If you have ever called or visited River Ventures, chances are that you've spoken to Gloria. She's the soul of our shop crew and has so many responsibilities that hold this place together! Gloria joined our team six years ago and fills our days with joy and completely useless science geek information! She started as a manatee-novice, and she's grown into a real member of the community, the leader in this industry, and an invaluable part of our River Family.

Born and raised in Boston she is a diehard Bruins fan and still has a lot of families there she loves to visit. We love her accent and admit that we occasionally all imitate it! Speak to her for long and it's easy to pick up some wicked, cool lingo. When you visit, you'll meet the crew from all over... and Glo is surprised almost daily by meeting folks from her Hometown. She does miss her Boston a lot, so regularly meeting people from her old neighborhood helps to ease the pain!  She fell in love with Crystal River seven years ago when she visited and the small-town vibe & River Family almost immediately made her feel at home. This really is a special place to live, and it tends to attract special people... like Gloria! 

Glo has a degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies from the University of Massachusetts. Her background is in Entomological studies with experience in both the field and the lab. She's studied both beetles in China and air potatoes in the Keys… so we are blessed to have her here working in the manatee world! Gloria loves her days here on the water because she always sees interesting bugs & plants... her passion is in sharing those interests with others and fighting to preserve them.

She loves double chocolate ice cream, a nice glass of wine,  the color purple, and like most Scorpios, she is empathetic and deep. She works here in the shop as our Educational advisor, she also is an in-water manatee guide whenever she can, and Glo volunteers for multiple organizations. You may find her selling boat rides to raise money or educating local school kids about 'Rockstar eelgrass'... but you will never find her bored! Glo is currently on the Board of the "Manatee Eco-Tourism Association' and has stepped up around River Ventures to be a Great Leader and Mentor.

In her free time, she enjoys raising moths and butterflies (or any injured animals we find around here), bird watching, kayaking or playing her guitar, and singing. Most evenings you'll find her on a bike ride with her boyfriend, making sushi for family, or laughing with friends.  Around here we just call her Glo… Her smile brightens our days, her quick wit keeps us all on our toes and we are all proud to call her ‘friend’. You can tell she loves her work here at River Ventures, and she is an essential part of our awesome crew! We LOVE YOU GLO!