Lianne Thompson

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 at the University of Guelph, Lianne gained her first wildlife education experience as a volunteer for Wild Ontario, an organization that works with native non-releasable birds of prey. These educational programs were designed to get people get inspired by local wildlife. Since then, Lianne has worked for several zoos and conservation organizations. After graduation in Ontario, she moved to Winnipeg to work at Assiniboine Park Zoo with rescued orphaned polar bears and many other native and exotic species that serve as educational ambassadors to promote Arctic conservation.

Lianne completed a master's degree in conservation education at Miami University where her studies focused on the importance of leadership, communication and community involvement for environmental preservation. Her particular areas of interest are human-wildlife coexistence in urban settings and wildlife tourism. This inspiration drew largely from field courses where she witnessed spectacular conservation programs around the globe during her school career, including snorkeling with sea lions in Baja, searching for quetzals in Costa Rica, going on game drives to observe cheetahs in Kenya, and watching a sloth cross the road in Guyana.

Lianne currently lives in British Columbia, where you'll find her wandering fields or climbing mountains while enjoying hiking, camping and wildlife photography. Though she no longer lives in Winnipeg, she is always excited to return to Manitoba as a member of Natural Habitat Adventures' Churchill polar bear team, where she looks forward to sharing her deep knowledge about Arctic ecology and climate change.

Upcoming Adventures with Lianne:
Polar Bears of Churchill
The Cotswolds: Exploring English Nature
Iceland: Circling the Land of Fire & Ice

Praise from Nat Hab travelers:

C. Gray
“Lianne had loads of enthusiasm, and her knowledge was second to none. She made our holiday and is extremely dedicated to her job. We loved her.”

N. Ebert
“Lianne is extremely knowledgeable and professional. She did a great job of educating and involving each of us along the way. She made the trip a huge success!”

J. Holland
“Lianne went above and beyond every day to make the trip a spectacular adventure!”

S. Weinstein
“Lianne was AWESOME—energetic, enthusiastic, fun and very knowledgeable. She paid great attention to detail and was concerned about individual needs. She is one of the top guides of all the many trips we have taken.”

C. Jones
“Lianne was fantastic, knowledgeable and answered all our questions at length with a smile on her face. She was a kind, caring and thoughtful guide. She made it interesting and exciting, and there was never a dull moment. She's a true asset to Nat Hab! We'd go on a trip with her as our guide anytime, hands down.”

E. Roettig
“Lianne is an excellent guide. She is smart, funny and so full of energy and life—it was a joy watching her, and you could see she truly loves what she is doing. Lianne is very knowledgeable and gave us so much great, detailed information. I feel so blessed to have had her as my guide. I would give her a 12/10!!”

A. Shumrak
“Lianne was such a great Expedition Leader. She was bubbly, fun and a wealth of information. We all jelled as a group due to her enthusiasm. When the aurora was really dancing, she was shouting with glee! We all laughed and truly became friends. Lianne is a storyteller for sure—ask a question, and you get a 5-minute answer! We all loved this. She made sure everyone's needs were met. Lianne always had a smile on her face, so positive and real!”

C. Berger
“Lianne was an exceptional guide. She was funny, incredibly enthusiastic, very knowledgeable and really made every day an adventure. She went out of her way to make sure everyone's needs were met. I can't say enough great things about her. We want to go on another Nat Hab trip that she leads!”

M. Bauman
“Lianne was amazingly great! She is incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and fun. I would definitely love to go on another trip with her.”

R. Curcio
“Lianne was an amazing Expedition Leader. Her enthusiasm was very contagious. I was so impressed with her knowledge and expertise in all areas. She was extremely organized and made everything run so smoothly.”

D. Wells
“Lianne was an excellent Expedition Leader. She was polite at all times and treated guests with respect. Her organizational skills really shined as she made sure the trip ran seamlessly. Her attitude was always positive, and she was a true pleasure to be around.”

P. Flynn
“This was my first trip with Nat Hab, so I didn’t know what to expect. Our guide, Lianne, was excellent and is an asset to your company. She clearly set up expectations and made sure we had a great time. Nat Hab is lucky to have her.”

V. Climan
“Lianne was so much fun! She did a good job of balancing what different people wanted to do in town while also taking everyone’s needs into consideration. She was very knowledgeable, pleasant and made the trip very enjoyable.”

L. Miller
“Lianne was attentive, knowledgeable and adept at keeping our group together and on schedule. I appreciated her enthusiasm for the wildlife we were seeing and her level of knowledge. Learning from Lianne and seeing polar bears was nothing short of majestic.”

H. Kenyon
“Lianne was an excellent Expedition Leader since she spoke well and knew information on a wide variety of topics. She taught our group a lot about Churchill, Arctic culture and animals found in that region. She went out of her way to be extraordinarily friendly to everyone in our group.”