Annelies earned a double M.Sc. in Biology and Education in 2005 and 2006 at Wageningen and Utrecht University, respectively. Starting as a high school Biology teacher, she quickly changed to a job in Environmental Education. She has been working on various successful education projects in The Netherlands, in the rainforest in Bolivia, and the last 4.5 years in coastal communities in the Philippines. To be able to connect children with their own (marine) environment is the drive behind her work.