Born in England, Heather fell in love with Canada when she first visited the vast country at age 18. Since then, Canada’s wilderness, wildlife and endless exploration possibilities have regularly drawn her back. Raised to appreciate nature, Heather and her family spent long weekends sailing the Devonshire coast and camping in Wales and France on extended summer holidays. Early on, mountain climbing became an important aspect of her life, so she began making choices that enabled her to live in the mountains. In Canada, mountains mean bears, and it wasn’t long before Heather became enamored with these majestic creatures. She devoured every text about bears she could find and started guiding nature tours in grizzly bear country. Her degree in Physical Geography (aka earth sciences) solidified her understanding of natural processes and habitats. Believing we are never finished accumulating knowledge, Heather has continued to learn from many skilled, passionate naturalists and experts all over the world, and she considers every day a chance to discover something new.

Heather divides her guiding time primarily between the Canadian Rockies and Churchill, bringing her years of experience and wealth of knowledge to Nat Hab's polar bear tours. She has recently added Iceland to her guiding repertoire. Beyond Nat Hab, she further utilizes her skills as a certified hiking guide and qualified interpretive guide to lead varied groups on nature adventures, educational eco-tours and wildlife viewing excursions. Heather seeks to foster positivity in everyone who travels with her and aims to send her guests home feeling awed, inspired and with a greater understanding of the intricacies of the natural world. Outside of guiding, Heather enjoys discovering new foods, skiing, and exploring new mountains. An intrepid traveler, she embraces opportunities for adventure, including skiing in Kashmir (the Indian Himalaya), the Republic of Georgia, and Svalbard.

Upcoming Adventures with Heather:
Polar Bears of Churchill
Iceland: Circling the Land of Fire & Ice


Praise from Nat Hab travelers:

Y. Han
"Heather was absolutely a gem. She is extremely strong in so many important areas. She had both a breadth and depth of knowledge in areas of geography, topography, history, polar bears' physiology and animal behavior. She was able to pack a lot of great knowledge in a few minutes time, without overwhelming us, without being pedantic or boring us. She was clear and concise yet gave enough texture to her explanations that you could remember what she shared. That takes true talent—it is as if she is a 'lecture whisperer'. Heather was also incredibly on top of things: she ran a well-greased machine in her ability to move us from event to event without ever making us feel rushed, and also sprinkled in joy, fun and adventure. She was able to convey our schedule in a clear, concise manner. Do you know the talent it takes for a person to convey information in ways that everyone understands? When there were slight changes, she was upbeat, optimistic and unflappable. Her passion, enthusiasm and joy in her work were so evident. She was excellent with every single one of us—attentive, sensitive, responsive and respectful of our needs and our questions. Most of all she was exceptional in her 'soft-skills'. Her intuition and sensitivity made it an absolute pleasure to have her as our daily guide. I do feel she contributed significantly to my greater appreciation of and respect for the polar bears and tundra life in Churchill. She ignited my curiosity to all of this. I am tempted to go on another Polar Bear Adventure and taking my family this time. She is a KEEPER."

P. Flowers
"Words can not explain how fabulous Heather was. She kept our exuberant group on point and was very attentive, noticing small things we said. We all fell in love with her—she really grabbed a piece of our hearts. She was the perfect leader for our group."

J. Myers
"Heather was a fabulous Expedition Leader! She was a wealth of information and has a passion for what she is doing, which she shared with us! This adventure was much more than I anticipated, thanks to Heather. It was the trip of a lifetime." 

M. Savage
"Heather was exceptional. I have never had a better guide on any tour. Her photography skills allowed us to see the lights, and her knowledge about the Churchill area and wildlife helped us enjoy the trip much more than we otherwise could have."

S. Crutchfield
"I have been on many expeditions in my life and we can say that Heather was the most attentive to all travelers, courteous, helpful and focused on traveler safety of all of the Expedition Leaders we have ever had with any company."

P. Ellinger
"Heather was the best Expedition Leader we've ever had in our many years of traveling. She was a wealth of information regarding every question we asked her. She was incredibly friendly, professional, always cheerful and accommodating."

E. Blum
"Heather is a rare and valued find for Nat Hab. She delivers her knowledge with great enthusiasm and passion. She is a remarkably mature person and has great people skills."

J. Miller
"Heather is an asset to Nat Hab. Her level of knowledge, passion and communication made our trip unbelievably smooth and hassle free. She was a pleasure to spend the trip with, and I came away a more educated guest because of her commitment to her craft."

W. Anthony
"Heather exhibited a genuine enthusiasm ALL the time. She never seemed to get tired...ever. We loved her knowledge and ability to express that to all of us. We learned much more than I expected thanks to her."

N. Pauls
"Heather is everything I want in a guide. She is extremely knowledgeable and an expert on many subjects. She is also able to convey her knowledge in an easily understood way. She is always cheerful and accommodating."

K. Shea
"Heather is an amazing guide. She is a wonderful combination of knowledge, organization and fun! I don’t often give perfect marks but she deserves them!"

D. Shea
"Heather was superb. I travel extensively and she is one of the best. She has a great combination of efficiency, enthusiasm and professionalism. Her upbeat attitude and smile are infectious."

L. Miles
"Heather was a fantastic Expedition Leader. She looked after the group so well. Everybody liked her. She has great enthusiasm, and the love for what she does shines through. She was always smiling and telling us everything we asked of her. Nothing was too much trouble. I can't speak more highly of her."

J. Morgan
"Heather was amazing! She is extremely knowledgeable, patient and attentive to all travelers. This was my first time with Nat Hab. I’ll definitely use this company again and recommend it to my friends and family thanks to our guide. Excellent job, Heather."

V. Schnekenburger
"Heather was so personable, professional, knowledgeable and helpful throughout the trip. She was truly genuine and obviously enjoyed her work. She always did everything in her power to keep everyone satisfied."