DISCOVER the Galápagos: Historic Quito to Santa Cruz Island

Dr. Nina Zitani is an accomplished field research biologist with a passion for teaching people of all ages and backgrounds about the wonders of the living parts of the natural world. Her published research includes discovering and naming 15 new insect species of Costa Rica; scientists have named eight new insect species in her honor. Recent research has focused on the ecology of the Onychophora (velvet worms) of Ecuador. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she uses her extraordinary creativity and photography to enrich her lectures on natural history, evolutionary biology, biodiversity and conservation science. For nearly 30 years she has been a science educator in the classroom and in the field. Her engaging natural history lessons on topics ranging from pollination, to the ecology of native plants and food webs, to the evolution of birds incorporate stories and imagery from her North American field experiences and 24 expeditions to Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru. Dr. Zitani resides in London, Ontario, Canada where she is the Curator of Zoological Collections and Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Western University. 

Francisco Dallmeier is a distinguished scientist internationally recognized for his expertise in integrating nature-positive solutions into energy and natural resources development. Over nearly four decades at the Smithsonian, he spearheaded the Center for Conservation and Sustainability at the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. Additionally, he led the co-creation of the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation with George Mason University and played a pivotal role in founding the Global Tiger Initiative with the World Bank.

Francisco's extensive collaborations with the private sector, governments, and academic institutions have advanced sustainable development practices worldwide and offered comprehensive training and capacity-building for hundreds of students and conservation professionals. His work has taken him around the world, and he has led tours for Smithsonian Journeys to diverse natural history destinations such as Patagonia and the tropical Andes, sub-Saharan Africa, and Australia and New Zealand.

Francisco holds a PhD and master’s in wildlife and natural resources management from Colorado State University, and his undergraduate degree in biology from the Central University of Venezuela, his birth country. As a published author, Francisco shares his passion for wildlife and the natural world through engaging presentations and photography. His easygoing personality and sense of humor further enhances his ability to inspire others with his experiences.

A childhood love of nature and good fortune set Ed on the path to a 35-year career with the Smithsonian. The living collections at the National Zoo, ranging from cuttlefish to kapok trees, kept his hands wet and muddy—a happy state for an organismal biologist. And opportunities to collaborate with like-minded colleagues have taken him to all continents except Antarctica.

As a naturalist, Ed is more focused on ants, plants, frogs, snakes, and birds than on megafauna. But watching an elephant in the field or listening to hippos bellowing at dawn, or seeing pink river dolphins break the mirror-like surface of a blackwater lake leaves him transfixed!

During free time, when not outdoors looking for birds, reptiles, etc., Ed enjoys gardening, reading, music, cooking, drawing, museums and keeping up with friends and second languages (primarily German, Spanish, Russian), and travel. 

Recently retired from the Amazonia Department's curatorial team, he is privileged to be able to share experiences and learn alongside Smithsonian Journeys participants once again.

Dennis became enamored of wildlife as a youngster in his native Costa Rica. Living in Central America, it is not difficult to see how biology could become the favorite science for any nature enthusiast, as there are several thousand species in the region. He has a passion for bird sounds and has a collection of them — recently he worked on the creation of a DVD that mixes the piano with the sounds of the birds.

His experience and knowledge has taken him to lead groups in other countries in Central America, South America, Africa, New Zealand, South East Asia, Australia, Russia, Alaska, the Arctic, the Antarctic, and the Caribbean. When he is not lecturing, Dennis travels to remote areas in Central America explaining to young students how fragile the ecosystems are where they live. He also works on several projects to monitor endangered species in order to improve conservation efforts.