Tour Leader & Biologist
Many people are under the impression that tour leading is glamorous and involves very little actual work. I can assure you that this isn’t true. Scroll through the photos below to see a few of the strenuous challenges involved. For 30 years, I guided birding and natural history tours on six continents, before retiring from guiding in 2012.
Betchart Expeditions first brought me on board as a guide, and the clients I worked with back then included nonprofit organizations such as World Wildlife Fund, the Smithsonian Institution, San Diego Zoo, Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. Later I focused more on birding trips, becoming a guide for Borderland Tours. I also worked for WINGS, a highly esteemed birding tour company.
The last years were spent with Peg Abbott’s Naturalist Journeys. Peg’s tours achieve a delightful blend of natural history, birding, geology and local culture. She strives to “put people, places and remarkable experiences together,” and in the process attracts a congenial and engaging clientele.
I highly recommend all of these tour companies: one of them is sure to match your interests. It has been a privilege to work for all of them, and an equal privilege to share experiences in the field with our tour participants.
Tasks Required of a Guide:
Lake Baikal, Russia. Photo by Carol Rist
Alan & Emu – Photo by Narca
Jim Shiflett with coconut worm – Photo by Noel Snyder
Praying Mantis in Guyana – Photo by Narca
Iwokrama ferrry, Guyana – Photo by Noel Snyder
Looking for Penguins, Peru – Photo by Narca
Lemaire Channel, Antarctica – Photo by Narca
San Jacinto Wildlife Area, California – Photo by Narca
Off the Na Pali Coast, Hawaii – Photo by Narca
Testimonials
I am a great admirer of Narca Moore-Craig . . . Taking a walk through a natural area with Narca is like seeing nature through the eyes of a great artist.
— John Sawhill in 1993, then President of The Nature Conservancy
Thank you for making my first birding experience so memorable. Your formidable expertise was invaluable . . . The food and accommodations were great and the itinerary excellent, but most of all what really made the trip was your great leadership. I had a fabulous time.
— Dave from Naturalist Journeys Big Bend tour, 2008
Thank you again for a wonderful trip to Alaska. Your combined skills, good humor and ability to lead were always evident, and I’m sure that all of us who appreciate ‘real pros’ had a ball!
— Jim on a Borderland Tour guided by Narca & Alan, 2000
My Grandma Beetle’s artwork is delicious.
— Milo at age 3
Tour Leading
Field Biology
Education & Affiliations