We are delighted to introduce our two new paleontology leaders, Courtney Richards and Dr. Joe El Adli, who joined HELIX Environmental Planning as part of the recently announced acquisition of Bargas Environmental Consulting. We’re thrilled to welcome Courtney and Joe to the HELIX team!

Courtney Richards, Paleontology Discipline Leader

Serving as HELX’s Paleontology Discipline Leader, Courtney is responsible for promoting, expanding, and integrating HELIX’s paleontological services across California and the western U.S. Working closely with the entire HELIX team, Courtney ensures projects are supported with the highest level of technical expertise and regulatory compliance, while also developing new opportunities and partnerships. She brings more than 21 years of paleontological experience to HELIX, including 12 years providing paleontological mitigation support on hundreds of projects throughout California and the western U.S. in accordance with federal and state regulations and project-specific requirements of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and other lead agencies.

Courtney’s experience encompasses all project phases, from initial planning through construction completion. She has authored Paleontological Mitigation and Monitoring Plans, Paleontological Resource Inventory Reports, Paleontological Resources Impact Evaluation Reports, paleontological sections of Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements, and Paleontological Monitoring Reports. She also has extensive research, field, and laboratory experience including pre-construction surveys; paleontological monitoring; fossil documentation, evaluation, and salvage; and fossil preparation, identification, analyses, and curation. Courtney offers expertise in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), BLM and USFS guidelines, best practices in mitigation paleontology, and other various federal, state, and local regulations governing paleontological resources.

Joe El Adli, Ph.D., Principal Paleontologist

Dr. Joseph El Adli is a Principal Paleontologist and helps manage and support HELIX’s paleontology team, ensuring staff are trained and equipped to deliver high-quality work. Joe plays a key role in coordinating day-to-day paleontological services while maintaining a strong emphasis on technical and scientific excellence. He has more than 18 years of experience in geological and paleontological fieldwork, laboratory, research, and mitigation, including geologic mapping; paleontological surveys; preparation of paleontological evaluation and impact reports, monitoring and treatment plans, and monitoring reports; fossil salvage, preparation, and museum curation; and collections management.

Joe’s contributions to the paleontological scientific community cover a wide range of topics such as systematics, functional morphology, and life history analysis, with a focus on cetaceans (whales) and proboscideans (elephants and their relatives). Appointments at the San Diego Natural History Museum – Department of Paleontology, Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan, and California paleontological consulting firms have provided him with a deep understanding of best practices for the treatment and mitigation of paleontological resources from initial documentation and evaluation to final museum curation. Joe has extensive experience working with local, state, and federal agencies throughout the U.S. and has been issued federal paleontology permits in California, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.

Please join us in celebrating these wonderful additions to HELIX!

For More Information
HELIX Environmental Planning offers a full range of paleontological services across California and the western U.S. To discuss your project, you can email Courtney at CourtneyR@helixepi.com and Joe at JosephE@helixepi.com or call 619.462.1515.