Annie Van Dinther

Annie Van Dinther

Guide Development Director
Expedition Leader Since: 1999
Annie's career as a naturalist began on a whale-watching vessel off Cape Cod. With degrees in biology and geology, and with her enthusiasm for teaching and understanding animal behavior...

Brad Josephs

Brad Josephs

Worldwide
Expedition Leader Since: 2005
Brad is a Nat Hab staff naturalist interpreter specializing in bear biology and ecology of the North Country. He attended the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and graduated with a B.S. in wildlife biology in...

John Mittan

John Mittan

Worldwide
Expedition Leader Since: 2005
Nat Hab Staff Naturalist John Mittan was born in South Africa, where from a young age he was introduced to the joys of the African bush. At the age of 5, he left with his family to live in Australia...

Aaron Bott

Aaron Bott

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
A Utah native, Aaron Bott was raised in an active outdoor recreation environment. Fly fishing, rock climbing and hiking across pristine backcountry nurtured an enduring love for wild country...

Abner Simeon

Abner Simeon

Namibia
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Abner Simeon, a.k.a. Abby or "Eagle Eye," was born in a northern village in Namibia and grew up in the central region. He was raised at the safari lodge where his parents worked...

Aditya Dev

Aditya Dev

India, Bhutan and Nepal
Expedition Leader Since: 2013
Aditya manages guiding operations for Nat Hab guests in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan and loves to share the entrancing natural beauty and serene culture of this small country...

Aditya Panda

Aditya Panda

India
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Aditya Panda is an award winning naturalist, wildlife conservationist and photographer from Orissa. Since his teen years, he has worked for the conservation of tiger and elephant...

Alex Mazuga

Alex Mazuga

Botswana
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Alex Mazuga is from northern Botswana. Born in a village called Mabele in Chobe, he lived a nomadic life with his family from the time he was 3 years old, traveling west along the Linyanti River...

Alexander Arias

Alexander Arias

Costa Rica
Expedition Leader Since: 2006
Originally educated as a computer scientist, Alex’s abiding love of the outdoors eventually lured him into his current vocation as a naturalist guide. For the past 12 years he has been...

Andrea Serena

Andrea Serena

Switzerland
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Andrea was born and raised in a small village in northern Italy where he spent his early childhood mostly with his grandparents, who were farmers. Surrounded by nature...

Andres Vergara

Andres Vergara

Galapagos
Expedition Leader Since: 2013
Andres Vergara was born and raised in Ecuador's capital of Quito. His grandparents, however, lived off the coast of Ecuador where Andres' love of nature and wildlife was nurtured. Andres observed...

Anne Beaulaurier

Anne Beaulaurier

Alaska and The North
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
Anne grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where she was raised by a family that took every opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. Childhood vacations were spent camping...

Anne Schuschke

Anne Schuschke

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Anne grew up close to Glacier National Park in northwest Montana. She spent summers at her family cabin, tromping through the woods and playing in creeks, keenly focused on building forts, making mud pies...

Ant Bennet

Ant Bennet

Southern Africa
Expedition leader Since: 2017
Anthony is better known as Ant. He was born and raised in South Africa, where his curiosity in nature started young with visits to wildlife reserves and northern Natal's wild coastline...

Arpita Dutta

Arpita Dutta

India
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Arpita Dutta hails from West Bengal, a state located in Eastern India on the Bay of Bengal. She has an immense love for nature and a lifelong fascination with flora and fauna...

Astrid Frisch

Astrid Frisch

Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 1999
Astrid trained as a biologist at Mexico’s National University and has been leading natural history expeditions throughout Mexico since 1991. For years, she has introduced our guests to her country’s...

Bulisani Mathe

Bulisani Mathe

Zimbabwe
Expedition Leader Since: 2020
Buli was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city and the birthplace of the Ndebele kings. He is an outdoor enthusiast, wildlife photographer and storyteller...

Cassiano (Zapa) Zaparoli

Cassiano (Zapa) Zaparoli

Brazil, Patagonia and Galapagos
Expedition Leader Since: 2010
Zapa grew up on his grandparents’ farm in the interior of Brazil, where he developed a deep love for nature and wildlife. As a teen he loved to camp and fished in the tropical forests and rivers...

Cecibel Guerrero

Cecibel Guerrero

Galapagos
Expedition Leader Since: 2015
Ecuador-born “Ceci” spent 15 years living in Toronto, Canada where she obtained her bachelor's degree in Business Administration. After attending a training by Galapagos...

Celinda Humilde

Celinda Humilde

Peru
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Celinda was born in Maras, Peru, a small community located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, approximately 25 miles north of Cusco. When she was young, her family moved to Cusco...

Chandraguptha (Wicky) Wickramasekara

Chandraguptha (Wicky) Wickramasekara

Sri Lanka
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
Born and raised in a rural village north of Sri Lanka’s capital city, Colombo, Wicky grew up near a beautiful lake and large rice fields where birds, mammals and reptiles roamed the terrain...

Cilas Mafoko

Cilas Mafoko

Botswana
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Cilas Mafoko is a naturally gifted guide with a fervent passion for the wonders of nature. Growing up in a small village, he spent much of his childhood immersed in nature while herding cattle...

Clint Schipper

Clint Schipper

East Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Australian-born Clint has had a lifelong fascination with natural history. As a 12-year-old with bird book in hand, he would head out into the Australian bush to find and identify as many birds as possible...

Colby Brokvist

Colby Brokvist

North America and the Polar Regions
Expedition Leader Since: 2006
Hailing originally from New England, Colby has an appetite for wild places. With a degree in Environmental Sciences, his passion for guiding lies in connecting people to wilderness...

Colin Boeh

Colin Boeh

Yellowstone
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Colin grew up exploring the woodlands of western Pennsylvania. Turning over rocks to see what critters are living underneath has remained one of his favorite activities since...

Conan Dumenil

Conan Dumenil

India, Bhutan and Nepal
Expedition Leader Since: 2015
Conan was born and raised in the South of India and has always been drawn to the call of the wild. While studying business and then later tourism in college, he got his first taste of the jungle and...

Court Whelan

Court Whelan

Worldwide
Expedition Leader Since: 2014
Court’s background in wildlife and conservation biology led him to pursue a joint Ph.D. in ecotourism and entomology, while simultaneously coordinating and guiding...

Daniel Behn

Daniel Behn

Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
Daniel was born in the United States and raised in Panama and Mexico by Swiss parents. His international background and varied interests enrich his expertise...

Daniel Hagaman

Daniel Hagaman

North America and Patagonia
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
During the past decade, Daniel has passed the seasons being drawn back-and-forth from the extreme opposites of the earth. Living in Alaska and Patagonia, he migrated with the sun...

Brooks Kamanakao

Brooks Kamanakao

Botswana
Expedition Leader Since: 2008
Not every guide can claim to have been born in the bush he now guides in, but Brooks can. He grew up in the small village of Motopi, on the banks of the then-flowing Boteti River, one...

Dave Luck

Dave Luck

Southern Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2001
Growing up in Zambia and spending time in the Bush, Dave developed a passion for the wilderness. Time was spent learing the ways of surviving in harsh environments, tracking animals...

David Jaffe

David Jaffe

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
David Jaffe has been guiding and teaching a variety of audiences about the natural world and our connection with it since 1991. His childhood interest in natural systems eventually brought him to...

Daniel Stavert

Daniel Stavert

The Polar Regions
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
Daniel Stavert hails from the Blue Mountains in Australia, which explains why he is drawn to the beauty of wild places, the extremes of cold and light, and an abundance of life...

Diana Lopez

Diana Lopez

Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Diana was born in Mexico and earned both her bachelor´s and master´s degrees at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where she focused in marine mammals and bio-acoustics...

Diego Iglesias

Diego Iglesias

Galapagos
Expedition Leader Since: 2020
Born and raised in the Galapagos Islands, Diego has been a full-time naturalist guide in Galapagos National Park since 2013. He has also worked as a crew member aboard...

Diogo Lucatelli

Diogo Lucatelli

Brazil
Expedition Leader Since: 2020
Diogo was born and raised in northeast Brazil, where he developed an interest and love for nature during early childhood adventures on the family's farm near Salvador da Bahia, his hometown...

Doug Gualtieri

Doug Gualtieri

The North
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Doug Gualtieri has worked as a naturalist interpretive guide for more than 20 years. He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biology and Conservation Biology at Central Michigan University. With this background...

Drew Hamilton

Drew Hamilton

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2014
Born in Alaska and raised in the wilds of Iowa, Drew spent countless hours outdoors as a youth building forts along the Iowa River and delivering an incalculable number of newspapers...

Drew McCarthy

Drew McCarthy

North America and Greenland
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Having spent most of his life above 61 degrees north, Drew is most comfortable negotiating the adventures and challenges of life at high latitudes. He grew up in Anchorage...

Dushyant Singh

Dushyant Singh

India, Bhutan and Nepal
Expedition Leader Since: 2009
Dushyant's passion for wildlife began when he was appointed as a management trainee at Tiger Tops Lodge in Chitwan, Nepal. Within 10 months he became the naturalist/manager of Tiger Tops Karnali...

Eddy Savage

Eddy Savage

North America, China & Switzerland
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Born and raised on Vancouver Island in Sidney, British Columbia and now living in Victoria, Eddy’s passion for exploring the wild and sharing nature with others...

Eleanor Edye

Eleanor Edye

North America and Australia
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Eleanor was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Traveling with her family as a child cemented her wanderlust and drive for finding new places. Her love of exploration began early in life...

Erika Fitzgerald

Erika Fitzgerald

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Erika grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After graduating with a degree in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she was presented with an opportunity to spend a week...

Esteban Biamonte

Esteban Biamonte

Costa Rica
Expedition Leader Since: 2004
Esteban Biamonte’s aim in life is nature preservation. Literally since his early youth he has been a nature lover, especially when it comes to birds. Nature was his passion long...

Fermin Tzib

Fermin Tzib

Belize
Expedition Leader Since: 2009
Fermin Tzib is a Belizean of Mayan descent who has been guiding natural history groups throughout Belize for many years. After completing his education in Belize, and furthering his education...

Fernando Romo

Fernando Romo

Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 2006
Born and raised in Mexico City, Fernando moved to Puerto Vallarta in 1999 to study marine biology and pursue his love of nature. During his studies he collaborated in different research projects...

Fiona Galbraith

Fiona Galbraith

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Growing up downtown Toronto, Fiona would use any opportunity to escape into nature. Her yearning for the outdoors ultimately led to a career divided between naturalist guiding and climate change work...

Francis Casapino

Francis Casapino

Peru
Expedition Leader Since: 2002
Born in Urubamba, Peru’s Sacred Valley, Francis has had personal contact with Andean highland communities and cultures throughout his life. Francis is passionate about Andean anthropological studies...

Francis Kudumo

Francis Kudumo

Botswana
Expedition Leader Since: 2009
Francis had an idyllic boyhood: born and raised in the Okavango Delta, he fished from a dugout canoe and camped on islands around open campfires. At night his father would tell stories about...

Fred Ackerman

Fred Ackerman

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
From a young age, Fred sought out knowledge of wild things through books, television specials and rolling around in the dirt. Fred never missed a ranger talk as a child, and he’s now leading...

Fred Tavares

Fred Tavares

Brazil
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Fred Tavares has completed extensive study in biology, the primates of southeastern Brazil and the ecology of the Pantanal region, and holds a degree from Izabela Hendrix University...

Giancarlo Toti

Giancarlo Toti

Galapagos
Expedition Leader Since: 2009
Giancarlo was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where he attended both primary and secondary school at the American School of Guayaquil. He studied industrial engineering at the Polytechnic Institute...

Guillermo Knell

Guillermo Knell

Amazon
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Guillermo got his start as a naturalist guide leading nighttime forest walks in the Amazon. His interpretive and leadership skills expanded to include designing activities for Amazonian ecolodges...

Harsha Jayaramaiah

Harsha Jayaramaiah

India, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Borneo
Expedition Leader Since: 2012
Growing up in the city of Bangalore, India, Harsha had the invaluable opportunity of learning about animals rather intimately due to his involvement with a local animal rescue center. He treated, cared for...

Heather Chrystie

Heather Chrystie

North America and Iceland
Expedition Leader Since: 2015
Heather seeks to foster positivity in everyone who travels with her and aims to send guests home feeling awed, inspired and with a greater understanding of the intricacies of the natural world...

Helder Brandao

Helder Brandao

Brazil and Patagonia
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Helder developed a passion for nature early in life. After earning a biology degree from the University of São Paulo, his fascination with the wild lured him to the Pantanal...

Hollie Galloway

Hollie Galloway

North America & England
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
As a child growing up in rural England, Hollie could be found in any weather exploring the countryside with her horses. These years developed a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors and fostered her...

Ian Crookston

Ian Crookston

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Ian began guiding early in life, and has been safely escorting guests through the backcountry of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks since he was 15 years old. He was born and raised in the Rocky Mountains...

Ian Strachan

Ian Strachan

North America
 Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Ian has been guiding expeditions since graduating from college, and he uses his knowledge of the natural world from pole to pole to enrich the experience of his guests. Born in Mid Coast Maine...

Isaac Rotich

Isaac Rotich

East Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
Isaac is a world-class naturalist and fantastically enthusiastic guide—one of only a few gold-certified guides in Kenya. His career in the bush started with...

Jackie Weston

Jackie Weston

North America & Iceland
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
With a master's degree in physiology and a never-ending curiosity about the world around her, Jackie has a love of nature and the outdoors that has carried her through many challenging...

Jake Richards

Jake Richards

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Jake grew up in a log cabin in the forests of Vermont. After graduating from Castleton University with a bachelor's degree in History, he spent nine years in manufacturing as a forklift driver. During that time, he went back to school...

James Beissel

James Beissel

Yellowstone
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Born and raised in Michigan, Jim developed a fascination with the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem while guiding rock climbing trips in Wyoming. It grew as he completed his bachelor’s degree in Earth Science...

Jim Phillips

Jim Phillips

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
For as long as he can remember, Jim has been driven by wanderlust, beginning with exploring the forests of the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee and discovering the wonders of many U.S. national parks with his parents...

Jean Lawrence

Jean Lawrence

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
After earning a bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga University, Jean pursued a career that reflected her love of the natural world. She worked as an interpretive ranger at Grand Teton National Park...

Jeremia Mwapopi

Jeremia Mwapopi

Namibia
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Jeremia was born in the far northern reaches of Namibia in a region known as Owamboland. As a young boy, his daily chores were herding cattle and goats, cultivating millet crops...

Jeremy Covert

Jeremy Covert

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Jeremy, who was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, became enamored with nature at a young age thanks to the woods near his house on the banks of the Ohio River...

Jessica Morgan

Jessica Morgan

U.S. National Parks
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Spending the majority of her life in the Sonoran Desert, Jessica has developed a deep interest in the way plants and animals adapt to their environments, especially in arid settings, and it’s an...

Jimmy Limbo

Jimmy Limbo

Namibia
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
Jimmy was born and raised in Namibia. Growing up in the small village of Mambali in the Caprivi region, he spent much of his time as a young boy in the bush...

Jimmy Tosso

Jimmy Tosso

Costa Rica
Expedition Leader Since: 1998
Although Jimmy has participated in and led many classroom programs designed to educate guides about the natural history of Costa Rica, his true love is in the field—Costa Rica’s rain forest...

Joanna Fonkert

Joanna Fonkert

Alaska
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Growing up in New England, Joanna was exposed to the Northeast’s mountains, lakes and oceans at an early age. Though she is clearly an extrovert and loves people, her first love was wildlife...

Joe Charleson

Joe Charleson

Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2012
Along with his wife, Gillian, Joe Charleson manages various safari operations for Nat Hab from Kenya, where he divides his time between Nairobi and the bush, when he's out on safari...

Joseline Cardoso

Joseline Cardoso

Galapagos and Mexico
Expedition Leader since: 2005
As an Expedition Leader, Josy's desire is to share her passion for the islands with her guests and to impart an appreciation for their natural environment and wild inhabitants...

Judy McKenzie

Judy McKenzie

New Zealand and Australia
Expedition Leader Since: 2015
A professional guide since 1996, Judy has an extensive background in many facets of New Zealand's travel industry. She leads groups throughout the country, and she has worked with families...

Judy Wilson

Judy Wilson

North America
Expedition Leader since: 2018
Judy is curious by nature, a trait that has taken her down roads less traveled and rewarded her with interesting people and unique experiences, always with camera in hand. Born a city girl, Judy quickly realized her love of the outdoors and wide-open spaces...

Julio Madriz

Julio Madriz

Costa Rica
Expedition Leader Since: 2010
It’s no wonder Julio Madriz Nuñez loves the land: he was raised on it. Born into a farming family in rural Costa Rica, Julio spent his childhood developing a natural understanding of Costa Rica’s...

Justin Gibson

Justin Gibson

Worldwide
Expedition Leader Since: 2011
At the age of eight, Justin saw his first wild bear. Decades later, his infatuation with all things ursine continues to grow. While attending the University of Alaska, Anchorage, he spent...

Karel Beets

Karel Beets

Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 1999
Karel’s lifelong love of nature and the outdoors lead him to a career as a naturalist and conservationist in 1991. He is a co-founder and past president of the Mexican Association of Ecotourism...

Kari Nielsen

Kari Nielsen

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Kari Nielsen grew up between Montana's Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems, where she spent a feral childhood exploring creeks, fields, forests, mountains and lakes...

Katherine Schake

Katherine Schake

Iceland
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Growing up in Minnesota, Katherine fell in love with black spruce and sphagnum moss at an early age. Exposure to the southern extent of the boreal forest cultivated Katherine's deep curiosity about...

Kim Clune

Kim Clune

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Kim grew up in western New York where she was fascinated by the shores of Lake Erie. With her hair often combed by hemlock needles, she’d poke her tiny fingers into water-carved shale...

Kristina Disney

Kristina Disney

Churchill
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Growing up as the youngest of four on a farm in southern Saskatchewan, Kristina had a rough and tumble childhood of riding horses, wrestling calves and building barbed-wire fence...

Kurt Johnson

Kurt Johnson

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2014
Kurt Johnson is a naturalist, author and photographer with a passion for the natural world and ecotourism. He grew up in both the urban setting of northern Virginia and the remote Adirondack...

Laura Geissinger

Laura Geissinger

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Laura has always loved nature. She was born in Alaska, and as a child, her family spent time outside boating, berry-picking and enjoying having cookouts on the beach...

Lazarus Moalosi

Lazarus Moalosi

Botswana
Expedition Leader Since: 2014
Lazarus — "Lazi"— was born and raised in Bobonong village in Botswana. During weekends and school holidays he helped his parents on a farm along the Limpopo River...

Leah Okin

Leah Okin

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2003
Leah was born in England and began a life of adventure at an early age. After living in many remote areas, she now calls Alaska her home. Working as a guide, naturalist and...

Leah Pengelly

Leah Pengelly

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Growing up in the Canadian Rockies, Leah found her passion for exploring the outdoors early on, spending much of her childhood backpacking, skiing, horseback riding and canoeing...

Lemme Gust

Lemme Gust

Southern Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
Lemme Guest was born in the small southwest Botswana village of Ncojane and raised in Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta. He spent school holidays in the bush...

Leo Garrigues

Leo Garrigues

Costa Rica
Expedition Leader Since: 2015
A birder since the age of six, Leonardo Garrigues has been accumulating natural history knowledge and experience all his life. In addition to studying biology and forest engineering...

Lets Kamogelo

Lets Kamogelo

Southern Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
Letsogile “Lets” Kamogelo was born and raised in eastern Botswana’s Tuli Block, an area so dominated by nature that it molded him early into an ardent naturalist and conservationist...

Lianne Thompson

Lianne Thompson

North America & Europe
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Lianne was born in England, but has spent most of her life in Canada. She grew up in southern Ontario, where her love for nature started early. While obtaining her undergraduate zoology degree...

Lilia Gonzalez

Lilia Gonzalez

Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Lilia was born and raised in Mexico City. Even as a young child, she showed a keen interest in the ocean and its creatures, especially whales and dolphins. Her passion continued into young adulthood...

Linda Himelbloom

Linda Himelbloom

Alaska
Expedition Leader Since: 2010
Linda loves Alaska! She moved to the 49th state to work as a geologist after living initially in Canada, then into naturalist guide work with Nat Hab after she relocated to Kodiak Island, where...

Lindsey Nielsen

Lindsey Nielsen

North America, Mexico & Norway
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Born to a pair of ski bums in Montana, Lindsey says her earliest memories were of being toted around in a backpack as her parents carved fresh tracks in the snow...

Liz Gifford

Liz Gifford

The North
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
Liz is a wilderness guide and photography instructor in some of the most remote parts of the world. With her undergraduate degree in cultural anthropology and her master’s in teaching...

Lorraine Doyle

Lorraine Doyle

Southern Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Lorraine was born and raised in Zimbabwe. As a teenager, visits to Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park, Lake Kariba and Great Zimbabwe fostered her passion for the natural world...

Luis Lobos

Luis Lobos

Belize
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Luis was born in the riverside town of San Ignacio, Belize. From a young age, he pursued adventurous endeavors that immersed him in nature near his beautiful hometown...

Marco Fallas

Marco Fallas

Costa Rica
Expedition Leader Since: 1997
Born and raised in Costa Rica, Marco has small-group explorations through all regions of his country. His research focus is birds and plants, and he has often participated in bird studies...

Mark Jordahl

Mark Jordahl

Uganda and Madagascar
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Mark’s love affair with Africa started in 2004, when he was mid-way through a master’s program in conservation education and he moved to Uganda. The move spurred him to shift his research focus...

Marlo Shaw

Marlo Shaw

The North
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
As a child, Marlo spent her summers in northwest British Columbia. It was during these formative years that she first became acquainted with the flora and fauna of the coastal temperate rain forest...

Matt Meyer

Matt Meyer

Southern Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
Matt was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and grew up between Durban and his family's game reserve. His passion for the outdoors and wildlife developed young, while his family would vacation at their private game reserve in northern Zululand...

Matt Turner

Matt Turner

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
From an early age Matt has been fascinated with the natural world. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and having lived in the Bay Area for much of his childhood, he made a life-changing decision... 

Melissa Silva

Melissa Silva

Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 2015
Melissa Silva is a Marine Biologist who has been guiding in México for the last 3 years, sharing her passion for wildlife and conservation with guests from around the world...

Meredith Fontana

Meredith Fontana

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Meredith is a paleontologist and outdoor educator with a lifelong passion and deep fascination for natural history, geology and prehistoric life. She grew up dreaming about outdoor adventure...

Mike Hillman

Mike Hillman

North America & Greenland
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Mike grew up in the North Woods of Michigan and spent his early years learning all he could about the natural world. As an Eagle Scout, he led groups through the wilds while identifying plants and...

Miranda Unger

Miranda Unger

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Miranda’s interests in marine life and ecosystems were sparked visiting the intertidal zones on the east coast of North America...

Moira Le Patourel

Moira Le Patourel

North America, the Polar Regions and China
Expedition Leader Since: 2014
Moira began working with Natural Habitat Adventures in Churchill, Manitoba in 2014, building on her role in the Canadian outdoor tourism industry as an adventure guide and naturalist...

Monika Mikulec

Monika Mikulec

Croatia
Expedition Leader Since: 2010
Born and raised in Croatia, athletic Monika has always been a lover of the outdoors. After working in the corporate world for five years, her deep passion for travel and photography took over...

Nancy Moore

Nancy Moore

Portugal
Expedition Leader Since: 2004
Nancy’s appetite for adventure was fed at a very young age by her grandmother who would orchestrate weekend drives into the New England countryside and announce, much to Nancy’s delight...

Noel Thompson

Noel Thompson

Belize
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Noel was born and raised in western Belize, where he still resides in the village of Cristo Rey. Coming from a mixed ethnic background, Noel is fluent in three languages...

Ollie Porote

Ollie Porote

Botswana
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Olebogile (known as Ollie) Porote was born and raised in Maun, Botswana. He comes from a long line of subsistence farmers, and his passion for and appreciation of nature and wildlife dates back to...

Ona Basimane

Ona Basimane

Southern Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2015
Ona was born and raised in Maun, Botswana. His passion for the natural world started at a young age when he had opportunities to visit the Moremi Game Reserve as well as several trips...

Patricia Valdespino

Patricia Valdespino

Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 2004
Patricia was born and raised in Mexico City, but has spent the majority of her life in the great outdoors. She graduated from the National University of Mexico with a B.S. in biology where she...

Paul Kirui

Paul Kirui

East Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
One of Kenya’s most distinguished safari guides, Paul was born on the northern outskirts of the Maasai Mara game reserve. He grew up herding cattle on the savannas, where he grew to know...

Payal Mehta

Payal Mehta

India, Bhutan and Nepal
Expedition Leader Since: 2013
Payal’s life journey has taken her from a typical urban childhood in Mumbai to a career as a naturalist guide. Though she grew up in one of India’s largest metropolises, Payal loved the outdoors...

Pietro Luraschi

Pietro Luraschi

East Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2015
Pietro was born in Milan, Italy in 1975 and later trained as a civil engineer there. His passion for Africa inspired him to first experience the continent as a volunteer in the Tarangire Lion Project...

Rachel Sullivan-Lord

Rachel Sullivan-Lord

Alaska & The North
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Hailing from the coast of New England, Rachel grew up with a passion for the ocean and the creatures that live beneath the water’s surface, leading her to become a marine ecologist.

Ramani Jayewardene

Ramani Jayewardene

Sri Lanka & Switzerland
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Born and raised in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Ramani lives and breathes nature and has been involved with wildlife professionally for more than two decades...

Rashid Ali

Rashid Ali

India
Expedition Leader Since: 2012
Rashid’s passions are natural history and wildlife conservation. As a child growing up in a family of naturalists, Rashid developed a keen interest in the natural world as the family visited...

Renzo Zeppilli

Renzo Zeppilli

Amazon and Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 2014
From an early age, Renzo developed a deep love for the natural side of his native Peru, which he enjoys sharing with Nat Hab guests as an Expedition Leader on our Amazon River voyages...

Richard Avilino

Richard Avilino

Botswana
Expedition Leader Since: 2006
As a boy growing up in Maun, Botswana, Richard Avilino would sit in his grandfather’s field and watch the bushbucks play on the other side of the Thamalakane River. Those quiet...

Richard de Gouveia

Richard de Gouveia

Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2015
Richard started out his career as an environmental consultant, conducting environmental impact assessments for various companies. He had always been drawn to the bush and eventually...

Rinie Van Meurs

Rinie Van Meurs

The North
Expedition Leader Since: 2003
Born in the Netherlands, Rinie has been a keen naturalist his entire life. He received his formal education in forestry and civil engineering and then set out to travel the world in search of wildlife...

Rob Norton

Rob Norton

The North
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Rob was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario where he spent his youth exploring the forests, lakes and rivers of the Ottawa Valley and Gatineau Hills. It was here at a young age that he first discovered...

Robert Weeden

Robert Weeden

The North
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Robert was born into a family of professional biologists in Fairbanks, Alaska. His early summers were spent at Eagle Summit in the White Mountains, where his father studied ptarmigan for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game...

Rosa Alegria Gonzales

Rosa Alegria Gonzales

Peru
Expedition Leader Since: 1997
Rosa was born and raised in Peru. She is a native Quechuan, and is extremely proud of the diverse flora and fauna, as well as the cultures, of her native country. Rosa has been a guide...

Roy Valverde

Roy Valverde

Costa Rica
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
Roy is a passionate nature interpreter and bird-watcher, having worked as a certified professional naturalist guide for over a decade. A committed advocate for the protection of...

Russell Gerber

Russell Gerber

Southern Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Born and raised in South Africa's Eastern Cape, Russell has a deep passion for the conservation of Africa’s environmental and cultural diversity. He earned his undergraduate degree...

Sabine Moll

Sabine Moll

Europe
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Born and raised right in the middle of the Alps, Sabine grew up in the woods and mountains of southern Germany. She spent most of her childhood outside and in the forest, often all day long...

Sam Anthony

Sam Anthony

The North
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Samuel was born and raised in Winnipeg, where the great Canadian wilderness was his playground. He grew up spending weeks camping and canoeing across the boreal forest each summer...

Sam Mushandu

Sam Mushandu

Zimbabwe
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
One of southern Africa's top safari guides, Sam Mushandu was born and raised in southeast Zimbabwe. Growing up in a rural village surrounded by wild country gave him a great appreciation...

Samantha McNearney

Samantha McNearney

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
As a child, Samantha loved being outside and watching wildlife. Seeing living things in nature thrilled her and ultimately inspired her to earn a biology degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks...

Santiago Moran

Santiago Moran

Galapagos
Expedition Leader Since: 2015
Santiago arrived on the island of Santa Cruz as a boy of 7. His first memory is the view of Academy Bay as he descended the dirt road from the lush highlands of Santa Rosa...

Sean Beckett

Sean Beckett

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2013
Years ago, somewhere in Costa Rica’s rainforest, a teenage Sean was awoken by his guide from a peaceful slumber in an airy bungalow and shuffled into...

Seth Adams

Seth Adams

Alaska
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Seth was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, and happily still calls it home. He had an interest in science from an early age, but in his teens his passion for science...

Shawn Eggleston

Shawn Eggleston

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Shawn grew up playing in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Led by his father, he was inspired to explore the wilderness from a young age, which led to a deep appreciation for the land and wildlife...

Sheri Saari

Sheri Saari

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2014
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Sheri tagged along on family hiking outings in the Columbia River Gorge where she forged a deep connection to wilderness...

Sierra Zacks

Sierra Zacks

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Sierra Zacks grew up along the entrance road to Joshua Tree National Park, where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet in southeastern California. She spent her early years hiking, rock climbing and horseback riding in the park...

Simon McLaughlin

Simon McLaughlin

Scotland
Expedition Leader Since: 2020
Simon was born in the U.K. and traveled among various military camps throughout his early years, while his father served in the first battalion Royal Scots. He discovered a passion for wildlife...

Simon Stobbs

Simon Stobbs

Southern Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2007
After completing a post-graduate degree in psychology, Simon was stuck behind a computer, working in human resources for two rather painful years. Thankfully, he decided that it was time to follow...

Sofia Merino

Sofia Merino

Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 2018
Ana Sofia Merino was born in the metropolis of Guadalajara but raised in one of Mexico's smallest communities, Zacatecas. She comes from an adventurous family that loves traveling and being close.....

Sophie Mazowita

Sophie Mazowita

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Sophie's childhood was split between the capital cities of Canada and Australia, but she felt most at home exploring the lakes and woods near her grandmother's home in the Ottawa... 

Surya Ramachandran

Surya Ramachandran

India
Expedition Leader Since: 2017
Surya hails from the South India city of Chennai. While his academic background and formal training are in engineering, the call of the wild was stronger...

Tadeu de Oliveira

Tadeu de Oliveira

Brazil
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Tadeu de Oliveira—"Tadeu"—got his start in the travel industry as a flight attendant. Realizing after four years that he was drawn more to wild nature...

Teresa Whipple

Teresa Whipple

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2015
Teresa is thrilled that her passions have become a career built upon sharing an untamed world with other nature enthusiasts who agree that the wilderness deserves reverence and dedicated preservation...

Thuto Moutloatse

Thuto Moutloatse

Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2007
Named "Best Safari Guide on the Planet" in Outside magazine’s 2014 Travel Awards, Thuto Moutloatse had the privilege of growing up in the superb wildlife areas of Botswana, where his father...

Toby Sinclair

Toby Sinclair

India, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka
Expedition Leader Since: 2007
A London-born Scot, Toby first drove out to India in 1974 and by late 1975 he joined the Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in Nepal’s Royal Chitwan National Park. In April 1977 he moved to Delhi and helped establish...

Veronica Maruri

Veronica Maruri

Galapagos
Expedition Leader Since: 2011
Veronica was born and raised in Guayaquil, on the Ecuadorian coast. When she was 12 years old, she spent a year in Massachusetts giving her the opportunity to learn English...

Wendy Redal

Wendy Redal

Alaska
Expedition Leader Since: 2019
Born and raised near Seattle, Wendy grew up exploring Puget Sound at her doorstep, the Cascade Mountains behind her, and British Columbia to the north. She isn’t exactly sure when Alaska first took hold of her heart...

Wilfredo Huillca Gamarra

Wilfredo Huillca Gamarra

Peru
Expedition Leader Since: 2016
Wilfredo was born in Cusco, Peru. He grew up with a passion for nature and an unending curiosity. In the Peruvian countryside, he fell in love with his surroundings and soaked up information...

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