Hello, I’m Kristen
It is so nice to meet you! I am a birder, naturalist, entrepreneur, tour leader, speaker, traveler and wildlife photographer. My explorations of the natural world began at a very young age, developing into a lifelong passion for wildlife and the outdoors. Through all my endeavors I am on a mission to teach people about nature and bring them together with the natural world.
I believe that the more people understand the natural world, the more they will want to protect it. Small changes make a big difference.
As a fifth-generation entrepreneur, I love tackling the daily challenges of running a successful small business. Through my backyard bird feeding and nature shop, Wild Birds Unlimited Barrie, I enjoy connecting with people and bringing birds and nature into their lives.
One of the reasons I love running my own business is the freedom that it allows me to pursue other passions, including travelling (to see many birds and wildlife species as possible), leading birding and nature tours, as well as giving workshops and speaking to a wide range of audiences (40 presentations and counting thus far).
Within the pages of this blog it is my hope you will find unique wildlife in incredible places (including my own backyard), get a little closer to nature and perhaps learn something along the way. If you’re interested to learn a little more about my experience with birding and natural history, please continue reading below.
Happy exploring!
- Kristen Martyn
A Birder and Naturalist
Kristen’s passion for wildlife led her to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Zoology as well as a post-graduate program in Ecotourism and Adventure Tourism Management. While Kristen has an interest and exceptional understand of a wide range of natural history topics, her expertise lies in ornithology (study of birds), herpetology (study of reptiles and amphibians) and native North American flora. She also has a strong working knowledge of mammals and invertebrates (entomology).
Kristen is an avid birdwatcher, who has birded all over North America, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Australia and Southern Africa. She has spent countless hours leading birding tours, birding in the field and taking birding trips.
In addition to her passion for bird watching Kristen is also a specialist in the field herpetology (study of reptiles and amphibians). Kristen has had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects in the field with some of Canada’s most endangered reptiles and extensively with a variety of species in captivity.