Alexa was born in Geneva, Switzerland and grew up in Miami, Florida. She originally came to Costa Rica as a college sophomore on a Tropical Ecology field course through the University of Georgia. After graduating with a degree in Psychology/Zoology from the University of Florida in 2010, she returned to Costa Rica to intern as a Resident Naturalist at the University of Georgia’s satellite campus in San Luis de Monteverde. She continued studying Tropical Ecology and became specifically interested in birds, amphibians, and insects. She moved on to become a Teaching Assistant, developing lectures, workshops, field modules and student research project designs for semester-long Ecology courses. She also co-instructed short field courses in Tropical Ornithology, taught Spanish lessons, and worked as a professional translator and interpreter. After a year in San Luis, Alexa began working as a Course Coordinator for a Costa Rican nonprofit called the Monteverde Institute, which combined logistical planning with fieldwork and nature guiding. When she is not coordinating, Alexa works as a freelance Naturalist guide, leading bird watching and natural history tours in various ecosystems: cloud forests, the dry forests of the Pacific coast, and the lowland rainforests of the Caribbean and Southern Pacific slopes. Alexa has been living in San Luis de Monteverde since July of 2010, is an active member of her community, and is fluent in Spanish. When she isn’t out working, you can find her bird watching from her front porch, going for a run, visiting friends for coffee, or Salsa dancing. *Alexa is also certified in First Aid and CPR.* 

Alexander- who goes by Alex- was born and raised in Naranjito de Puntarenas—a few kilometers outside of the popular Manuel Antonio National park on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. At the age of 18, he left his home town (and his surfing buddies!) for the capital city of San Jose, where he worked as a salesman and driver for a local business before opening his own small grocery store. Shortly after becoming a small business owner in San Jose, Alex decided to expand his horizons and explore the market in Monteverde. Upon arrival, Alex was so inspired by the beauty and tranquility of the cloud forest that he decided to sell his grocery store in the city and make the move to Monteverde! He immediately started working as a driver for a local company, and after a few years he started his own transportation company, Alex Jimenez Transportes. He now has 15 years of experience in the transportation business, safely navigating the roads of Costa Rica. He lives happily in a small, rural town called San Luis, where he likes to mountain bike, practice his English, and indulge in his new-found hobby of bird watching. He is very excited to be embarking on his newest business adventure, TropicAves!