Kristen Butcher (Co-Founder)
Kristen Butcher has 10 years experience working on diverse environmental issues, both in and out of the coastal sector. While contracted by National Oceanagraphic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), she helped develop a website coordinating climate needs for member states within the Eastern Region. She worked in the private sector, completing wetland delineation for wind energy construction projects. Her main interest however has always centered around the coast. She received a B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of California of Santa Cruz, where she was certified as an American Academy of Underwater Sciences Scientific Diver. Kristen completed an M.S. from Tulane University in Earth and Environmental Sciences and is contracted as a coastal scientist with a New Orleans based nonprofit, where she is involved with cypress reforestation and numerous other field based research projects.

Eva Hillmann (Co-Founder)
Ms. Hillmann is a PhD candidate at Louisiana State University and a professional coastal scientist with 10 years of experience working in coastal and estuarine ecosystems, with particular expertise in submerged aquatic vegetation habitats. She also has extensive experience working along the northern Gulf of Mexico, in freshwater wetlands to saline marshes. As a scientist for a local non-profit, Ms. Hillmann’s focus has been directed toward applied ecological research and monitoring related to the management and restoration of southeast Louisiana wetland resources. She is an accomplished field ecologist with over 1,000 working field days, and 5,000 hours piloting and trailering research vessels, including airboats. Ms. Hillmann has experience in management, analysis, and reporting of complex scientific data sets. She has worked with university academics, state and federal researchers, and with professional private‐sector consultants. Currently, Ms. Hillmann is finishing up her dissertation research in Baton Rouge, while working as the project lead on wetland tree restoration along the north and south shore of New Orleans.