Yazmin Iglesias - Interim Executive Director

Yazmin was born in Texas and grew up just outside of New York City in Stamford, Connecticut.  She studied Hospitality Management at Johnson & Wales University in both Providence, Rhode Island and Miami, Florida.  She also received a second degree in business at the University of Connecticut.  After studying abroad in Nepal, Yazmin decided she wanted to spend her life traveling and immersing in the different cultures of the world.  In 2005, she relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii to head up operations at a local not-for-profit organization.  In 2008, from Hawaii, she began a year long journey around the world, crossing the USA, living in Morocco, Egypt, India & Thailand.  Yazmin has spent a lot of time in Uruguay where her parents migrated from and the majority of her family still lives.  She is fluent in both Spanish and English, and is a certified translator.  She has come to Costa Rica to work with environmental education and eco-tourism.  Yazmin joined the SCLC team in May 2011.

Wendy Herrera Varela - Community Development Coordinartor

Wendy was born in Osa Peninsula and moved to live in Pérez Zeledón, the southern part of Costa Rica. She studied sustainable tourism at the Universidad Nacional for four years. She likes to travel and learn about different people and cultures. She also likes to share with people from rural communities and help them. She also enjoys helping with nature and conservation. Wendy completed her professional intership at the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center. She fell in love with the region and her job at the Center, and now she is continuing to work there as she begins her career.

Laura Lindley-Gutierrez - Environmental Education Coordinator

Laura was born in a small mountain town in Central California where she spent most of her time outdoors, namely climbing trees and befriending any animal, insect or arachnid to come her way. A long-time activist, she was a civil-rights and criminal defense attorney before deciding that growing her own food and traveling with her family was more fun, and just as meaningful. Laura has traveled all over the world and spent months living with the Kuna people in southern Panama. She is passionate about protecting and gently loving Mother Earth, and is looking forward to sharing her skills as the Environmental Education Coordinator. She is also excited to befriend and learn from the other SCLC volunteers and the Sarapiqui community.

Laura is joined by her husband, Renato, originally from Mexico, and their two daughters, who are bilingual, especially when it comes to telling their mama "no".