www.jddmoralesphoto.com

Juan de Dios Morales is an ecologist with a master’s in Environment from the U. of Melbourne, Australia.

His career pathway has taken him to become a creative biodiversity conservationist, nature/travel photography awardee, ecotourism leader/guide, entrepreneur advocate, environmentally sustainable, and a eco-communicator.

His passion for culturally and naturally rich adventures has led him to visit earth’s most precious biomes. He is deeply connected to his home region of South America, with places such as the Galápagos National Park, the Uyuni Saltflats in Bolivia, and the Ecuadorian Amazon. He has traveled to all continents and enjoyed many outstanding Biomas Adventures, from scuba diving at the breathtaking great barrier reef and swimming with great white sharks in Australia, all the way up to hiking at the purified peaks of the Himalayas in Nepal, into the deepness of the Malaysian Borneo old grown forest searching for wild orangutans, to searching for whales and penguins in Antarctica. He has also visited different world-renowned national parks such as Komodo National Park in Indonesia and the Yala National Park in Sri Lanka, and mystical places like Myanmar where cultural heritage has ignited his desire to create Biomas Adventures for everyone.

Him and his partner, Gianna, moved to the US to achieve a family goal, Gianna’s masters at Cornell University. With a customer service mindset, Juan de Dios has worked for Cornell at the Lab of Ornithology and the Statler Hotel.

His favorite “Bioma” (biome) is the tropical dry forests (TDFs) of Ecuador, where he has boosted his conservation and ecotourism career when he created the award- winning Wild GYE Initiative (WGI). With WGI he published two books and reached out to people to protect the TDF. This biome substantially contributes to endemic species of birds, reptiles, and plants in the region and due to the fast destruction, this biome is struggling to thrive.

Interesting fact: He comes from a legacy of a traditionally rooted and globally-minded family that has worked in the travel and tourism industry for generations.

Gianna Haro is a proud Galapagueña, from Santa Cruz Island. She is a Biologist with a master’s in Environmental Management from Cornell University, USA.

As a raised Galapagueña, she spent her childhood swimming in the ocean, collecting dead plants and insects, and inventing scientific names for them. This early curiosity led her to pursue a Biology degree at U. California Santa Barbara, shaping her career in community-based conservation and ecotourism.

With over seven years of experience, she has worked as a biologist, environmental educator, eco-entrepreneur, as the first Certified Ecuadorian Women Freediving Instructor and as a certified naturalist guide in the Galápagos and Alaska.

She has shared Galápagos and Alaska’s unique biodiversity to diverse audiences, including tourists, students, scientists, park rangers, and NGOs.

She is a NatGeo Field Educator and a member of the Island Education Network (IEN), where she is currently contributing to a book on island education worldwide.

After six years guiding for NatGeo-Lindblad Expeditions, Silversea Cruises and Swimtrek, Gianna wanted to enhance her career. She pursued her master’s at Cornell University and she is currently working in climate resilience, geographic information and water equity in New York State.

Despite living in the US for now, Galápagos keeps her eyes sparkling, as here is where her heart belongs. This is why she co-created Biomas Adventures with her husband Juan de Dios Morales.

Her favorite “Bioma” (biome) is the Galapagos Pacific Ocean, which inspired her to develop educational programs like the National Environmental Education Plan for Sea Turtle Conservation with Wild Aid in Ecuador. Her passion for experiential learning led to the creation of "Galapa-Guess," a fun, interactive game about the Galápagos that she loves sharing during Biomas Adventures; along with a few dad jokes (watch out)!

Interesting fact: She produced “Journey Back to Alcedo”, the first Galápagos documentary ever produced by a Galapagueña that highlights women in science and conservation.

She is second generation of naturalist guide in Galápagos. Her dad, Roberto, was one of the first Ecuadorian Galápagos naturalist guides (1978) in a tourism-market mainly led by english/german nationality.