Brian is a self-taught scientific naturalist who has been living permanently in Costa Rica since 1998. Brian moved to Costa Rica specifically to dedicate his life to studying the countries’ amphibians and during the last 18+ years he has conducted thousands of hours of fieldwork throughout the republic. This work has resulted in numerous scientific publications, including the descriptions of 4 new species of amphibians in Costa Rica. Brian’s principal interests are in the areas of alpha-level taxonomy, natural history, distributions, and in situ conservation of Costa Rican amphibians. In 2002 Brian started the Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center (CRARC)(www.cramphibian.com), which is the first of its kind project dedicated specifically to the study and conservation of the countries’ amphibians.
John is Chair and Professor of Biology at Northwest Nazarene University, Idaho, United States. He has an active research lab that focuses on natural history studies of herpetofauna from both the Pacific Northwest and the Neotropics. His current interests include alpha-level taxonomy, bioacoustics, thermal ecology, and using photography and education for the purpose of conservation. John has worked extensively in Costa Rica for the past decade. He has published numerous papers on his research in Costa Rica, Panama and Bolivia. His photos have appeared in books, magazines, and journal articles, and have been featured in a traveling gallery exhibit called Naked Canaries, highlighting the beauty and conservation plight of amphibians.