 Audrey Benedict is the founder and Director of Cloud Ridge Naturalists. Trained as a biologist and geologist,
Audrey has guided groups in the field and at sea for more than thirty years, drawing on her broad knowledge of mountain and oceanic environments in many parts of the world. She is the author, with photographers Rozinski and Shattil, of Valley of the Dunes: Great Sand Dunes National Park (2005), and The Naturalist’s Guide to the Southern Rockies (2008). Audrey served as a Trustee for The Nature Conservancy (Colorado Chapter) for 10 yrs. and has worked on projects in Colorado, coastal B.C., and Ecuador.
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 Dr. P. Dee Boersma holds the Wadsworth Endowed Chair in Conservation Science at the University of Washington. She is one of the world’s foremost
authorities on penguins, and
especially on penguins as indicators of ocean ecosystem health. As Founder and Director of UW’s Penguin Project, Dee and her colleagues have spent nearly 30 years studying Magellanic penguins at Punta Tombo, Argentina. Dee’s research has been widely published, and she has lectured around the world. She was recently honored with the Heinz Award for her research and commitment to conservation education. Dee is unsurpassed as a field teacher!
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 Dr. Emmett Evanoff is Assistant Professor of Geology at the University of Northern Colorado, and a Research Associate at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the University of Colorado Museum. His research has focused on the study of paleoenvironments—the “story behind the scenery.” Emmett brings to his teaching a tremendous knowledge of regional geology and a contagious enthusiasm for the geologic events that have shaped western landscapes.
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 Dr. Geoff Hammerson is Senior Research Zoologist for NatureServe and lives in Port Townsend, WA. He is the author of the definitive Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado, as well as Connecticut Wildlife. Geoff also teaches short-courses in field ecology at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He is an outstanding field zoologist, always adding new dimensions to his natural history expertise, and is known for his ability to coax the most reluctant animal to share its secrets with an appreciative audience.
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 Carol Mackie de Passera is one of Argentina’s foremost naturalist guides, and resides with her writer/naturalist husband, Carlos Passera, in Puerto Madryn, on Patagonia’s Atlantic coast. Their ecotourism company, Causana Viajes, is involved in conservation and educational efforts throughout Patagonia. Carol is of Welsh/Scottish descent, her great great grandmother having been among the first Welsh immigrants to settle in Patagonia’s Chubut Valley in the 1880’s. Carol’s great knowledge of Argentina’s natural and cultural history makes her an inspired and inspiring tour leader. Her passion for all things “Patagonian” is contagious—her expertise unsurpassed! Causana Viajes: www.causana.com
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 Bob Rozinski & Wendy Shattil are the rarest of
species—full-time professional nature photographers.
They have worked individually and as a
team for more than 30 years and are known
world-wide for their award-winning images and
reputation as environmental photographers of endangered
species and at-risk ecosystems throughout
North America.  They have produced twelve
books, and their images have appeared in National
Wildlife, Audubon, Nature Conservancy,
BBC Wildlife, Nature’s Best, National Geographic
publications, and many others. As members of the
International League of Conservation Photographers
they have participated in several Rapid
Visual Assessment Expeditions, documenting
areas of critical environmental concern, such as
wildlife habitat impacts of the border wall in the
Lower Rio Grande Valley and the effects of gas
field development on wildlife migration corridors
and wildlife habitat in Wyoming’s Red Desert. www.dancingpelican.com
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 Dr. Mike Scott is Senior Research Ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, a member of the Degree Program in Ecology at Colorado State University, and the Watershed Sciences Dept. at Utah State University. His research focuses on the biology and ecology of cottonwoods and other riparian tree species of the Colorado River System, and on efforts to develop a predictive understanding of how western riparian vegetation responds to human-induced changes in stream flow. Mike is an excellent field teacher, and has a marvelous talent for sharing his broad knowledge of rivers. |
 Dr. Ed Wick has studied the biology, behavioral ecology, and habitat requirements of the Colorado pikeminnow (squawfish), humpback chub, and razorback sucker for more than 35 years. As both a private research consultant and in cooperation with numerous governmental agencies, Ed has focused his research efforts on the Yampa, Green, Little Snake, White, and Colorado Rivers. He is an extraordinary field teacher—an eloquent and compelling spokesman for the
conservation of the native fish of the Colorado River System. |
 Marilyn Hailbronner’s drawings—rendered in pen and ink and color wash—grace Cloud Ridge’s brochure and website. They are a reflection of her love for the natural world and her passion for conservation. Her work as a medic for Cloud Ridge has taken her to remote wilderness areas around the world. Visit Marilyn’s website to purchase or see more of her art: www.wildinkwell.com |
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