- Lianna Jarecki
Dr. Lianna Jarecki is a leading expert on coastal wetlands and environmental training in the Virgin Islands. Her Ph.D. thesis represents the insular Caribbean’s seminal work describing the ecology of hypersaline mangrove ponds. Dr. Jarecki served H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) in the BVI for over 20 years as a principal lecturer and department head. Most recently, Dr. Jarecki initiated a donor-funded mangrove nursery and initiated an extensive community engagement and field training programme at HLSCC. She also managed the seasonal scientific research station on Guana Island, BVI, from 1992 through 2017. Dr. Jarecki now lives in North Carolina and works as an independent environmental consultant for development projects, mainly in the Caribbean dependent territories. She is an active member of the informal BVI Funders Group and serves on the Board of Governors of the BVI National Parks Trust. She has published many popular news articles and scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Jarecki received her undergraduate education at Cornell University in New York, a Masters in Zoology at the University of Florida, and a Doctorate in Biodiversity Management from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent in the United Kingdom. She also holds a post-graduate diploma in Environmental Management from the Dresden Technical University in Germany. Her hobbies include sailing, diving, hiking, painting, and leading adventures for young people in nature.