Kristina Richards has over 10 years of experience in environmental science and education. She holds a Master's degree in Conservation Biology and a Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Currently, she works as a Biologist for Orange County evaluating habitats, sampling water quality, and maintaining the county herbarium. Previously, she was the Program Coordinator for the UCF Arboretum where she oversaw volunteers, taught courses, and developed educational programming. She has extensive experience in plant identification, GIS mapping, prescribed burning, and community outreach.

1. 1
Education
Master of Science, University of Central Florida Graduated August, 2013
Professional Science Master’s in Conservation Biology
Cumulative GPA: 3.765
Bachelor of Art, University of Central Florida Graduated May, 2006
Interdisciplinary Studies: Biological Sciences, Behavioral &
Social Sciences, Spanish Minor
UCF cumulative GPA: 3.306
President’s Honor Roll Fall 2004
Dean’s List Fall 2002, Spring 2005
Career & Teaching Experience
Biologist Orange County Environmental Protection Division 4/2014-Present
800 Mercy Dr. Orlando, FL 32808
• Evaluate aquatic habitats (streams and lakes), perform environmental sampling of
invertebrates and vegetation monitoring
• Field sampling for Chemical and Biological Samples, and Laboratory analysis; ensures
sampling methodologies comply with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s)
• Data entry and analysis; generate annual data reports
• Create and maintain the Orange County Herbarium including the Work Instruction, the
SOP, and employee training
• Represent County in Statewide Biological meetings
• Remain accustomed to inclement weather and habitat
• Operate boats, trucks, and/or laboratory equipment
• Knowledge of County, state, and federal environmental policies
• Work independently and in a team
• Provide technical assistance to interns
• Liaison with contractor to integrate new FDEP calculations into the Bug Database
• Maintain and order sampling and/or laboratory equipment as necessary
• Update and improve existing laboratory processing methods and invertebrate reference
collection
• Participate in outreach initiatives including environmental education
• Orchestrate transition of the Orange County Adopt-A-Lake Program to the statewide
LAKEWATCH Program to save county funds
• Apply for grants to engage citizens in green spaces throughout Orange County
KRISTINA RICHARDS
Ktina.Richards@gmail.com

2. 2
Related Professional Experience
Science • Fire Ecology
• Floridian habitat identification
• Conservation and land management concepts including invasive species
• Water quality sampling and data collection (dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, salinity,
temperature, etc.)
• Plant collection, pressing, mounting techniques
• Plant identification and vegetation monitoring
• Aquatic invertebrate identification
• Understand importance of state and county agency Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
Program
Coordinator
University of Central Florida College of Sciences Arboretum 5/2008-4/2014
East Orlando, FL
• Participate in prescribed burns with the UCF Burn Team
• Provide opportunities for public recreation and use of natural lands
• Professor for Ethnobotany (BOT 3802); 231 undergraduate students in Spring 2014
• Coordinated “Florida Wildlife Corridor” movie screening and panel discussion
• Develop and oversee student projects including the creation of a species list, a self-guided
tour brochure of the nature trails, and specimen collection for the herbarium
• Maintain environmental education program and lead over 65 educational tour groups of
various ages and cultural backgrounds through the UCF Arboretum trails
• Developed a partnership with the UCF Research and Mentoring Program (RAMP) to
secure a research student for the UCF Arboretum. Oversee student by working with them
on project development, experiment accuracy, and professionalism. Most recent student
was recognized at the UCF Mentor-breakfast as “Mentee of the Year”
• Identified student leaders applying for the Student Sustainability Alliance Leadership
Council (2008-2010) and advised accepted applicants
• Oversee Eagle Scout projects by engaging and mentoring youth
• Served as Teachers Assistant for undergraduate course ‘Systems Sustainability’
Community
Organizer
A Community Organization
Orlando, FL
1/2008-5/2008
• Orchestrated regional voter registration drive throughout Central Florida
Office
Assistant
University of Central Florida, College of Business Administration
Downtown Orlando, FL
9/2007-12/2007
• Executed front desk tasks such as answering phones, emails, booking rooms, walk-ins,
students, support events, etc.
Environment
Intern
Arthur R. Marshall Environmental Internship Program
West Palm Beach, FL 5/2007-8/2007
• Regularly taught diverse students about environmental issues through hand-on education;
this was an intensive course in the Florida Everglades and the massive effort to restore it
• We were schooled in the ecology, history and hydrology of the Everglades and received
mentoring from numerous professionals from the government, non-profit and scientific
communities
• We also enjoyed numerous opportunities to report our observations to government
agencies with various environmental careers

3. 3
• Use of dichotomous key
• Research techniques
Management • Supervised up to 25 employees
• Coordinated undergraduate students: interns, work-study employees, independent studies
and service-learning students (i.e. arrange schedules, coordinate with faculty, provide
project ideas, time-sheets, policy interpretation, etc.)
• Personally engaged hundreds of volunteers (2008-2014), providing thousands of service
hours to employer
• Possess purchasing-card and execute departmental transfers and purchase orders in
accordance with allocated budget
• Monitor budgetary accounts
• Inventory and maintain equipment
• Fundraise thousands of dollars through monetary and in-kind donations, and plant sales
• Compile, explain, and comment on data for Annual Assessment Report
Outreach • Tabled and/or spoke at over 50 community outreach events
• Maintain partnerships with over 40 organizations including for-profit, non-profit and
governmental agencies
• Collaborated with over 15 professors to engage their students in service learning
• Helped to organize the 2008 Campus & Community Sustainability Conference by
organizing rooms, volunteers, panels, speakers, parking and other necessary tasks
• Produce Arboretum newsletter sent to over 3000 students and community members
• Design and publish informational literature including flyers and brochures
• Maintain website and assist in design
• Featured in local and regional media including the Orange County Speil, UCF News &
Information, UCF TV, UCF Today, Orlando Sentinel, East Orlando Sun, Central Florida
Future, Orlando Weekly, Central Florida Lifestyle, Rollins College 91.5 WPRK radio
Engagement
• Assist in creation of permitting system to track engagement of community in natural areas
• Continuously analyze all volunteer engagement data for accuracy and strive to increase the
rate of volunteer engagement
• Review to approve/ disapprove all tour permits and group volunteering applications,
coordinate with appropriate staff members, and make future recommendations for a higher
level of efficiency
• Developed, implemented, and maintained the volunteer database to track service hours
• Plan, implement, and coordinate various programming including Arboretum Workshop
Series, Volunteering, UCF Community Garden, Volunteer Incentives, and Nature Yoga
•• Fund-raised over $10,000 in monetary and in-kind donations from various partners (2008-
present)
•
Skills
• Plan development
• Exceptional communication abilities
• Public speaking and speech preparation
• Promotion and marketing of events and various opportunities
• Public outreach coordination and engagement

4. 4
• Creative curriculum development
• Supervising & managerial abilities
• Photography and event write-ups/ reviews/ press releases
• Budget supervision and management
• Managing timesheets and payroll data
• Inventory purchasing & organization
• Sales & fundraising
• Maintenance and improvement of databases
• Computer competency
• Research & experimental techniques
• Website content management
Certifications & Trainings
• Certified Wildland Firefighter with Florida Forest Service: I-100 Intro to ISC, S-190
Intro to Fire Behavior, S-130 Basic Wildland Firefighter, L-180 Human Factors on the fire
line, S-110 Orientation to fire suppression, Pack Test (Jan. 2014)
(http://www.floridaforestservice.com/)
• ESRI Basics of GIS
• Orange County Environmental Protection Division Environmental Management System
• UF TREEO Introduction to Surface and Groundwater Sampling
• “Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM) in the Outdoors” Conference,
presented by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection Division Plant Identification Test:
90%
• ALLY (LGBT Training)
• Diversity Training (http://www.diversity.ucf.edu)
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certified (www.redcross.org/)
• Project WILD (Aquatic WILD, Flying WILD), a wildlife-focused conservation education
program for K-12 educators and their students (http://www.projectwild.org/)
• Project Learning Tree Certified (http://www.plt.org/)
• Project WET: Water Education for Teachers (http://projectwet.org/)
• Florida Stormwater Erosion & Sediment Control Inspector Training Program
• BoatU.S. Boating Safety Course
• Beginning & Intermediate Herbalism Certifications- Scientific names, research techniques,
and complete understanding of chemical constituents for each plant species
(holisticlivingschool.org/)Languages
• English- native language
• Spanish- fluent; ability to communicate orally (high-level) and in writing (low-level)
Awards & Recognitions
• Orange County HR Passport: Path to Success Series
• Featured in the Orange County Spiel Newsletter
• Inducted as a Certified Environmental Professional In Training
• Honored as a “Woman Making History” by the UCF Center for Success
of Women Faculty
• Profiled as a “Successful Graduate Student” in the Professional Science
Master’s in Conservation Biology promotional materials
June 2015
May 2015
March 2015
Spring 2014
Spring 2014

5. 5
• Recipient of the Winter Park Garden Club Endowed Scholarship
Spring 2013
• Participation Award for State-wide Graduate Student Research
Symposium
Spring 2013
• UCF Graduate Research Forum Winner Award for Best in Life & Health
Science Category
Spring 2013
• Recipient of the Student Government Association Graduate Student
Achievers Scholarship
Spring 2013
• UCF USPS Staff Council Scholarship Recipient Fall 2010
• Recognized by the Secretary of the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection for “representing a new generation of
environmental leaders in South Florida”
Summer 2007
• Recipient of the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation Summer Internship
Program Scholarship (www.artmarshall.org/)
Summer 2007
Organizations
Florida Association or Benthologists
• FAB conducts regular meetings and workshops at which reports and
seminars on a variety of environmental, taxonomic, and biological studies
are presented. Field excursions, which allow participants to observe and
often to collect in a diverse range of freshwater and marine environments
are an important component of these meetings.
January 2015
American Board of Certified Environmental Professionals
• ABCEP is dedicated to serving the public and our profession globally by
conferring the CEP credential upon meritorious environmental
professionals found to meet exemplary standards of ethics and technical
practice.
March 2015
Florida/Central Florida Association of Environmental Professionals
• The objectives of Environmental Professionals are to conduct their
personal and professional lives and activities in an ethical manner
March 2015
Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS) Tarflower Chapter Fieldtrip
Coordinator
November
2012-
October 2014
• Specimen, data, and photo collection for FTU (UCF) and USF Herbaria yielding
experience in the permitting process and native plant identification techniques
• Write articles for the Tarpaper newsletter
• The Mission of the Florida Native Plant Society is to promote the preservation,
conservation, and restoration of the native plants and native plant communities of Florida

6. 6
League of Environmental Educators in Florida (LEEF) Member and
Regional Director
March 2009-
present
• LEEF Inc. is committed to environmentally educating Florida's citizens. LEEF provides a
network for awareness, communication and growth about Florida's natural environment
Delta Epsilon Iota Honors Fraternity Scholar
Inducted
May 2012
• Delta Epsilon Iota’s (DEI) mission is to educate members about career development,
encourage academic excellence, and promote the principles of Dedication, Enthusiasm,
and Initiative in all aspects of campus life
UCF Alumni Association Member January 2012
• Core Values include: Tradition, Excellence, Innovation, Independence, Community,
Partnership, Communication, Diversity, Education, and Volunteerism
Simple Living Institute Member Fall 2007
• Mission: To scientifically research and develop working organic farms with effective soil,
water, plant and wildlife conservation; to publish findings for the scientific and general
community; and to provide cooperative education experiences empowering individuals and
organizations as responsible stewards of their well-being and the environment.
Presentations & Community Tours
• Statewide PSM Program Director’s Meeting Panel
• Back to Nature Community Tour
• Organic Growers Meeting, H.P. Leu Gardens
June 2015
May 2014
October 2013
• Successful Graduate Student Panel at UCF New-graduate-student
Orientation UCF Student Union Pegasus Ballroom
August 2013
• Winter Park Garden Club, Interlachen Country Club May 2013
• UCF Graduate Research Forum April 2013
• State-wide Graduate Student Research Symposium April, 2013
• Orlando Wetlands Festival Guided Native Plant Hike: Wetlands Park Feb. 2013
• Florida Native Plant Society General Meeting: H.P. Leu Gardens Feb. 2013
• Behavior & the Environment-Waste: UCF Arboretum Workshop
Series
Fall 2012
• Behavior & the Environment-Food: UCF Arboretum Workshop Series Spring 2012
• Medicinal Plants: UCF Arboretum Workshop Series Spring 2012
• Endangered Species Act: Graduate Environmental Politics class Fall 2011
• Bioregionalism, Environmental Philosophy class Spring 2011
• Medicinal Plants, UCF Conservation Biology graduate class Fall 2010
• Orlando Garden Club: Native Florida Plants Spring 2010
• Agricultural Historical Society Conference: Rollins College Spring 2010
• Home & Garden Show: Orange County Convention Center Spring 2010
• Faculty Welcome Ceremony: UCF Student Union Fall 2009
• Simple Living Institute: City of Orlando’s Leu Gardens Fall 2009
• Sustainable Town Hall/ Black, Gold & Green Forum: UCF Student
Union
Spring/Fall 2009,
Spring 2010
• WPRK Rollins College Radio: Community Sustainability Conference Fall 2008

7. 7
Publications & Web Experience
• Seven (7) articles in the Florida Native Plant Society Tarpaper newsletter
• Constructed and maintain the UCF Arboretum website (http://www.arboretum.ucf.edu)
• Develop pages for the FNPS Tarflower website in conjunction with a Flickr photo gallery
(http://tarflower.fnpschapters.org/index.php?id=fieldtrips)
• Create submission for the National Wildlife Federations’ 2009 Campus Ecology Program:
Campus Sustainability Case Study (http://www.nwf.org/). This case study provides readers
with an all-encompassing guide for starting an on-campus organic community garden. It
outlines step-by-step how the UCF Community Garden came to exist in hopes to inspire
others to create their own community garden.