Our Earthologists
Earthology Consulting Services, LLC was founded in 2015 by Raj Kamthe to tackle some of today’s most challenging environmental issues and to plan for the impacts of climate change. She believes that environmental awareness is the key to human persistence and necessary for the restoration of our ecosphere. As such, she has also founded a non-profit corporation for research grants, internships, wildlife rescue centers, land and conservation projects, and other topics geared towards awareness of our environment, its condition, and what we can do as individuals to leave behind a planet for many more generations to come.
Earthology's team is comprised of highly qualified individuals, most of whom have a postgraduate degree and offer more than fifteen (15) years of experience in their individual fields. Many have written peer-reviewed or technical publications and have managed ecological services contracts or programs. All of our team members were previous employees of state or federal government agencies.
​
Below are our lead members.
Prajakta "Raj" Kamthe
President
Raj is an experienced Project Manager and Senior Environmental Scientist. While at the South Florida Water Management District, she managed all environmental and GIS work orders for Everglades Restoration’s Acceler8 Program. She has over 17 years of experience with ecological field data collection, environmental permitting and compliance, monitoring and reporting, and inter-agency coordination with the state and federal fish and wildlife agencies.
Samantha L. Burns
Senior Scientist
Samantha Burns is a result driven professional with 22 years of experience in regulation at the federal, state and local levels. A skilled collaborator with a proven track record of building positive relationships to increase transparency and manageable expectations. An expert in NEPA and federal regulation, leadership, clear and transparent communication, conflict resolution, and customer service. She has extensive experience in executing environmental permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for agencies such as Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and internal collaboration with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Planning Division.
Steve Schubert
Biological Programs Manager
Steve has over 30 years of experience in the biological sciences and worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Florida, consulting on complex federal restoration projects such as the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. He also has conducted aquatic surveys to determine the level of ecological impairment of surface waters within southeast Pennsylvania.
Bijaya "BJ" Kattel
Natural Resources Manager
BJ has more than 40 years of natural resource management experience and has completed plans and budgets for a variety of projects including capital projects, habitat conservation, and resource utilization for the State of Florida. He has extensive experience in inter and intra-agency coordination, consensus building, and finding amicable solutions to contentious issues. He also has decades of experience working for the Government of Nepal as a National Park superintendent and conservation policy maker.
Dave Colangelo
Senior Program Manager
Dave manages all aspects the South Florida Water Management District’s Resiliency Grant program. He has over 22 years of experience managing environmental restoration projects such as the Kissimmee River Restoration Project and Broward County Water Preserve Areas Project. He also has real estate experience, creating acquisition cost-share credit packages and negotiating State land leases in Florida.