naturalist

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.