Charlie grew up in Oregon, playing outside with friends, rain or shine (mostly rain) and getting his hands dirty, wet and sticky in pursuit of creatures that crept, crawled, buzzed, or slithered in his mother’s garden. He often turned his blocks and stuffed animals into vast imaginary wild worlds, and was often entertained by National Geographic documentaries. But it was a trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks at age 10 that transformed his life. Close encounters with grizzly bears, bison and newly reintroduced grey wolves convinced Charlie that he wanted to become a wildlife photographer and live in Jackson, Wyo.

Today, he still loves photography, and he’s expanded his passion to include international travel. A college semester spent abroad in Dunedin, New Zealand, helped inspire his thesis on evaluating the source of tourism policies for small island developing states. He graduated from Willamette University in Oregon with a degree in International Studies.

While his passion for travel remains constant, the many changes he’s witnessed in the natural world have galvanized Charlie to promote conservation. Despondent over the increasing number of summer days spent inside to avoid extreme heat and wildfire smoke and the fact that glaciers he hiked in 2008 are now only accessed by helicopter, Charlie is proud to be part of Nat Hab and our mission of “Conservation through Exploration.”

Charlie’s travels have taken him to Canada, Costa Rica, Belize, China, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Europe, and most recently, a trip to Patagonia with Nat Hab. Still, the Yellowstone ecosystem remains his favorite place on Earth.