Naturalist/Guide

Rich first became enthralled by the wonders of the natural world around the tide pools and forests of his native New York. Since then, he has embarked on a career in nature education and conservation biology that has ranged from teaching science and environmental awareness to teenagers from Los Angeles, to traveling the coast and river deltas of Alaska’s North Slope by Zodiac to reach remote wetlands where he monitored loon nests.

After such field biology projects as surveys for mammalian carnivores in the mountains of California, bird migration monitoring in Canada, and a study of army-ant-following birds in the Peruvian Amazon, Rich was drawn back to the sea where he taught marine science and island ecology on Catalina Island in California for several years. He has also conducted shipboard surveys for marine mammals and seabirds, as well as tagging studies of sea turtles and pelagic sharks.

Through it all, exploration and sharing nature with others has been his central passion. Rich began working as a guide and educator in nature tourism in 2004, bringing to life the fascinating stories of wildlife and wild places. He is also fascinated with the role nature has played in shaping human cultures around the world, and how each culture both celebrates and impacts nature. 

On any given day, Rich is just as likely to be found excitedly pointing out shrimp-gobies on snorkel expeditions in Indonesia, as he is to be sharing the sights, sounds, and wonders of a seabird nesting cliff in the High Arctic. Rich lives in the city of Minneapolis, where he gets around (almost) everywhere on his bicycle.

“Nature is comprised of countless stories, interactions and relationships. Each foray out into the natural world is an adventure of discovery, an opportunity to witness, to learn, and to experience.”

Naturalist/Guide

Kristin’s love of beauty and wild things—and of wild adventure—continues to follow her in all that she pursues. With a degree in biology from Iowa State University, she went on to work at the Bodega Bay Marine Lab (through the University of California, Davis), where she spent weekdays with her face underwater and weekends exploring the magnificent California coastline.

Her last year in college was spent studying at the University of Salzburg, and traveling throughout Europe and Northern Africa. She then moved to Taiwan to teach English, but her plans shifted when a very large earthquake destroyed her city and rendered her homeless. Left to scavenge for cardboard to build shelter, she eventually made her way back home.

Kristin then moved to Catalina Island to work at its Marine Institute, sharing her enthusiasm for the ocean with kids of all ages through hands-on experiential learning and exploration. She also spent time working on a songbird study for the US Forest Service in Minnesota; and studying birds that follow army-ant swarms in the Peruvian Amazon.

She first ventured onto expedition ships in 2005, to run a hands-on science program for young explorers. She’s made many trips since then, to various parts of the world, and continues to be astonished by the staggering beauty that presents itself in every corner of this extraordinary planet.

“I love nothing more than sharing my fascination for marine life with kids of all ages. We’re never too old or too young to start learning about the world we share.”