Uncategorized

Why a Southern Belize Nature Tour?

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Naturalist Journeys’ upcoming Southern Belize: Pristine & Wild tour is a gem! Our group enjoys birding with top Belize birding guide Estevan (Steve) Choco in 2019. Here’s why you should sign on to this exciting Southern Belize nature tour.

By Bob Meinke, Guide with Naturalist Journeys

Southern Belize Nature Tour
Mountain Pine Ridge Habitat by Kelly Amsberry | Old Growth Tropical Forest by Bob Meinke
Intact Ecosystems & Sought-After Species

Belize retains the highest percentageof its original old growth tropical forest of any Central American country, much of it in southern districts. Exploring on this Southern Belize nature tour is an impressive experince, but it’s not all about birds: Charismatic land mammals such as Black Howler Monkey, Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey, Tayra, Kinkajou, and Baird’s Tapir are not unexpected during treks here along wooded trails. (We even crossed paths with a Jaguar on a recent trip.) But did you know that Belize also has extensive Honduran Pine forests at the cooler, higher elevations, with a completely different set of species? We explore both ecosystems during this intriguing trip. Continue reading Why a Southern Belize Nature Tour? →

Neotropics, South America

8 Reasons to Take a Guyana Nature Tour

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Find out why YOU should take a Guyana Nature Tour with Naturalist Journeys. One of our favorite trips, Guyana is a country that is off the radar for many travelers, but oh so rich in biodiversity.

Discover “South America’s hidden gem.”

Continue reading 8 Reasons to Take a Guyana Nature Tour →

Alaska & Canada

Finding Iconic Alaskan Mammals

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We asked guide Greg Smith about his photos of iconic Alaskan mammals, how he finds them, and how they fit into the stunning Denali landscape. Here are his responses.

Alaskan Mammals
Grizzly Bear by Greg Smith
Naturalist Journeys’ guide, Greg Smith, is not only a fantastic guide, but also an incredible photographer; we are lucky to have him on our team. 

Continue reading Finding Iconic Alaskan Mammals →

Central America, Neotropics, New World Tropics

Birding Belize … Why We Love It!

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At Naturalist Journeys we are thrilled to offer a grand array of Neotropical birding tours. Our expert guides vie for the chance to lead groups in Belize. For many reasons, we love birding Belize! Find out ….

Deciding where to bird in the Neotropics, which includes both Central and South America, can seem like a daunting task, and rightfully so. There are many lodges to choose from, and each country has its own draw. We suggest a stair-step approach in which you gain skills and knowledge with each visit, making the most of your time and budget.

Birding Belize
Violaceous Trogon by Peg Abbott

Continue reading Birding Belize … Why We Love It! →

Central America, Neotropics, New World Tropics, Uncategorized

Highlights from Our Belize Birding Tour

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Every winter, Naturalist Journeys heads to Belize for a number of fun-filled trips. Here are highlights from a 2016 Belize birding tour.

Belize Birding Tour
Group at Pook’s Hill Ruins, Naturalist Journeys Stock

The highlights detailed in this blog post were from a February 2016 Belize birding tour …  and this trip was extra special: Naturalist Journeys‘ owner Peg Abbott celebrated her 60th birthday on the trip; it was a bit of a reunion with long-time travel companions, which made for a whole lot of fun. You can read the full trip report here.

Without further ado, here are the highlights, day by day. Continue reading Highlights from Our Belize Birding Tour →

Africa

Best Memories from our Tanzania Safari

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Tanzania Safari
Elephant Line Up by Greg Smith

In February of 2017, a Naturalist Journeys group embarked on a spectacular 13-day Tanzania safari. Here are the highlights.

Naturalist Journeys‘ owner, Peg Abbott, is just wrapping up her trip in Botswana, and it got us thinking about this past February’s Tanzania safari … what a treat! East Africa is the ULTIMATE wildlife watching destination, and Peg is known to say that if she had just one more trip left in her lifetime, it would be to East Africa. What follows are the highlights, by location, from our 2017 Tanzania safari. Enjoy! Continue reading Best Memories from our Tanzania Safari →

South America

Highlights from our Pantanal Wildlife Tour

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The Top 5 Highlights from Naturalist Journeys’ July Pantanal Wildlife Tour

Pantanal Wildlife Tour
Gate to the Pantanal Transpantaniera by Peg Abbott

There are few places in the world that offer wildlife like Brazil’s famed Pantanal. On Naturalist Journeys‘ July 2017 Pantanal wildlife tour, our group of 10, accompanied by guides Greg Smith and Xavier Muñoz, had an incredible adventure down the Transpantaneira Road that bisects the incredible Pantanal.

Continue reading Highlights from our Pantanal Wildlife Tour →

Alaska & Canada

Naturalist Journeys’ Alaska Wildlife Tour

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Highlights from Naturalist Journeys’ June 2017 Alaska Wildlife Tour

Naturalist Journeys‘ guide Greg Smith shares his adventures with Muskox, Grizzlies, Caribou, Humpback Whales, and more from this past June’s Alaska wildlife tour with Naturalist Journeys. Click here to read the trip report from our clients’ fun experience in Nome, Anchorage, Seward, and Denali National Park.

Alaska Wildlife Tour
Nesting Black-legged Kittiwake by Greg Smith

Continue reading Naturalist Journeys’ Alaska Wildlife Tour →

Mainland USA

Arizona’s Signature Birds

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Finding Arizona’s Signature Birds 

By Peg Abbott, Dodie Logue & Lynn Tennefoss, Portal, AZ

Arizona's Signature Birds
Portal, Arizona by Peg Abbott

Southeast Arizona in the spring is a birder’s paradise. Mexican species flow across the border in April and May to court and nest in the stunning, mountainous sky islands, lush riparian zones, and remnant grasslands of Southeast Arizona, alongside resident species not seen further north. Complementing Arizona’s signature birds are lovely weather, nationally acclaimed lodges, and delicious food!

To help birders focus on specialty species of the area, Naturalist Journeys has recently updated a popular handout listing the 25 signature species by habitat, targeted by birders visiting the region. Additionally, a dozen more species seen a bit more broadly in Arizona and Texas and five highly-prized (though infrequent) specialties are listed along with five widely-recognized sub-species seen in the region. Enjoy our handy list of Arizona’s signature birds below.

Arizona's signature birds
Montezuma Quail by Peg Abbott

Continue reading Arizona’s Signature Birds →

Mainland USA

Explore the Olympic Peninsula’s Three Biomes

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Join Naturalist Journeys on an incredible Olympic Peninsula tour, June 10 – 18, 2017.

Olympic Peninsula
Rialto Beach by Woody Wheeler
About Olympic National Park

People travel far and wide to see tropical rain forests, but our expert guides like Woody Wheeler rank time in the temperate rain forests of the Pacific Northwest just as highly. Picture towering, half-century-old Sitka Spruce, Hemlock, Cedar, and Douglas Fir trees skirted by lush layers of ferns, wild berries, and other vegetation iconic to the Olympic Peninsula. On this tour, naturalists share expertise on hikes through several of these leafy green “cathedrals” near Lake Quinault and in the Hoh River rainforest. Look and listen for Pacific Wren, Vaux’s Swift, Varied Thrush, Northern Spotted Owl (very rare), and Roosevelt Elk.

Olympic Peninsula
Roosevelt Elk by Woody Wheeler

Continue reading Explore the Olympic Peninsula’s Three Biomes →