Naturalist icon Naturalist

Ben Shulman

Ben grew up exploring the coastlines and islands of British Columbia and Maine in summer and the forested hills of the Finger Lakes in New York the rest of the year. He was encouraged from an early age by his marine biologist parents to be curious about and explore nature. He spent much of his childhood in the intertidal pools of Maine and British Columbia learning about the complexity of marine life, helping with research, and falling in love with the natural world.

A parallel passion for problem solving resulted in two degrees in computer science from Cornell University, but Ben couldn't resist the pull of the natural world. He turned to natural history interpretation, science education, and guiding not long after leaving college. Today he is particularly interested in ornithology, ecology, geography, and wildlife photography. While on expeditions you are most likely to find him explaining ecology and behavior and watching birds even while there is larger wildlife in sight.

Ben's passion has taken him to Antarctica, Alaska, the Galapagos, Indonesia, Tanzania, and across the United States and Canada. When not on expeditions he can be found birding, hiking, backpacking, and running somewhere in the world, most frequently in Ithaca, NY.