Erin Olmstead

A chance encounter with a pair of Barred Owls got Erin Olmstead hooked on birds almost 25 years ago. Since then she has dedicated her career to helping people connect with nature and appreciate the value of biodiversity. Her adventures as an interpretive naturalist / ‘birder converter’ have taken her from the bustling hawkwatch platform at Cape May, NJ and the briny shores of Mono Lake in California to the pristine tropical beaches of Costa Rica and the spectacular rainforest canopy of the Amazon.

After studying Spanish and Biology at the University of Richmond, Erin spent several years in Latin America getting to know the birding community and learning the ins and outs of ecotourism while exploring some of the world’s most intriguing destinations. Upon returning to the U.S. in 2008, she promptly fell in love with the Sonoran Desert, eventually putting down roots in Tucson, Arizona.

Before joining WINGS as a Tour Manager in 2014, Erin spent nearly five years on staff at Tucson Audubon, where she focused on outreach and fundraising activities, promoting the economics of watchable wildlife, and developing the Tucson Bird & Wildlife Festival (now known as the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival). Erin enjoys traveling internationally and birding with her husband, Scott – together they've experienced the unforgettable flora, fauna, and food of Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, China, Spain, and South Africa. Next stop: Nova Scotia! 

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