Meet the founder

A photo of dillon wearing a headlamp and a large moth is on his face

Howdy! My name is Dillon Jones. I am a biologist, educator, and the founder of Learn Adventurously. Learn Adventurously aims to help you understand the world around us. This organization is directly influenced by my own personal journey.

At 16, disillusioned with the U.S. public education system and juggling long hours at my family’s pet store, I chose to drop out of high school. I knew it was time to take my education into my own hands. I immersed myself in online courses, spent countless hours at the public library, and poured through obscure internet forums to learn more about the natural world. I didn’t know it then, but this self-driven exploration at a young age profoundly shaped my professional trajectory.

photo of dillon in graduation garb speaking at a podium

In 2014, I started my Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences degree at Texas A&M University, graduating with honors. Over five years, I became President of the Texas A&M Zoological Society, President for 2 years of the Aggie Behavior Network, an inaugural member of the Academy of Undergraduate Researchers Across Texas, an Undergraduate Research Scholar, an Undergraduate Research Ambassador all the while engaged in research, focusing own my academic studies, and working several jobs. The two most impactful being the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections and the Department of Undergraduate Research. The latter I have been on staff for 8 years working to create opportunities for other undergraduate researchers.

It should come as no surprise that research is one of my greatest passions. Over the last decade I have seen my own research journey continue to evolve as I explore new interests and questions. Early work involved looking for snakes in Panama, helping Sea Turtle Biologists in Costa Rica, and acoustic monitoring for endangered Toads in Texas. In undergrad, I explored the overlap between human music and animal communication and ran herpetology surveys for an urban nature sanctuary in Houston Texas, both of which were published. However, since 2018 my research has been anchored in Belize, collaborating closely with the Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society (T.R.E.E.S.). While I’ve worked across taxonomic groups, reptiles and amphibians captivate me the most. Whether that’s tracking Mud Turtles in a dynamic river system, identifying hundreds of tadpoles by their mouth parts, or conducting general herpetological surveys, I am obsessed with these scaly and slimy critters!

photo of dillon holding a mud turtle with a radio transmitter attached

But, biology requires skills beyond just finding frogs. That’s why I intentionally chose a project with no field work for my Masters in Evolutionary Biology from San Diego State University. My goal was to hone my analytical and theoretical skillset to compliment my field experience. My research utilizes large geographic and phylogenetic datasets to infer regions of shared evolutionary history for the World’s Turtles and Mesoamerican Reptiles and Amphibians. In doing so, we highlight areas of conservation priority that contain millions of years of evolutionary history found nowhere else on the planet.

photo of dillon holding a red tailed hawk at an event. He is grabbing his head with his hand

While I love research, it is my commitment to education that has connected every part of my life. Starting back in High School, I gave presentations on reptiles and amphibians, focusing on their captive care, natural history, and taxonomic relationships. During my undergraduate, I volunteered with organizations like The Urban Interface, doing public presentations with non-releasable wildlife, and the Kashmir World Foundation, where I penned blogs on wildlife trafficking. Ultimately, it was science communication through social media that I feel in love with.

7 years ago, on a solo camping trip in West Texas I launched an Instagram account under the name Contemporary_Conservationist. From the start, the goal was to educate about Conservation and biology under a modern lens. Initially just a creative outlet, in the Winter of 2021 I completely rebranded to DillonTheBiologist. I realized that if wildlife conservation is to succeed, we need to show the human side of conservation. Under my SciComm umbrella I have made countless videos on numerous topics, produced a live streamed nature themed game show that raised money for conservation, and used my platform to be an outspoken voice for the nature space.

It was during this rebranding that Learn Adventurously launched. Initially just a blog and a discord server, we quickly expanded, hosting international BioBlitzes, running a Virtual Ecology and Evolution Conference during the COVID pandemic, and providing a central hub for nature nerds to connect. Since its inception, Learn Adventurously has evolved in a way I never thought possible. Now we offer online courses, conservation ecotours to Belize, and create free resources for biologists. I am beyond thankful for all the mentors, friends, and supporters I’ve had over the years.

If you want to get in contact for any reason, feel free to reach out using the form below. My media appearances and publications are also linked below.

Thank you, and I hope you continue to Learn Adventurously!

-D

Photo of dillon wearing swim trunks, a snorkel and a holding a small fish net

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