Taylor Phillips
Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures Founder Taylor Phillips grew up exploring the forests outside of Richmond Virginia. After receiving a degree in Environmental Studies, Taylor moved to Jackson Hole, founding EcoTour Adventures in 2008. Most recently, Taylor founded WYldlife for Tomorrow, an initiative that inspires businesses and individuals who depend upon Wyoming's wildlife to help fund on-the-ground conservation projects that make a difference ... Read more
Tenley Thompson
Tenley Thompson earned her degree in Biological Aspects of Conservation from the University of Wisconsin. She has been guiding guests in the greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for over 16 years. Tenley is a professional wildlife photographer and she has been honored to be featured as a Grand Teton National Park "Artist in the Environment" and a Yellowstone National Park Pathways Artist. ... Read more
Laura Krusheski
Laura was born in the Great Swamp of New Jersey, a protected wetland bustling with wildlife. She spent her college years in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont, where she pursued a degree in the fine arts and specifically, adventure photography. Her knowledge of the Greater Yellowstone Eco-System and her passion for photography complement her skills as an EcoTour guide. ... Read more
Mark Byall
Raised in Kansas City, Mark discovered his love for the outdoors and received a Bachelor's degree in Terrestrial Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana in Missoula, MT. Since 1999, Mark has worked as a naturalist and hiking guide in Northwest Montana, Southeast Alaska, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. ... Read more
Kirk Ryder
Kirk, originally from Massachusetts, developed an interest in the outdoors in the Berkshire Mountains. His college years lead him to St. Lawrence University, where he studied environmental science and government. He has guided fly fishing in Argentina, guiding day and overnight trips through the heart of Patagonia at Las Pampas Lodge. He has taught environmental science in New Hampshire at Cardigan Mountain School. ... Read more
Kelsey Wellington
Born and raised in New York, Kelsey pursed a B.S. degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of New Hampshire, before traveling the world and working with a variety of wildlife species. She studied snappers in New Zealand, pumas and ocelots in Costa Rica, and leopards and caracals in South Africa. She also worked as a field technician for numerous government agencies, studying scaled quail in Oklahoma, deer in Pennsylvania and Maryland, elk in Missouri, and wolves in Idaho. ... Read more
Sarah Ernst
Sarah is a professional wildlife guide who has been guiding in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem since 2011. She loves using stories, science, and dialogue to help her guests learn, connect, and form a deeper relationship with the national parks as well as their home ecosystem. Sarah received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College in 2005. ... Read more
Jeff Olson
Jeff has been blessed to call the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem home for over 40 years. 25 of that has been in Jackson Hole. With a background in experiential tours of the GYE and historic and cultural preservation in Grand Teton National Park, Jeff has a diverse background that he uses to connect guests to these stunning landscapes and wildlife. ... Read more
Tyler Greenly
Tyler is an ecologist and wildlife photographer from the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. He spent his childhood exploring the woods, catching insects for 4H entomology projects, and birdwatching with his father. Tyler has a degree in Biology from Colorado State University with an emphasis on Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. ... Read more
Eric Carr
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, earned a B.S. in Environmental Science with an emphasis in terrestrial ecology from Washington State University. He has worked at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for over ten years as an alpine ski instructor. He has also worked as a raft guide, safely leading over 500 raft trips down the mighty Snake River. Eric has a huge heart, a passion for teaching, and an undeniable love for the natural world. ... Read more
Rafael Sandoval
Raised in both the desert of Saudi Arabia and Texan suburbia, Rafael spent his childhood exploring the natural world and discovering an admiration for the many wild creatures that inhabit it. Following graduation with a B.S. in Environmental Science from Baylor University, Rafael worked as a fisheries technician for Washington Fish & Wildlife before joining EcoTour Adventures. ... Read more
Bo Welden
Bo was born and raised in the Elk Mountains of Colorado and attended Colorado State University for both his undergraduate degree and Master's degree. Landing in Jackson in the depths of the 2017 winter, Bo knew he was home and looks forward to sharing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with you soon! ... Read more
Ben Jewell
Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Ben discovered his love for the outdoors by exploring the many nature preserves surrounding his Central Texas hometown. Ben received a B.S. in Biology from Oklahoma State University, where he spent two years as an undergraduate researching bluegill fish toxicology and environmental biomonitoring. After graduation, he began traveling around the public lands of America and beyond, and immediately felt drawn to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem after his first trip to the region in 2016. ... Read more
Chris Wheeler
Chris migrated to EcoTour Adventures having spent 13+ years working in the Jackson Hole Hospitality Industry running the Front Offices in some of Jackson's prodigious lodging properties. He takes great care in connecting the Jackson Hole traveler to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, through his depth of knowledge of the region and having experienced many of the attractions and activities from a guest point of view. ... Read more
Ben Tow
Born and raised in Iowa, Ben received B.S. degrees in Biology and Horticulture, after which he traveled and fell in love with the mountains of the western US. He moved to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and started working for a lodge. Engaging with the public was very rewarding so he transitioned to the National Park Service the following summer. With the hopes of taking on a new adventure, Ben then found himself working as a forestry technician for the U.S. Forest Service, where he was fully immersed in pristine backcountry environments. ... Read more
Drew Overholser
Originally from Ohio, Drew moved west for school, earning his Masters of American History at Montana State University focusing on the human history of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Drew took part in an environmental education graduate residency at Teton Science Schools in Grand Teton National Park. A founding faculty member of a place-based independent school in Jackson Hole, Drew spent over twenty years teaching high school history, environmental studies and outdoor leadership before coming to work at JH EcoTour Adventures. ... Read more
Roy Cruz
Roy was born and raised in the Kiamichi Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma. The influence of Steve Irwin drove him to pursue a career in wildlife biology and, after receiving his B.S. in Zoology, he quickly took to the wildlife field as a field biologist. He has worked with multiple wildlife species ranging from golden eagles, beavers, bats, prairie dogs, pinyon jays, and everything in between. His fieldwork has led him to work and live all across the United States in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Arizona, Utah, and Wyoming. ... Read more
Chris Kassar
Chris was born and raised in New Jersey, and earned an undergraduate degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. Chris ventured over the Rockies right after graduation, and she hasn't looked back. Since then, she has gained extensive knowledge about the environment through various field courses, formal studies in pursuit of her Master’s degree in Wildlife Biology at Utah State, and through her work as a biologist, guide, environmental educator and interpreter in various national forests and parks across the West, including Rocky Mountain, Denali, Arches and Canyonlands. ... Read more
Ryan Kempfer
Born in Wisconsin with a love for everything outdoors, Ryan moved out west at age 18. Since then, the places he’s traveled—from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to Great Sand Dunes National Park and so many spots in between—have awakened his soul. Ryan’s passion for wildlife shines bright as he shares his stories and love for wild things with guests of EcoTour Adventures. ... Read more
Jake Ploen
Jake grew up in Naperville, Illinois and graduated from the University of Iowa. He fell in love with backpacking and camping while exploring the Maquoketa Caves. Jake first discovered Jackson as a tourist in the Summer of 2015 on a trip with his grandparents. One week of camping and hiking wasn’t enough, and he made a pledge to return. Jake has a passion for sharing the beauty of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and exploring all it has to offer. ... Read more
Audrey Fanjoy
Originally from Belgium, Audrey has a Master's in Wildlife Forensic Sciences and Conservation from the University of Florida. She has worked in endangered species management, human-wildlife conflict resolution, and community-based conservation. Her wildlife work has taken her to Botswana, Kenya, and all over the U.S. Her work in Kenya led her to start a global study examining the best approaches to alleviate wind energy's impact on raptors. ... Read more
Rob Dyke
Rob, an Iowa native, earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University and has worked as a veterinarian all over the U.S. He and his wife moved to Wyoming in 2021, where Rob took up guiding in order to share his love of the natural world. ... Read more
Steven Lubner
Steven grew up in Wisconsin, where he explored the natural world via lakes and rivers. He studied secondary education and environmental science in college, then moved to Wyoming in 2013. There, he helped run a youth camp in the summers before transitioning to guiding. ... Read more
Billy Fabian
Billy grew up just outside NYC, studied history at Tulane University, then served in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer for six years. Later, after graduate school, he worked in the Pentagon as a strategist for the Department of Defense. After over a decade in Washington, D.C., Billy felt restless and made a change, exploring the West and falling in love with the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. ... Read more
David Howk
Born and raised in the Texas hill country, David earned their degree in Biomedical Sciences from Texas A&M University, where they assisted in the care of captive elk, lynx, and white-tailed deer. Always having had a passion for animals and history, David found Wyoming a perfect place to share their love of the outdoors. David has led education and adventure based tours in Jackson Hole and Yellowstone since 2021. ... Read more
Holly Alvarez
Growing up in southern California, Holly took every opportunity to explore the natural world around her. This exploration was fueled by a love of wildlife and nature as a whole, and these experiences pushed her to obtain her B.S. in Zoology from UC Santa Barbara. After college, she worked as a naturalist in the Eastern Sierra, then as an outdoor education specialist in northwest Montana, honing her skills as a guide. ... Read more
Nick Flanik
Nick was born and raised in the rural parts of Ohio, where he fell in love with exploring the outdoors. He attended the University of Akron, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology. During this time, he developed a passion for birds and how nature is all connected. On his way home from researching the spotted owl in coastal Oregon, he visited the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It was a short visit but he knew he wanted to come back. ... Read more
William Meany
Growing up in upstate New York, Will spent his childhood exploring the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains. He studied Environmental Studies and Natural Resource Management at the University at Buffalo and led backpacking and hiking trips for students in his spare time. After graduation, he moved to Aspen, CO for a job as a naturalist leading snowshoeing and hiking tours. Two years later, he moved to Jackson to continue his guiding career. ... Read more
Lucas Onan
Lucas grew up in western North Carolina and studied Recreation Management at Appalachian State University. After college, he moved to the Rockies to chase his love of big mountains, wide open spaces, and adventure. He first worked as a wilderness ranger in Colorado before moving to Jackson Hole, where he now guides in the summer and teaches skiing in the winter. ... Read more
Karl Schmidt
Born in New Jersey, Karl studied history at DePaul University in Chicago before leaving city life behind to pursue a life led largely outdoors. He has worked as a ranch hand, a ski shop technician, and a radio host, all while guiding in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. ... Read more
John Beye
John grew up in Southeast Wisconsin and has always had a love for nature and wild places. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Geography with an emphasis on People/Environment Interaction, followed by a joint Master's certificate and degree in Environmental Education and Sustainable Tourism from Teton Science Schools and Colorado State University, respectively. For the past decade, John has helped connect students and travelers to some of the most beautiful places in the world and he is thrilled to be calling Jackson Hole home. ... Read more
