates. In 2018, during a trip to Vietnam, he had the great pleasure of observing yellow-cheeked gibbons in their natural habitat—an experience that galvanized his passion for primate conservation. Zach now writes for New England Primate Conservancy from his home in Berlin, Germany.
As a graphic designer, Kelly has a passion for creating innovative designs that communicate important information. After completing her degree in Illustration in 2018, she started using her artistic skills to help enhance the Healthcare industry’s communication and awareness in her area. Kelly is also committed to delivering effective messages that inspire, educate, and inform the public about promoting and protecting animal welfare to help species now and in the years to come. She has previously created artwork for conservation purposes and is enthusiastic to jump on board and help to create additional visual content for NEPC. When she’s not designing, she likes to explore the outdoors with her rescue dog, soaking up the beauty in the Southwest of England, where she lives.
Melinda specializes in the art and science of facial expressions. Using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) as a descriptive device, she teaches artists, engineers, and researchers how to build and break down facial movements and emotions. Melinda is passionate about sharing her knowledge and integrating concepts from cross-disciplinary fields. Her goal is to push the innovation of expressions in art, science, and technology to greater levels of accuracy and higher standards of ethics. Melinda is the creator of New England Primate Conservancy’s Color Me Chimpanzee activity.
Clare grew up in southeastern Pennsylvania. She has always been passionate about animals, and in college she developed a strong interest in wildlife conservation. She has a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree in applied ecology and conservation, both from Miami University of Ohio. When she’s not writing primate profiles for the NEPC, she is a conservation specialist working to protect wildlife habitat in the US mid-Atlantic region
Amanda has been a professional writer since 2012. She is also the Founder & Editor of AnimalCognition.org, an educational website dedicated to exploring the research on animal intelligence and consciousness. Her desire to help others learn more about animals began at an early age, with much of her playtime being devoted to the voracious consumption and chronicling of species facts. Today, she continues her education, pursuing degrees in Natural Resources and Wildlife Ecology, Conservation, and Management. By working with the NEPC, she hopes to further the mission of helping people from all walks of life learn to treasure our world’s fascinating primate cousins.
Robyn is a long time animal lover and advocate. As an 8th generation Texan, her heart belongs to the Lone Star state, however she currently resides in Washington where she is studying Primate Behavior and Ecology at Central Washington University. She hopes to engage in studies of African apes later in her career, looking at cognition and sociality. Robyn is passionate about non-invasive research methods and hopes to spread further awareness of the benefits these methods offer. In her free time, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, hiking, and watching animal documentaries.
Stephanie is a London born, Oxford bred, country girl who’s always had an affinity for nature. Her love for animals led her to study Animal Management and Care at college to better understand their behaviour. A few years later, she decided to go back to school and study Ecology and Wildlife Conservation at Bournemouth University. Says Stephanie, “It changed my life, how I viewed the world, appreciating how extraordinary and complex our planet is.”
After university she traveled in Asia to experience what the rest of the world had to offer and it wasn’t long before she found her calling. On a small island in Cambodia, she founded, funded, and coordinated her own wildlife project, The Wonderful Wildlife of Samloem, documenting over 400 terrestrial and marine species. The project created PADI Open Water Diver course material, local school lessons, and advised businesses and tourists. She stood as ambassador for diving schools during the establishment of Cambodia’s largest MPA (Marine Protected Area) and used her research to assist Flora and Fauna International with zoning for the MPA and deploy trawler net defenses. Since the project, she has never looked back and finds herself drawn to environmental education. “By understanding the forces of mother-nature, we can live sustainably with her. I believe we all have a duty to leave the world in a better state than we found it. Working with NEPC is a great place to start.” Stephanie is the author of the New England Primate Conservancy’s What is Nature? lesson series.