Spending the majority of her life in the Sonoran Desert, Jessica developed a deep interest in the way plants and animals adapt to their environments, especially in arid settings, and it’s an interest that is woven throughout her diverse experience as a naturalist guide. At the University of Arizona, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Family Studies and Human Development with a minor in Spanish, yet the call to spend extended time in nature, and eventually to pursue a career focused on wild realms, proved stronger. Jessica began her career as a naturalist guide in Saguaro National Park outside Tucson, where she interpreted the botany of the Sonoran Desert to locals and visitors alike. An avid photographer, she would spend her days off working on assignments for Arizona Highways magazine and teaching photography courses at her local co-op and REI. Pivotal moments in her photography career have involved photographing polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba, and penguins, leopard seals & blue whales in Antarctica.

When she was growing up, Jessica spent weeks in New Hampshire visiting family and soaking up the changing seasons—a vivid contrast to her life in Arizona. Yet her love for deserts and hot climates has remained steady, and exploring the American Southwest keeps it stoked. However, her photography and interpretation skills  have led her farther afield professionally. In Yellowstone National Park, she has guided photo tours and operated snowcoaches for winter travel within the park, developing a deep appreciation for a wide range of megafauna, mountain plant life, and the geothermal activity simmering under her feet. Most recently, she has built up substantial expertise as a bear guide, based during the summer at Nat Hab's Alaska Bear Camp in Lake Clark National Park since 2022.

A love for America’s national parks drew Jessica to her position as an Expedition Leader for Natural Habitat Adventures. As a guide, she emphasizes an appreciation for both the natural world and for our human role in conserving it, dual passions she hopes to instill in her guests. When she isn’t guiding, you’ll find Jessica pursuing photography for local magazines and building her visual image presence on Instagram, making films, art, music, kayaking (yes, even in Southern Arizona), camping and hiking.