Angela & Eileen, Co-founders & Directors
Hello! We’re Angela and Eileen, the Co-founders and Directors of the Wild Postcard Project. Our journey began one evening in early 2016, as we sat in a Dublin pub indulging in our favourite tradition: creating art together while relaxing in a pub. During our session, we started brainstorming a project that could blend our shared passions for biodiversity and art. After some drawing, chatting, and a lot of creative thinking, the Wild Postcard Project was born!
Angela – I am a marine scientist, and have a deep passion for animals, wildlife, and art. I spend a lot of time researching crinoids, which are among the strangest, yet most interesting and beautiful animals in the ocean. In my spare time, I enjoy painting and drawing. I take most of my inspiration from nature, especially the underwater biodiversity that I study. I spend a lot of time at the bottom of the ocean – it is such a diverse, beautiful, and fascinating world! Through my art, I aim to make the rich textures and vibrant colours of the world I study more accessible to everyone, allowing you to experience it too! My biodiversity superstars include nudibranchs, and, of course, my mischievous Filipina puppy, Adoba, and Grecian kitty, Maya.
Eileen – From the wilds of the Alaskan tundra to the lovely warm sands of the Mediterranean (and a few spots in between!), I have worked in a variety of locations across the world. Linking these is my passion for finding creative ways to communicate science. I initiated the formation of Biodiversity In Our Lives, a project which saw the creation of a set of four beermats providing pub-goers with fun facts about biodiversity; they produced over 50,000 beermats that were distributed to pubs across Ireland and received coverage in The Irish Times, Science magazine, and on RTE radio. I have been an invited speaker at a variety of events including Electric Picnic, TED-x Osnabrück, and the Falling Walls conference. In my usual indecisive fashion, I am having trouble picking my favourite bit of Irish biodiversity – I can’t decide between the Siskin (because it rhymes with my last name), the puffin (because they’re totally cute), and my dog Noodle (because dogs are biodiversity too!).
Our Pod (in alphabetical order)
The project would not be possible without our amazing team, who, like a pod of dolphins, exhibit strong team spirit, enthusiasm, and selflessness!
Ainara
“I am a multicultural “fish” who feels at home in any ocean. I fell in love with the ocean and all its biodiversity while I was on a sailing trip with my family cruising around the South Pacific. My passion is diving and snorkeling preferably around coral reefs and seagrass beds always looking around for nudibranchs, which are my favorite animals. I am an aspriring marine scientist with a big passion for the environment and preservation of different ecosystems and love motivating young people to join in.”
Ally
“I’m a senior illustrative/animation student at School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) with a big passion for the natural world around us and its need for protection. My hope is to help communicate important ideas in a visual medium for kids and adults around the world. My favourite biodiversity is the Aspen tree. Fun fact about Aspen trees: they produce a natural sunscreen powder of about an SPF of 5!”
Selina
“I am enamoured by the unintelligibility of the solid ocean. Above is a photo from two summers ago where I spent time in my home county of Eritrea exploring the Red Sea. I am passionate about the culture and community that arise in sea towns (avid reader of Dylan Thomas:) In my free time I enjoy ceramics and playing the flute as well as going on long bike rides to local lakes. Very excited to be joining the team with such passion about preserving biodiversity. My current favourite biodiversity are passion flowers!!”
Johanna
Born in The Philippines, raised in The Netherlands, and globe trotting has instilled Johanna’s compassion for people, their different cultures, and passion for biodiversity and its conservation. The habit of connecting dots has made her a born interdisciplinary mediator. She studied Environmental Sciences and, while researching small-scale fishers and sustainability in the Philippines, she met Angela. Their conversations sparked the launch of WPP @Philippines 2017. With her enthusiasm and eloquent communication, she successfully engaged remote communities across small villages and mountainous regions. She now works as a Sustainability Specialist, guiding corporations toward positive impact and integrating sustainability into company strategies. Her favorite biodiversity ranges from tiny nudibranchs to majestic elephants!
Tadhg
Where would we be without this faithful pack leader, with us since the Project’s inception?! With over a decade of work in biodiversity research and its conservation, from marine to terrestrial habitats, Tadhg brings a wealth of knowledge necessary for the more technical parts of the project. Known for his witty jokes and outgoing personality, it’s safe to say that he is a fan favourite, especially with kids, parents, and teachers at our event ceremonies. It’s not all fun and games though, he’s often found working hard behind the scenes, multitasking in every part of the project to ensure everything (from production, events, communications) go smoothly. Tadhg explores all terrains, but lately he has been leading SCUBA diving projects in every corner of the world, and during these underwater expeditions he strives to find his favourite biodiversity: the John Dory and (all types of) sea turtles, both found in Irish waters.
Past Pod Members
Our Pack Members
Partners:
National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC)
National Gallery of Ireland (NGI)
Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
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Supporting organizations (and their favourite biodiversity):
British Columbia, Canada
Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre
Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance
Federation of Mountain Clubs of British Columbia
Galiano Conservancy Association
Marine Life Sanctuaries Society
North Okanagan Naturalists Club
Outdoor Recreation Council of British Columbia
South Coast Conservation Program
Ireland
An Taisce is very fond of the Pine Marten and threatened animals, such as Hen Harrier, Freshwater Pearl Mussel, Lesser Horseshoe Bat, and Arctic Charr. These are amazing animals that don’t get enough publicity.
Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI)
Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) who love the sundew, a carnivorous plant found on bogs, the curlew (one of Ireland’s bog birds), as well as Sphagnum moss – the building block of bogs!
Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG)
Madagascar
Nessa Darcy Creative Entomologist
The Netherlands
Ecosystem Services Partnership
Nationale Databank Flora en Fauna
The Wild Postcard Project 