LIZ GUERTIN
My mission in life is to connect people to the outdoors to inspire their exploration of wild places and to increase their desire to protect them. To further these efforts, I quit two jobs in 2019, put my volunteering on hold, and went on the road for 10 weeks in my Ford Expedition. The bed was so tight back there that I had to wriggle into it like a worm each night, but it was the beginning of a journey that would define my future. Fast forward to today, I lived in a Sprinter van for much of 2020, photographing birds and sharing my adventures; we all navigated a global pandemic (and still are); and I’ve begun to build on a long history of outdoor leadership and skills instruction in my photography and artwork.
My own wilderness journey begun strapped to my parents’ backs, hiking in the great outdoors. Both parents became scientists, my father in natural resources management, and my mother, a plant scientist and watercolor artist. They modeled a passion for conservation and adventure as worthy lifelong pursuits. I followed with work on grassroots environmental campaigns and scientific journals publishing, until I found my true passion, leading & teaching others in the outdoors. I’ve been an Outings Leader with the Sierra Club Potomac Region Outings group since 2008, where I also served as both Chair and Vice Chair for four years each. In addition, I taught Wilderness Survival Skills, Essential Camping Skills, Art of Fire, Map & Compass Orienteering, and led guided hikes for the REI Outdoor School from 2017-19. My most recent endeavors include teaching nature photography basics for the Audubon Naturalist Society and work towards a certificate as a Master Naturalist for the state of Maryland, which has proven to be rich in its experience and the people I get to work with. I do hope you’ll join me as I continue to develop future classes and adventures for all!
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KEEP IN TOUCH
I love to hear from you! Send me questions about places, species, services, trip planning, artistic collaboration, commissions, or just to say hi!