 |
1.800.688.1804 | |
|
Trip Hosts & Local Guides
Barb’s 30 years of experience working with animals at the Calgary Zoo has infused her with a passion for seeing these animals in the wild and fully experiencing their natural habitats.
Jean du Plessis is the founder of both Wayo Africa and Green Footprint Adventures and has been a professional guide all his working life. He spent his childhood running around the African wilderness with Zulu kids in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains. It was
George is a Wakuria, the notorious hunter-gatherer tribe living on the Western boundary of the Serengeti National Park. He grew up in an era where being among wild animals was part of daily life and at a very young age learned how to respect the wilderness and all
Colleen Baird grew up in Calgary and studied biology at Thompson University in Kamloops (BC) where it was not uncommon to have a black bear up a tree outside the Arts Building! Colleen didn’t have to go far to study herds of big horn sheep, or mountain goats.
Margie Woo worked for over 11 years at the Calgary Zoo as an educator, gaining skills that have been recognized with three White Hat Awards nominations for Best Visitor Service: Tour/Intepreter Guide. Her interest for wildlife goes beyond the “big and charismatic”.
Prim is from the industrious Chaga tribe that traditionally live around the foothills of Kilimanjaro. Prim went to a very good school in Arusha, and from there he went straight into guiding. After completing a few guide training courses he spent a few years in the
Trish is an avid student of the world’s natural history. She has many years of experience as a naturalist and world traveler. Her journeys have taken her to all seven of the world’s continents. Some of her favourite wildlife memories include visiting the Pantanal area of
Travis Steffens has a BSc and MA in Primatology from the University of Calgary (where he first met Brian Keating of the Calgary Zoo). He is currently a PhD candidate (University of Toronto).
James is a Masaai from the Arusha region of Tanzania. He grew up as a "town" Maasai, enrolling in local school and learning to speak English at a young age. James always wanted to be a guide and he was interested in being in the field from a young age.…
Les comes to Civilized Adventures with thousands of travel miles under his belt. His insatiable desire to explore more of the world has fuelled trips to many parts of Asia, Europe, North, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Africa. Indulging a passion for
Kevin Strange has worked in the fields of biology and natural history for the past 20 years. He in now Head of Conservation Outreach at the Calgary Zoo after nearly a decade as Senior Manager of Conservation Education. Kevin is a veteran of natural history
Don has over 30 years of astronomical observing experience and has been leading (and co-leading) astronomical tours since Comet Halley in 1986. He witnessed his first eclipse at Hecla Island, Manitoba, in 1979. Since then he has successfully observed 14 total solar
Sarah Smith brings a unique background to her adventures. She has studied both Environmental Studies and theatre, and has worked as an arts and science education specialist for the past 20 years in a huge variety of roles. In addition to a long career as a nature
Gayleen Jorgensen and her husband, Greg Black, have travelled extensively to destinations ranging from pole to pole! They have explored Ecuador's Galapagos Islands and Amazon rainforest, the teeming grasslands of Kenya and Tanzania, and the varied ecosystems
Glenn Hawley became an amateur astronomer on February 26, 1979, when he observed his first total solar eclipse from Hecla Island north of Winnipeg. Since then he has seen 10 other total eclipses in Mexico, Chile, India, Curaçao, Turkey, Zambia, and China plus
Brian Keating previously held the position "Head of Conservation Outreach" at the Zoo, which enabled him to raise money and then spend it on environmental and conservation projects around the world. Brian newest project , a pilot for a new TV series, was aired on
Kyle Marquardt is a graduate of Ryerson University’s photography program. With an appreciation for more traditional darkroom processes, Kyle has moved fully into the digital revolution, working in the controlled light environment of a studio, learning real world
Dr Jake Veasey is the Director of Animal Care, Conservation and Research at the Calgary Zoo. Jake is a originally from London, England and before coming to Canada in late 2010 he was head of Conservation and Animal Management in one of Europe’s
Gillian is a self proclaimed elephant addict, but her enthusiasm and genuine love of nature (fortified by her Zoology degree) doesn’t stop there. She has been working in the Education department of the Calgary Zoo for 19 years and has invented and presented
An early interest in nature led Roger Barry to join the Canadian Forest Service in 1963. Six years later he became a teacher with the Calgary Board of Education which occupied him until he retired in 1998. In 1978 Roger began to nurture his love of travel with visits to
Dr Malu Celli grew up in Brazil where working on family farms and participating in university and NGO projects brought her closer to the animal world. With a bachelor degree in Biology, she pursued a Master and Doctor degree at Kyoto University, where she studied
Les Stegenga began his career in wildlife biology after graduating from university with a BSc in 1979. His first job took him to the Arctic where he studied polar bears. He subsequently moved to western Canada and for 8 years researched grizzly and black bears along
