Our Team in the Field
Tour leaders are an integral part of the Worldwide Quest and Quest Nature Tours experience. They bring a particular expertise in some - and sometimes many - elements of the destination you are visiting and the theme we are exploring. They work with our expert local guides and naturalists to help you see and experience more and to create a context for the observations you will make. Our leaders take care of logistical concerns in order to maximize your experience. Last but not least, they ensure your safety and comfort. We carefully select our leaders and match them to tours based on their experience, their interests, and their compatibility with the destination and tour theme. Meet our exceptional group of leaders below and see where they're heading next.
Conservation Ecologist
Ann Haynes-Sutton
Ann Haynes-Sutton is a conservation ecologist who has spent her working life in Jamaica. She is the senior author of “A photographic guide to the birds of Jamaica” published by Princeton University in 2009, and has been leading bird and natural history tours in Jamaica and other islands for many years.
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Ornithologist
Bonnie Chartier
Bonnie Chartier was born and raised in Churchill, Manitoba. She has been involved in Churchill’s tourism industry since its inception and was instrumental in introducing the world to Churchill’s Polar Bears, Belugas, birds, and natural history. Bonnie’s familiarity with the Churchill region is boundless and guests quickly appreciate her tremendous wealth of knowledge!
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Wilderness Guide
Boris Wise
Boris Wise is a passionate naturalist, wilderness guide, and excellent photographer. He began his career guiding in Southeast Alaska, where he worked for 10 years before sailing on his first expedition cruise ship in 2010. Boris is a seasoned polar expedition explorer having sailed throughout Arctic Canada, along the coasts of Greenland, Antarctica and throughout Svalbard many times, among other places. He spends much of his professional and personal time exploring with his wife Eva Westerholm.
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Executive Director at Ontario Nature
Caroline Schultz
Caroline Schultz is the Executive Director at Ontario Nature. Caroline has directed Ontario Nature’s programs and operations since 2005. Caroline previously served as conservation director for the Canadian Nature Federation for 10 years, leading the organization’s national advocacy, science and stewardship programs.
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Ornithologist
Catherine Jardine
Catherine Jardine is a staff ornithologist and data analyst with Birds Canada, based at the organization’s National Data Centre in Delta, B.C. She has conducted field projects in remote locations around the world and is the Bander-in-Charge at the Iona Island Bird Observatory.
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Naturalist
Chris Earley
Chris Earley is the University of Guelph Arboretum’s Interpretive Biologist and Education Coordinator and a self-proclaimed 'nature geek'. He teaches workshops at the Arboretum, and participates in research around the world. Chris has led many previous Quest trips around the world.
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Zoology Professor
Chris Harley
Chris Harley is a professor in the Zoology Department and in the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at UBC. He studies the forces that create ecological patterns in space and time in coastal ecosystems. Chris is particularly interested in how species interact with one another and respond to temperature, ocean acidification, and other challenges in their environment.
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The Urban Birder
David Lindo
David Lindo, also known as "The Urban Birder" is a broadcaster, writer, naturalist, photographer, public speaker, and tour leader. Through TV appearances, writing, talks, and travel, he inspires people to re-look at their urban environments and believes wildlife in urban areas is so easy to engage with; All we have to do is open our eyes, ears, hearts and minds and soon we will be linked into the nature around us.
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Bear Biologist
Dr. Martyn Obbard
Martyn Obbard is an emeritus research scientist and the former resident bear biologist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and adjunct professor at Trent University (Peterborough, Ontario). His field work focused on Polar Bears and Black Bears, and he has published many papers detailing the demographics, genetics, and movements of these species.
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Polar Explorer
Eva Molin Westerholm
A veteran Svalbard explorer and animal-loving outdoor enthusiast, Eva Molin Westerholm considers herself very lucky having explored many countries of the world in the last 15 years. The polar regions are of particular interest to her, and she cannot wait to share whatever can be found out there – whether it be a whale, bird, or the flora – nothing is too small to inspire investigation.
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Naturalist
Gabriel Foley
The Coordinator for the Maryland Breeding Bird Atlas, Gabriel Foley grew up on a small farm in southeastern Ontario, where his curiosity cultivated an appreciation and wonder for nature. After receiving a diploma in fish and wildlife conservation from Sault College, he headed west to Saskatchewan to pursue undergraduate studies in Biology. Subsequently he completed graduate studies on the Common Nighthawk. He is an obsessive birder and outdoorsman and is passionate about sharing his love of nature with others.
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Naturalist
Glenn Barrett
Past-President of the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club, Glenn Barrett has a degree in Wildlife Biology and has worked in outdoor education programming for educational institutions and as a Wildlife Technician for Environment Canada since 1994.
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Naturalist
Graham Sorenson
Graham Sorenson developed his interest in and love for the natural world through his undergraduate studies, years as a field biologist, and Master's degree at the University of Windsor, Ontario. His passion for birds took off during undergrad when he was a field research assistant on Kent Island, just south of Grand Manan. After years working as a bird biologist throughout Canada, Graham recently returned to New Brunswick as the Aerial Insectivore Conservation Coordinator with Birds Canada.
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Naturalist
Ian Shanahan
Ian Shanahan has guided throughout Canada and internationally from the Tropics to the Arctic. Over 13 seasons as an interpretive naturalist in Ontario’s Presqu’ile and Algonquin Parks, his initial passion for birds spread to all life forms. Now, Ian captures his nature explorations through field sketching, photography, and writing.
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Ornithologist
Field Biologist
Josh Vandermeulen
Josh Vandermeulen is a professional Field Biologist and is an active and well-known member of Ontario’s naturalist community. He regularly travels the province in pursuit of his two core interests, field herpetology and ornithology.
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Director of Quest Nature Tours
Justin Peter
Justin Peter is a Principal of Worldwide Quest and Director of its Quest Nature Tours branch. Prior to joining the company, Justin was the senior naturalist at Ontario’s world-renowned Algonquin Park, where he coordinated the park’s interpretive program and acted as lead howler for the celebrated Public Wolf Howl events.
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Naturalist
Kyle Horner
A consummate environmental educator and well-travelled, lifelong naturalist, Kyle Horner can proudly say he’s been birdwatching since before he could walk! Over the years, he has also worked as a field technician for a variety of research projects including boreal songbirds in Newfoundland, rattlesnakes in British Columbia and neotropical migrant birds in Arizona. He is currently the Education Coordinator for Wild Ontario at the University of Guelph, a program that he helped build.
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Naturalist & Artist
Lynette Hartley
Lynette Hartley has worked in the conservation field in New Zealand for over 20 years. She is passionately invested in protecting New Zealand’s threatened native ecosystems, and is active in habitat restoration activities. Lynette is also an accomplished nature artist. She will look forward to hosting you on our tour!
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Naturalist
Mike Kent
Mike Kent is an excellent all-round naturalist and educator based in southwestern Ontario. He has worked as a Park Naturalist at Ontario’s Killbear Provincial Park and the famous Algonquin Provincial Park, and as a Tour Manager at the Monteverde Butterfly Gardens in Costa Rica’s highland cloud forests. He has a keen and abiding interest in all life forms with a particular fondness for insects, fungi and other under-appreciated groups.
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Naturalist
Nico Visser
Nico Visser is our favourite Namibian leader. Hailing from the country’s southeast, he is well versed in all the country’s vast wild spaces and he has an exceptional ability to spot wildlife. Quest travellers particularly appreciate his affable and caring manner.
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Naturalist
Patrick Moldowan
Patrick Moldowan is a devoted lifelong interpretive naturalist with a special interest in herpetology and biogeography. Currently pursuing his doctoral studies at the University of Toronto, he also devotes considerable time to long-term studies of amphibians and turtles at Algonquin Park’s Wildlife Research Station.
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Naturalist
Payal Mehta
Hailing from Mumbai, Payal Mehta was raised a city girl but has always loved the outdoors, and has branched out much beyond her formal training in geology to become well-versed in India’s wonderful wildlife and varied habitats. She is our choice naturalist guide in India and our Quest travellers always delight at her skill in interpreting India’s nature and cultures too. She knows India’s Ladakh region well with previous experience on Snow Leopard expeditions.
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Naturalist
Professor of Oceanography
Philippe Tortell
Philippe Tortell is a Professor of Oceanography at UBC, and Head of the
Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. He has conducted
oceanographic research expeditions around the world from the Arctic to
the Antarctic, measuring marine biological productivity and the oceanic
concentration of dissolved ‘climate-active’ gases, including carbon
dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. His work focuses on the development
of ship-board automated sensors, field experiments and the use of
satellite-based remote sensing observations.
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More About Us
- The Worldwide Quest Experience
- Our Team in the Field
- Our Team in Toronto
- Explorers Club