Norwegian Fjords and Scottish Isles
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Naturalist
Carl Erik Kilander
Carl was born in Norway and received a master’s degree in forestry and nature conservation from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in 1973. His professional experience is mainly connected to environmental issues and natural resource management on the Norway mainland and in Svalbard. A major part of his professional experience comprises planning and management of protected areas, particularly in the southern parts of Norway and Svalbard. During the period 1999-2001 Carl was Head of the Environmental Department at the Governor of Svalbard´s office. He has also been District Manager (southwestern Norway) followed by the position of Senior Environmental Adviser at the Norwegian State Forest Service. During the late part of his career, Carl worked as a Senior Adviser at Norwegian Nature Inspectorate (SNO), mainly dealing with law enforcement, monitoring, and public relation tasks connected to more than 100 protected areas in Vest-Agder County (southernmost Norway). During this period he has also been leading various projects. During one such project, 2011-2014, Carl was involved in the planning and successful eradication of 6,700 “Norwegian” reindeer on South Georgia. This British-Norwegian project was managed by the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI), and Carl had a key role in the preparation phase. During the field operations 2013-2014 he assisted GSGSSI’s Project Manager as liaison and leader of the Norwegian team of reindeer herders and marksmen. Carl characterizes himself as a naturalist with broad interests. He particularly favors bird watching and nature photography. Carl has had annual assignments for Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic since 2003, joining expeditions to Norway’s fjords, Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland, South Georgia, the Falklands, and Antarctica.
Naturalist
Peter Wilson
Peter comes from the town of Cobh, County Cork, on the south coast of Ireland. He is both a working archaeologist and a naturalist. Growing up and living next to the sea, he developed a fascination with whales and dolphins, along with birds and the broader natural world. Ever varied in his interests, he studied English at University College Cork and went on to complete a master’s degree in Old English. A desire for more hands-on, outdoor work led him to a slight change of course, into the study of archaeology. After combining his twin loves of the humanities and nature, Peter's main areas of research at present are archaeozoology and maritime archaeology. He has a particular interest in the archaeology of marine mammal exploitation and the archaeology of extreme environments. Along with his research, Peter also works for the commercial sector as a field archaeologist throughout the south of England. While he very much considers himself to be an outdoor person, Peter still has a great love of the fruits of human culture. He has a deep interest in everything from art history and visual culture, to the history of food and drink. He brews beer and wine when he has the time, and also considers himself to be quite a serious musician.
National Geographic Photography Expert
Macduff Everton
Photographer Macduff Everton has shot multiple stories for National Geographic Traveler , and covered diverse regions on projects from Patagonia to Japan to the Scottish Highlands. His other editorial clients include Life , LA Times Magazine , NY Times Magazine , Outside , and Smithsonian . Macduff’s photography focuses on sense of place, whether portraits of individuals or portraits of a landscape. His books include Patagonia La Última Esperanza (University of Texas Press), The Western Horizon (Abrams), The Modern Maya Incidents of Travel and Friendship in Yucatán (University of Texas Press) and Los Mayas Contemporáneos Incidencias de Viaje y Amistad in Yucatán (Universidad Intercultural Maya de Quintana Roo), the latter two he wrote and photographed over a period of decades. His work is in the collections of many public and private institutions, such as the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, the British Museum in London, the International Center of Photography in New York, the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Macduff has also taught workshops nationally as well as in Mexico and Tuscany.
Naturalist
Jim Wilson
Jim hails from the seaside town of Cobh in the south of Ireland. He is a highly respected ornithologist and ecologist with more than 40 years of birding experience in Ireland, Europe, North and South America, Africa, the Antarctic, and the Arctic. Before setting out as a full-time freelance wildlife author, tour guide, and broadcaster, Jim had a career in medical laboratory science and pathology IT administration. He has written a number of best-selling books including, The Birds of Ireland–A Field Guide, Ireland’s Garden Birds and A n Identification Guide to Irish Whales and Dolphins. He has produced two educational DVDs, Bats of Ireland and Whales and Dolphins of Ireland , and recently co-produced a phone app called Antarctic Wildlife Guide, the first photo-ID guide app featuring the birds, whales, dolphins, and seals of the region. As well as being involved in many national and international conservation projects, Jim set up the long-running national Irish Garden Bird Survey. He was national chairman of Birdwatch Ireland, Ireland’s equivalent of the Audubon Society, and is a former director of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.
Clara Fuquen
Despite her origins high up in the Andes mountains, Clara has built a career working beneath the surface of the world’s oceans. Being trained as a diver in the Colombian Navy, she began her archaeological career working on the 18th century Spanish shipwreck Conquistador. Working on various underwater and terrestrial archaeological sites in the following years, Clara completed an undergraduate degree in anthropology at the Colombian National University, followed by a Masters degree in Maritime Archaeology in the UK’s Southampton University. Her subsequent PhD research focused on traditional boatbuilding in the remote jungles of Colombia’s pacific coast. Though she can happily lose herself exploring historical texts and archives, there is no doubt that Clara’s heart really lies in fieldwork. The logistics surrounding underwater research, as well as the sheer joy of being in the water, draw her to work almost as much as the archaeology itself. Recent years have seen her supporting and leading underwater archaeological research projects in Lebanon as part of an international team, but her experiences and interests are not confined to any particular region or time period. Aside from archaeology, Clara also holds a deep fascination with the natural world. This has been fed by experiences in the diverse environments of her vast homeland, as well as travels further afield to some of the earth’s higher latitudes. Clara now lives in the United Kingdom, and when she is not in or on the water likes to spend her time exploring dry land either on foot or by motorcycle.
Emmett Clarkin
Emmett developed his love of nature and the environment from growing up in the heart of the Sperrin Mountains in Northern Ireland. His passion for the ocean came from time spent on family trips to the wild Atlantic coastlines of County Donegal. After studying for his Bachelor of Science in Marine Zoology, Emmett completed a Masters in Ecological Management and Conservation Biology, and a PhD in Marine Ecology. He was given the Bright Sparks Award by the Irish Marine Institute, allowing him to undertake his doctoral research out at sea, studying the ecology of rafting macroalgae and the connectivity of marine communities using ocean current pathways. Later Emmett worked for the Australian Institute of Marine Science, where he was involved with extensive research along the length of the Great Barrier Reef. He now follows his passion for marine science communication, outreach and underwater photography, combining these to travel the world working as a diver and naturalist guide. Emmett’s scientific and diving career allows him to visit some of the most remote marine habitats on earth, from tropical regions in Africa, Asia and Central America, to the temperate waters of North West Europe, and into the polar seas of the Arctic and Antarctica where he explores with the Lindblad Expeditions team.
Cammy Lachesnez-Heude
Cammy was born in Martinique but didn’t quite stick around long enough to learn French, but she’s working on it! Her family relocated to the Sunshine State of Florida where the Gulf of Mexico was a five-minute bike ride away (not including the very necessary ice cream stop along the way). The majority of her childhood was spent eating oranges while perched in the trees of her backyard or cutting her feet up while calf deep in mangrove estuary muck. While she loved the weird and wacky creatures of Florida, California was calling. Off to University of California, Santa Cruz she went to become a banana slug under the redwoods while majoring in Environmental Studies and Politics. Environmental Law seemed the next logical step but a bison ranch, Australian cruise ship, and currently Lindblad all seemed like reasonable speed bumps along the way. Cammy’s dream creature to see in their natural habitat is a Narwhal, so if you have seen one, tell her all about it! You can find her behind her desk, partaking in a polar plunge, hiking ridges, or madly searching for creatures from the bridge.
Lisa Hornak
Lisa Hornak is a visual journalist and filmmaker based in San Diego, CA, who has worked for newspapers, magazines and wire services worldwide since 2004. She focuses her work on women’s issues, human rights and the impacts of climate change. Her award-winning photography has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, The Atlantic, USA Today, Le Figaro, The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, San Diego Union Tribune, The Cambodia Daily, and many other publications. In 2019, her short film "Losing Ground," about climate change in the Indian Sundarbans, was featured by The Atlantic. In 2021, she started her production company, Film Farm Productions, and is currently directing her first feature documentary film titled "Forty One" about the first female Marines to train at a military base in San Diego that had been all male for 100 years. Lisa really enjoys working with young people and has taught photojournalism and filmmaking for National Geographic Student Expeditions, New York Times Student Journeys, Smithsonian Student Journeys and Putney Student Travel for over a decade and is now starting a non-profit organization called Film Farm Collective where she mentors young women in film and photography. She holds a BA in English Literature from Boston University and completed her Masters of Journalism in Documentary Filmmaking at the University of California, Berkeley. In her free time, she loves to practice yoga, surf, rock climb, ice climb and explore the backcountry with her rescue pups Bodhi and Bear.
Naturalist
Mairi Fenton
Mairi is a marine scientist and expedition guide from the Highlands of Scotland. She has a passion for nature and being outdoors, whether on or under the water or up a mountain. Mairi’s research has taken her all over the world – from the tropical waters of Thailand to three years spent living on a research station in Antarctica. She loves to explore and has guided expeditions in Greenland, driven from Scotland to Mongolia (and back!), climbed mountains in Nepal and worked with Inuit hunters on the sea ice in Arctic Canada. She is an ardent advocate for the mental health benefits of spending time in nature, with a personal motto of ‘you never regret a swim’! Mairi is currently studying for a PhD in fisheries conservation in her native Scotland and is enjoying exploring the added social dimensions that fisheries science includes.
Naturalist
Matthew Phillips
Matthew has worked as an outdoor professional for nearly twenty years, having studied outdoor education in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has worked around the world and led groups in some of the remotest corners of the planet. His travels have led to many incredible and unforgettable wildlife experiences, including a too-close-for-comfort encounter with a polar bear. Matthew spent four years working as the Senior Boating Officer for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) on the Sub- Antarctic Island of South Georgia before becoming the Winter Station Leader of Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula. His tally of overwintering six times on BAS research stations has only been surpassed by three other people since records began in 1944. During his significant time in the Southernmost part of the world, Matthew was part of "Team Rat", the team that carried out the highly ambitious rodent eradication program on South Georgia, helping to restore the island to the bird sanctuary it once was. Changing poles, Matthew also spent significant time in east Greenland, where he carried out boating operations in the largest fjord network on the planet and led mountaineering trips into the remote Southern Stauning Alps. When back in his home country of Scotland, he is often found guiding sea kayaking trips on Scotland's dramatic west coast or guiding people up Scotland's mountains.
Historian
Anna Webster
Anna's love for nature and wildlife can be traced back to her upbringing, where she spent her childhood exploring the diverse landscapes of Scotland. From the dramatic mountains of the highlands to the beautiful bays and beaches found along the coast, Scotland's beauty inspired an appreciation and wonder for the natural world of Anna. School trips spent exploring the many ancient ruins and castles of Scotland stirred Anna's curiosity in politics and history, and she went on to gain a First-Class Honors in International Relations. After working as a policy intern in the Colombian Government, Anna went on to join the UK Civil Service where she worked in the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland. She also spent time in the Cabinet Office working as a Policy Advisor on Brexit. Anna is particularly interested in how history and politics influence culture and identity, and she loves to share these insights with guests. In her spare time, Anna likes to read, write, and explore her local area on the West Coast of Scotland
Naturalist
Joe Holliday
Joe Holliday has been a nature fanatic all of his life. He was raised near the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, where he enjoyed nature while camping with family and the Boy Scouts. He earned a B.S. in biology at Hamilton College, an M.S. in geology at Oregon State University, and his final degree in education administration from California State University. For twenty years, Joe has been a geology and oceanography professor at El Camino College in Torrance, California. He has been the director of the honors program there for several years as well. However, the best part of this job is leading week-long geology trips to the mountains and national parks of southwest United States. Joe has been a naturalist for Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic for almost two decades. Traveling, learning, and teaching about the awesome examples of nature in a number of places has enriched his teaching and helped make him an award-winning professor. No one enjoys the animals, plants, and geology on any expedition more than this naturalist, since these trips are the most life-enriching part of his busy year.