Emily Kleinburd

Interested in nature and wildlife from a young age, Emily spent her early childhood reading wildlife encyclopedias, watching nature documentaries, road tripping with her family through National Parks and begging her parents to take her birding. Originally from Bethesda, Maryland, she spent most of her time outside with friends, playing field hockey, soccer and lacrosse. She went to Gettysburg College where she studied psychology and political science, and was a member of the varsity field hockey team. Emily loved exploring Gettysburg and taking runs through the battlefields at sunrise and sunset. When the opportunity to study abroad arose, she instantly knew that she had to go to Australia; she could hardly wait for the unique wildlife, picturesque landscapes and unlimited adventure. From exploring the outback to trekking through rain forests, sailing the Whitsunday Islands to road-tripping the South Island of New Zealand, she couldn’t get enough. She returned to the States only to dream about where she would travel to next.

Emily knew she wanted to move west upon graduation, and within a month was on a plane with two suitcases, heading to Denver. She quickly fell in love with Colorado and living so close to the Rockies. After two years in Denver working in public relations, her passion for travel, sustainability and wildlife brought her to Nat Hab.

Some of Emily's most meaningful travel experiences include watching a pod of orcas at close range in Alaska, skydiving over Fox Glacier in New Zealand, seeing her first jaguar in the Brazilian Pantanal, spending two months driving down Mexico's Baja peninsula while learning to surf, snorkeling the Southern Great Barrier Reef, witnessing the Great Migration in Tanzania, and finding two tiger cubs nursing in a Indian temple. At home, Emily is happiest when she’s in the mountains. She spends her time snowboarding, trail running, backpacking, and playing soccer. She hopes to leave no stone unturned in Colorado, where it’s easy to find somewhere new to explore every weekend. Her travels so far include Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Kenya, Tanzania, India, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Russia, Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

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