Kayla Hartwell, PhD
Research Director
I first started doing research on primates at Runaway Creek in 2008. I was recruited by two professors at the University of Calgary to start a research project on the behavior and ecology of wild spider monkeys. This became the first long-term study of spider monkeys in Belize. I fell in love with observing the wild animals in their natural environment and after years of doing research, I went on to complete my PhD. My PhD research was a study of the social, ecological, and genetic factors that influence spider monkey social dynamics at Runaway Creek Nature Reserve. Shortly after finishing school in 2017, I was hired as the research director at Runaway Creek where I also continue my study of the spider monkeys.
My favorite part about working at Runaway Creek is the unpredictability of the job. One day you could be face to face with a wild tapir or a group of peccaries, the next day you could be knee-deep in mud and discover an ancient Maya pot in a shallow cave, and then the next day you spend 8 hours following spider monkeys up and over karst hills. Runaway Creek is never boring!