Tracey was born in Burlington, Ontario. She spent her childhood watching nature programs with her brother, and the bear biologists she saw on TV inspired her dream of becoming a wildlife biologist. She earned a wildlife biology degree from Guelph University and a teaching and geography degree from Lakehead University. During the summers, she worked as a biologist for Environment Canada, testing waters in the Great Lakes and researching snapping turtles. She also conducted wildlife population assessments for Algonquin Provincial Park, studied how logging practices affected small mammals in Northern Ontario, and completed a thesis focused on amphibian decline. Tracey was thrilled to be a part of important research, often funded by WWF, that examined whether wildlife numbers were stable, why certain species were declining,  and what humans could do to help keep ecosystems intact.

Tracey found her true passion in environmental education, teaching others about the wonders of the natural world. She was employed as an interpretive naturalist for Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, worked as a botany lab instructor and interpretive guide instructor at a university, and led at-risk youth programs. In 1999, she became a grizzly bear guide on the coast of British Columbia. She also guided across the Canadian Rockies and Western Canada. She is currently the executive director of the Interpretive Guides Association of Canada and speaks at conferences around the globe.

A mountain biking coach for more than 10 years, Tracey loves traveling to new places and meeting new people while riding. She runs a mountain biking company called Mystic Mountain Adventures in Fernie, BC, and is passionate about helping people from 4 to 84 feel confident on their bikes. Mountain biking has taken her to incredible places across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Italy and France, and many more places remain on her bucket list. She also enjoys birding, wildlife watching and exploring her own backyard on foot and by paddleboard. Tracey previously spent summers in the Canadian Rockies and winters in the Southwest U.S. She now lives with her partner, who is also a guide, and her one-eyed cat, Gracie, in an oceanfront condo in Campbell River, BC.

Upcoming Adventures with Tracey:
Belugas, Bears & Summer Wildlife of Churchill