PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
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Jeanne F.
Fossani sees ecotourism and agrotourism as a way
of reconciling disparate economic and environmental
goals.
A former Professor at EARTH University in Costa Rica,
she now works as a consultant at the intersection of
ecology, economics, and human community, with a special
expertise in extending song-bird habitat in the
coffee-producing regions of Latin America. Born in the
United States, she has lived abroad for most of her
adult life, and is fluent in Spanish, Italian, French,
and English.
Representative Projects:
• In 2007, Jean
Fossanni
led working groups to Vera Cruz, Mexico, and the
Talamanca Range of Costa Rica.
• Designed, supervised, and evaluated shade-grown
coffee-related thesis projects for students at EARTH
University, including assessment of
feasibility and profitability, analysis of products and
services offered, suggestions of value-added use of
existing resources, introduction of bird watching and
agro-ecotourism programs, and provision of sustainable
alternatives.
• Planned, organized, and led tours of coffee-producing
areas, examining a wide array of factors including size,
certification standards, agronomic and
social/environmental conditions, shade gradients and
composition, beneficios, cooperatives, and small
farming communities.
• Acted as location and content scout for the Institute
for Field Ornithology in preparation for a course
linking shade grown coffee and migratory bird
populations in Matagalpa, Nicaragua.
• Organized rural community service projects related to
sustainable agriculture.
• Proposed to the board of directors of EARTH University
a plan to adopt avi/agro/ecotourism emphasis and worked
with them to implement the emphasis.
• Developed program to train former poachers, hunters
and loggers as naturalist guides. Taught interpretive
and thematic presentation skills and English using
hands-on techniques to prepare guides and staff for
interaction with international tourists.
• Lectured for annual educational series sponsored by
Asociación Ornitológica to celebrate hawk
migration.
• Translated U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Sister School
Shorebird Project materials on bird ecology,
conservation and migration for internationally
distributed publication and on-line use (English to
Spanish). Acted as regional representative for Birder’s
Exchange, an organization that supplies optical
equipment, computers and other equipment for students,
guides and researchers in need.
• Designed and led month-long cross-country natural
history/environmental education expedition for high
school seniors to Yellowstone National Park, The
Badlands and the Grand Tetons.
• Instituted program enabling hundreds of local
underprivileged children to visit Costa Rica’s leading
ecotourism site free of charge.
Jeanne F. Fossani’s academic positions include:
Professor of ESL at EARTH University, Costa Rica
(1995-2005).
Lecturer, Lebanon College, Lebanon, New Hampshire,
U.S.A., 1991-1994.
Lecturer, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire,
U.S.A., 1991-1994.
Education Coordinator, Japan Environmental Exchange,
Kyoto, Japan, 1989-1991.
Instructor, Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, New
Jersey, U.S.A., 1984-1987.
Education and Professional Certification:
M. Ed., Foreign Languages and ESL, Rutgers
University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1987.
B.A. Magna Cum Laude, French and Italian, New
York University, New York, New York, 1982. Junior
and senior year spent abroad, all course work in French
or Italian, La Sorbonne, Paris.
http://www.sallyglean.org/fossani/
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