Jen Kampmann
Jen spent most of her childhood in the southern U.S. and later moved to Utah. She flew to California each summer to visit her aunt, who exposed her to a previously unknown world full of hiking, camping and birding. These annual trips to the American West ended up being the spark that ignited an unrelenting curiosity and deep admiration for the natural world. Not long after graduating from high school, Jen enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served six years as a crew member aboard large C-130 aircraft. This allowed her to see parts of the world she might never have seen otherwise. Her stint in the military taught her how to be a leader and perform efficiently under stress, while instilling the importance of acute attention to detail. After completing her military commitment, Jen earned a bachelor’s in wildlife ecology and management from Utah State University. After receiving her degree, Jen spent several years working and volunteering in the wildlife biology field. She was employed as a wildlife technician for the National Forest Service in Oregon and Utah and for the National Park Service in Colorado, pursuing research on various federally threatened, endangered and sensitive species such as the peregrine falcon, white-headed woodpecker and northern goshawk. Jen also contributed to several undergraduate- and graduate-level research projects. These included analyzing the occupancy of mountain lions in northern Utah, trapping and banding migratory raptors in Nevada, detecting and identifying bat species in Grand Teton National Park, and determining the predators of invasive coqui frogs on the Big Island of Hawaii. Working in the field taught her how to ask important ecological questions and the process of discovering the answers.
Although she was studying exciting topics and working with fascinating species, Jen knew something was missing. She yearned for human connection. Her work required long, lonesome mornings in the field and even longer afternoons sitting at a desk, staring at a computer screen. She desired to share her knowledge and passion with other like-minded individuals. It was this missing piece that led to her career transition as a naturalist guide. Jen’s first experience as a trip leader was in college for her university’s outdoor program. She enjoyed helping design and lead adventures for her fellow students across Utah and in southern Idaho and Wyoming. Since then, Jen has expanded her guiding prowess to Alaska where she has led hiking and sea kayaking expeditions in Kenai Fjords National Park, glacier trekking and flightseeing in Kachemak Bay State Park, and brown bear viewing excursions in Katmai and Lake Clark national parks. She is excited to bring her passion, cumulative experience and knowledge to her role as a Nat Hab Expedition Leader.
When she’s not guiding, Jen enjoys traveling with her husband to seek out threatened species and explore the fragile ecosystems in which they reside. Her other favorite pastimes include photography, exercise and healthful living, reading and birding. While Jen and her husband are both constantly on the move, often living out of a suitcase, they consider home to be Riverside, Connecticut.
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