our team
Our common interest is to provide a gateway to learn about birds and to preserve the natural world.
Our mission is to provide useful information and inspiring stories to connect our community to the wonder of birds and nature. Our team is dedicated to providing birding-related tools, instruction, and activities and to promote engagement with our natural world to study and enjoy birds and birding. Our backgrounds are varied and we seek to bring diverse perspectives and experience into our community.
Chris Bensley
Chris has spent most of this professional career in educational and adventure travel. He currently works for Holbrook Travel, a pioneer in outdoor travel to the natural world. Before Holbrook, Chris held leadership roles at Vantage, Paul Gauguin Cruises, and Overseas Adventure Travel. He has passion for birding and travel and has ventured to over 44 countries and 7 continents.
Peter Alden
Peter Alden is a world renowned naturalist, lecturer, ecotourism guide and author of 15 books on North American and African wildlife, including the National Audubon Society’s Regional Field Guide Series. He is considered to be an authority on birds and larger mammals of the world and is often consulted by the media and the ecotourism industry for his expertise.
Christine Beckwith
Christy is a fine artist, designer and teacher. She has a lifelong passion for outdoor exploration and serves as editor and producer for the Ward Reservation, part of the Trustees of the Reservations conservation organization. She studied art history at Connecticut College and currently works for the Andover Public Schools as a Special Ed Instructional Assistant. Her spark bird is a Northern Cardinal.