 Robert
Gallardo
From an early age
Robert was a nature lover who collected butterflies in the western
U.S. and beyond. He attended Humboldt State University
in California, graduating with a degree in Natural Resources Planning
and Interpretation in 1992. Right after school he joined as Peace Corps
Volunteer in Honduras in 1993 and served for 3 years, working with Sierra
de Agalta N.P. and in La Mosquitia where he helped a community open the
country’s first butterfly farm. All the while he was learning about
the fabulous Neotropical ecosystems and its flora and fauna.
After Peace
Corps he immediately returned to La Ceiba, Honduras where he established
a private butterfly farm. He eventually married Irma and
finally settled in the charming town of Copan Ruinas where they manage
a Nature Center that has been open since 2000. Irma also co-leads nature
tours.
Robert has led guided
natural history tours since the year 2000 and has seen nearly 90% of
the species of birds in Honduras, including adding
some 15 species to the list. He has extensive knowledge in the country’s
butterflies and native orchids. He contributes to North American Birds
and is in the process of writing articles for Neotropical Ornithology.
Long term goals are to do a CD to the common orchids of Honduras, a CD
to the bird calls and a bilingual butterfly field guide. |
