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The difference between a good trip and a great one is often down to the guide—and Nat Hab Expedition Leaders are truly the best!

If you’ve traveled with us, you know your Expedition Leader often makes the difference between a gratifying trip and a truly outstanding adventure. Simply put, the guides who lead our trips are the best in the business. Painstakingly selected, these highly trained professionals bring a set of traits that foster a superlative travel experience. They are passionate about the places they share with their guests, with an irrepressible enthusiasm that can’t help but inspire those who travel with them. As naturalists, biologists and environmental educators, their knowledge deeply enriches our guests' experience. They receive in-depth training plus exclusive resources from World Wildlife Fund's team of scientists. While many of them hold master’s or doctorate degrees, they are chosen for their good nature as well as their good grades. Many of our guests are global travel veterans, sophisticated and independent—but they choose to go with us because of the consistent top-quality leadership on our trips. In the realm of nature travel, great guides set us apart.

Repeater Layout : guide

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Bell-Johnson

U.S. National Parks & Alaska
Expedition Leader Since: 2023
Alex grew up in Colorado, where he spent his youth climbing and biking across the front range. Summer was always his favorite time when he would attend the Thorne Nature Institute, a summer camp that...

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...

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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...

Alexandre Bilodeau Desbiens

Canada
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Alexandre grew up in Southern Quebec, where his parents took him on wilderness excursions at every opportunity. As a child, he was often found in hiking boots, holding a kayak paddle...

Amy Loewen

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Amy has a fascination with world cultures and a boundless enthusiasm for the natural world. After studying anthropology and music at the University of Toronto, Amy’s wanderlust drew her to Japan, where she...

Andrea Adame Fernandez

Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Andrea Adame was born in Tampico, Mexico, in 1991. She grew up going on nature adventures with her family, exploring waterfalls, learning to scuba dive and hiking in the jungle. In 2012, she attended...

Andrea Reynolds

Worldwide
Expedition Leader Since: 1994
Andrea caught the travel bug at an early age, having grown up in such diverse places such as Japan, New Zealand, and New Jersey. After earning a degree from the University of Denver, she went on...

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

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...

Anouk N‘Guyen van Chinh

Switzerland
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
In addition to work as a naturalist guide for Nat Hab, Anouk is an interdisciplinary environmental scientist with a background in sustainable development, ecology, economics, and...

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...

Anthony Amsel

Canada
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Born in the heart of Montreal, Anthony was raised in the concrete jungle until he was able to fly on his own. He spent his childhood summers escaping the city, thriving in the woods and lakes of...

Anthony Mallinson

Canada
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
As an avid sea kayaker, mountaineer and wilderness guide, Anthony is intimately familiar with the life-changing potential of wilderness experiences. Growing up near Vancouver, the mountains...

Arpita Dutta

India, Nepal and Bhutan
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...

Arthur Kampmann

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Originally from Connecticut, Arthur spent his childhood summers in the mountains of New Hampshire and boating along Maine’s rugged coast. He often accompanied his...

Ashwin HP

Asia
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Ashwin was born and raised in the Indian city of Mysore, surrounded by forests in every direction, which he often forayed into in search of wildlife. Though he gained a master's degree in sociology, his true...

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...

Brooks Kamanakao

Southern Africa
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...

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...

Carlos Carrion

Galapagos
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Although Carlos was born in Quito, he is connected to the Galapagos through his ancestors, who arrived on the islands in the late 1950s. He attended school in Quito...

Casey Andrews

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2023
Casey's love of nature began at a young age while surfing on the beaches of Southern California. He loved observing the constant change of the ocean and becoming a part of that landscape...

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

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

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

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...

Charles Reinersten

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Charles grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a forested region bordering the Great Lakes. While exploring the woods and waters of the Midwest, he fell in...

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...

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...

Colby McElrath

U.S. National Parks
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Colby is a zoologist and life coach who takes great pride in living an extraordinary life. Colby grew up in Southern California and stuck around just long enough to get an...

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

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...

Corbin Hawkins

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2015
A Rocky Mountain native, Corbin grew up in Breckenridge, Colorado and currently calls Jackson, Wyoming home. As a kid living in a mountain town at 9,000 feet...

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

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 Blankenheim

Portugal
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Daniel grew up in one of the largest industrial areas in Europe, the “Ruhrpott” or Ruhr in Germany. While this may seem like an unlikely place to become a nature lover...

Daniel Clarke

Canada
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Born in landlocked London, Canada, Dan eagerly relocated to British Columbia following his graduation from the University of Toronto with an honors bachelor's degree in zoology...

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...

Daniela Nieto

Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 2023
Though she was born and raised in Mexico City, Dany grew up surrounded by trees, birds and wildlife. She explored this vast city's hidden natural habitats and city parks from a young age. Fascinated while...

Daniel Sanchez

Galapagos
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Daniel was born in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. He and his brothers spent their childhood on a cattle farm in the highlands of Santa Cruz...

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...

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

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...

Derek Lynn

U.S. National Parks
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Derek hails from Roanoke County, Virginia. A land of gentle mountains, Roanoke County is home to the "Triple Crown" of the Appalachian Trail and the best mountain biking east of the Mississippi...

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

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

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

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

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

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...

Drew Nylen

Greenland
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Drew Nylen grew up in the sunny and rugged South Okanagan region of British Columbia, Canada, a landscape dominated by fire-scarred ponderosa pines and prickly pear cactus. He developed an intimate...

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

North America, China & Europe
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

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...

Emmanuel Shayo

East Africa
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Currently living in Tanzania's safari capital of Arusha, Emmanuel Shayo, known as "Promise," is originally from the village of Marangu, located near the climbing base camp for Mount Kilimanjaro...

Eric Ramirez

Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Eric is a passionate and adventurous marine biologist. He was born in México City and grew up in Morelia. Living just a few hours from the coast, Eric heard the ocean’s call when he was just a child. This prompted...

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...

Ethan Brown

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Ethan is a professional wilderness guide from Vancouver, British Columbia. Living on the west coast of Canada in the shadow of the mountains, beside the sea, has left an indelible imprint...

Faiza Mookerjee

India
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Faiza grew up in India's bustling capital city of New Delhi, although she now hails from the eastern state of West Bengal. Being the daughter of a wildlife conservationist and travel writer...

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

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

North America & Greenland
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

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

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

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

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...

Garrett Fache

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Garrett was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, dividing his time as a child between the city, his grandparents' farm in Binscarth, and the family cabin on Lake of The Woods, which is where he fell in love with the wild outdoors...

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...

Greg McCormack

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
For a New York-born boy, Greg McCormack has developed an exceptional wilderness adventure pedigree. He sprouted in the cement cracks of Brooklyn before being transplanted as a seedling...

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

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

North America and Europe
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

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...

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

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

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

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...

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...

Jeanelle Carpentier

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Growing up on a small island in Washington State, Jeanelle gained a love of nature, outdoor adventures and foreign lands at a young age. At the age of 6, she began traveling internationally...

Jen Kampmann

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Jen spent most of her childhood in the southern U.S. and later moved to Utah with her father. She flew to California each summer to visit her aunt, who exposed her to a world...

Jennifer Morrell

U.S. National Parks
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
“Do what you love; love what you do.” For Jenn, that is hiking and exploring the great outdoors and all it has to offer: beauty, intrigue, awe and inspiration. Jenn has been...

Jennifer Roberts

Canada
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Born and raised near Vancouver, British Columbia, Jennifer is a traveler, adventurer and lifelong learner. While backpacking around the world, she fell in love with wild places, new experiences...

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

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

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 Federico Solis

Galapagos
Expedition Leader Since: 2023
Jimmy was born in 1985 in Puerto Ayora, a small port town on the southern side of Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. From a young age, he ventured out on the open ocean with his father on fishing...

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

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

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...

Jocelyn McLean

Canada
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Jocelyn is a proud Manitoban and loves exploring the wonders of her home province. Winnipeg is her hometown, where hundreds of lakes are within a short drive. Jocelyn’s love for the water and the beauty...

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...

John Beye

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Growing up as the son of two teachers in southeastern Wisconsin, it didn’t take long for John to gain an appreciation for the value of both education and summer vacations...

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...

Jordan Jones

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Jordan grew up in the small village of Elmwood in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin. Exploring the Northwoods of the Midwest is where he first developed his love for the natural world. This beautiful...

Jordan Koroll

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Jordan was born and raised in a small lakeside town a few hours north of Toronto, Ontario. From an early age, he was passionate about water sports and wildlife he encountered during his family's travels...

Juan Zavaleta

Mexico
Expedition Leader Since: 2023
Juan Pablo was born and raised in Mexico City. He studied environmental science at the Michoacan University of Saint Nicholas of Hidalgo, focusing on the conservation of insects. While at school, he...

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

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...

Julia Wilkie

Canada
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Julia can recall her mother and father encouraging her to be curious about all living things. She found joy in making friends with spiders and catching tadpoles with...

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

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...

Kaden Dearing

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Growing up in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains of Northern Utah, Kaden spent his childhood running through sagebrush and sego lilies just beyond his backyard. These early experiences...

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

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...

Katrina Rosen

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2021
Katrina was born in the prairies of Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She began exploring at a young age, finding solace in the boreal forest and spending nights alone in the outdoors as a young teenager...

Kenneth Kinoti

Kenya
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Kenneth grew up on the northern slopes of Mount Kenya surrounded by the vast Laikipia Plateau and the country's northern conservation areas. In such a setting, nothing could impede his falling totally in love with nature...

Krista Gooderham

Canada
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Krista’s upbringing in the backcountry of Northern Ontario helped her develop a philosophy that outdoor experiential learning leads to growth and positive change. Her primary focus is to provide...

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

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

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

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

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

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...

Leandro Vaca

Galapagos
Expedition Leader Since: 2023
Born in Guayas Province, Guayaquil City, Leandro moved with his family to the Galapagos when he was 3 years old. His childhood placed him in the right location; the Galapagos offered...

Leigh Baker

North America
Expedition Leader Since: 2022
Leigh’s love of nature began at Jack Hanna’s Columbus Zoo in Columbus, Ohio. Holding her mother’s hand at the bald eagle exhibit, Leigh listened as her mother explained why some species...

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

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

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

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

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

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

North America & Mexico
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...