Lela Sankeralli – Naturalist, Founder and Executive Director
In 1986 Lela founded Panterra Educational and Cultural Programs and started her career as a marine naturalist. She has dedicated her life to teaching and mentoring. Because of an insatiable desire to seek the origins of life on earth, her passion as a wanderer and explorer has led to a career in designing educational programs in the Gulf Islands of Canada and the Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico.
In 2004, Lela retired, turning her business of 18 years into a non-profit organization. Her goal throughout her career has been to make a difference in the lives of the students she has come in contact with, turning them on to further learning, and instill in them the great importance and responsibility of being the future guardians of our planet.
Sharon Neeves - volunteer, Society President and Naturalist
Sharon enters her 15th season working with Panterra. Born in Sidney, BC she has spent many years exploring the local coastline, and has cycled and camped through most of the Gulf Islands. Sharon has sailed the Atlantic, from England to Barbados, hiked the Chilkoot Trail from Skagway to Dawson City, and hiked the Queen Charlotte Islands.
She is fascinated with the ethnobotany of the native peoples of the west coast, and is often found trying to convince the Panterra students to try the culinary cuisine of the different plants.
Stasia Ferbey - staff
Marine Biologist, Astronomer, Teacher
When Stasia was a little girl, she enjoyed exploring the beaches for hidden treasures and poking around tidepools looking for the creatures that inhabit them. Following her heart, Stasia obtained a degeree in biology from UVic, focusing on life in the marine environment. Her love of interacting with people was the perfect driving force for her to pursue the career of teaching. Since her completion of the PDP program at the university, she has been working with the NRC at the observatory in Victoria, gaining invaluable experience in astronomy education and public outreach; teaching people of all ages.
From the day she set foot on the ship in the Sea of Cortez in 2005, she knew that she was a good match for Panterra. This was the place where she could bring her expertise and experiences to the plate. While at sea, Stasia is best known for her astronomy lessons where she astounds her audience by revealing the mysteries of the universe.
Dr. Shelley Breadner - volunteer
Veterinary Consultant
Dr. Breadner is a veterinarian in Saanichton, BC, and the founder of Breadner Veterinary Services. Shelley has provided medical care to a large variety of exotic and companion animals throughout her career. She has also had several years’ experience in wildlife medical rehabilitation.
Dr. Breadner’s primary focus, regardless of animal species, is to provide respect and minimize stress to the animals she tends.
In her spare time, Shelley can be found exploring the natural world around her, through hiking, camping, cycling and kayaking. Expressions of her appreciation can be found in her artistic endeavours.
Shelley has great love for the environment and is proud to serve as a wildlife consultant for the conservation projects and explorations with Panterra.
Krystil Jones - volunteer
Veterinary student
Canadian born, Krystil grew up in Africa and moved back to Canada to further her post secondary education. She has recently completed her science degree and is currently in her second year of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary.
A passionate person, she works successfully in both the office as a researcher and in the outdoors as a budding marine naturalist.
Working closely with Lela in the field, Krystil relishes the opportunity to be both a student and a teacher. Her contributions to the program come with a great passion as a humanitarian.
Scott Rogers - volunteer
Marine Biologist
Scott was a Panterra participant at the age of 13. Her education continued through to post secondary where she received her degree in marine biology.
Her marine experiences extends to Johnstone Strait where she works monitoring and recording marine mammal sitings, vessel movement and on-the-water education of conservation and guideline practices in coastal waters. Scott spent a winter in the Antarctica researching penguins.
Scott is a kind and gentle soul that brings a harmony to those she is in contact with. Scott has been AWOL from Panterra for some time!
Samantha Tinworth - volunteer
Junior Naturalist
Samantha has been a Panterra kid for over 6 years and a volunteer for 3 years. She recently completed her grad 12 and is currently enrolled in college pursuing one of two passions, Performing Arts.
Her second passion is biology where she plans on pursuing a career in zoology/marine biology. Her interests includes that of saving seals, sea lions caught up in nets and other marine animals who need help.
As a junior naturalist Samantha enjoys sharing with Panterra students the knowledge of the natural history of the Baja she has learned over the many years of attending Panterra trips. She is a natural explorer of the sciences and arts.
Jean Paul Blanchard - volunteer
Amateur Photographer
Jean-Paul was born and raised in rural northern Alberta and spent the majority of time in the outdoors. As a child you could always find him down by the river exploring with his dog or off building tree forts.
At the age of 17 Jean-Paul attended his first Panterra expedition. On this expedition he had a life changing encounter with a gray whale at Magdalena Bay. It was then that he fell in-love with the Baja and the Sea of Cortez.
Jean Paul has a passion for photography and most enjoys capturing nature in its beauty. In his free time Jean-Paul likes to play music and enjoys adventuring in the Rockies. Jean-Paul is currently studying carpentry at SAIT in Calgary and hopes to one day further his education in the field.
Deni Ramirez Macias – Whale Shark Scientist
Since 2001, Deni has established and maintained a research project on whale sharks in the Sea of Cortez in the Gulf of California, Mexico. She is a PhD. candidate, weeks away from defending her thesis, whose goal is to determine whale shark population size in the Sea of Cortez by using photo identification and satellite tagging.
Panterra is proud to support Deni’s research on these mysterious animals and, as a result, we have added “a day with the whale sharks” to our Young Naturalist, Adult and Dive Expeditions. Yes, that’s right, we get to help Deni, a world renown whale shark scientist, with her research!
Felipe Cuevas – Sea Turtle Researcher
Felipe Cuevas grew up as a fisherman on a little island called Isla Pardito, in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico. Since 2006, Felipe and his father Palo have been involved with a sea turtle monitoring program, working with local non profit societies Groupos de Tortugas and NIPARAJA, looking at the population sizes and migration patterns of the turtles in their part of the world. It is with great pleasure that Panterra has the opportunity to contribute and participate in the work of Felipe, Palo, Groupos de Tourtugas and Niparaja on our Journey to the Sea of Cortez Expeditions.
