Our tour guides are experts drawn from the fields of geology, science communication and history. Many are practising geologists and academics with extensive experience of research and education.

John Noad

Gene Rankey

Tomas Villamil

Mark G. Rowan

Richard Collier

Rob Knipe

Mark Hammond

Rob Butler

Josep Anton Muñoz

Paul Wright

Lee Krystinik

Expert Guides | GeoCultura

Having been born into a family of small hoteliers M&aacute;ir&iacute;n never moved away from the tourism / travel industries during her entire working career.
M&aacute;ir&iacute;n graduated from UCD in 1976 with an honours degree in French and German plus a certificate in Archaeology. These helped her indulge her passion for travelling to faraway lands and learning about different cultures before coming to appreciate the wealth of heritage at home in Ireland.
Starting with inbound Tourism , then Aviation, M&aacute;ir&iacute;n&rsquo;s work included promotions &amp; marketing, familiarisation trips, working with national &amp; overseas travel trade &amp; media. When the opportunity arose to train as a Tourist Guide she embraced it enthusiastically, obtaining her Cork City and Environs guiding qualification in 1999 (blue badge). Following increased demand from overseas for foreign language guides to lead itineraries all over the island of Ireland, M&aacute;ir&iacute;n agreed to extend her range of tours in 2012, subsequently going on to obtain the National guiding qualification (white badge).
The Irish spelling of her name (which is pronounced &ldquo;Maureen&rdquo;) mirrors her love of Ireland&rsquo;s unique language and culture which she enjoys sharing with visitors from all over the world.

Janok Bhattacharya is a professor of geology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. He is particularly interested in river, shoreline and nearshore environments, each of which are well represented in the rocks and landscapes of western North America.
Janok has received numerous awards for his leadership, speaking and published works. He frequently delivers talks to professional and amateur groups; recent topics ranged from Variation of Rivers and their Paleo-drainage in Mesozoic North America to The Origin of Life and Martian Possibilities.
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Tours from Janok Bhattacharya: A Desert Adventure: Southeastern Utah Landscapes and Cultures

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Marcia Bjornerud is a geologist and science writer who lives in Appleton, Wisconsin, and has a successful and established reputation for illuminating earth history to the public. Marcia holds the Schober Endowed Chair in Environmental Science and Geoscience at Lawrence University. She teaches courses ranging from &ldquo;hard rock&rdquo; and planetary geology to environmental modeling and the history of science.&nbsp;
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Marcia is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America and was a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Norway (2000&ndash;2001) and New Zealand (2009). She was named Outstanding Educator in 2011 by the Association of Women Geoscientists. She is the author of three well-received books, <a class="Hyperlink SCXW233244052 BCX8" href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Reading_the_Rocks.html?id=ZPxSAwAAQBAJ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the Earth</a> (2005),<a class="Hyperlink SCXW233244052 BCX8" href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Timefulness/H72tDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Timefulness</a> (2018) and <a class="Hyperlink SCXW233244052 BCX8" href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691212579/geopedia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geopedia</a> (2022), and a contributing writer to the New Yorker&rsquo;s science and technology blog, &ldquo;<a class="Hyperlink SCXW233244052 BCX8" href="https://www.newyorker.com/search/q/bjornerud" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elements</a>&rdquo;.&nbsp;
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When not studying Wisconsin&rsquo;s rocks, Marcia celebrates other aspects of Wisconsin&rsquo;s natural heritage as an avid cross-country skier, cyclist and berry picker. 
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Tours from Marcia Bjornerud:&nbsp;
Wisconsin Rocks and Art: Glaciers, Baraboo, Frank Lloyd Wright and the American Players Theatre&nbsp;
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Dr Penny Bradshaw is an Associate Professor of English Literature at the University of Cumbria and Programme Leader for the MA in Literature, Romanticism, and the Lake District.  She is also theme lead for Cultural Landscapes within the University&rsquo;s Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas and publishes primarily within the field of place writing, with a particular focus on Romantic-era Lake District literature. Penny is also interested in literary tourism. She runs literary-themed tours for students as well as public audiences and is the author of two literary tour guides: Literary Lancaster (2016) and A Literary Walking Tour of Ambleside (2021).

Rob Butler is Professor of Tectonics at Aberdeen University; he is active in the Geological Society of London and is on the Board of the Scottish Geology Trust.
Rob is an enthusiastic and captivating spokesman for the earth&rsquo;s geology. He delivers frequent talks on the landscapes and history of the Scottish Highlands (and other topics). Some of these may be viewed on his educational YouTube page, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIUYjr1yPCZQWYl9cJCO1mA" target="_blank">The Shear Zone</a>. He has also appeared in the BBC&rsquo;s Men of Rocks series.
As an expert tectonic geologist, Rob&rsquo;s best-known research is on the structural geology of mountain belts (Scotland, the Alps, the Himalayas, the Apennines and Arabia), and he has worked extensively on the "Salinity Crisis" in the central Mediterranean.
Rob has won a number of awards from the Geological Society of London, most recently the first Dewey Medal (2018), awarded for significant contributions to geology through field work, leadership and promoting geoconservation.
Tours from Rob Butler: The NW Highlands of Scotland

Richard Collier currently resides in Yorkshire, England. He is Senior Lecturer in Tectonics and Sedimentation at Leeds University and runs a geological consultancy, Collier Consulting Ltd.
His core research interests focus on achieving a holistic understanding of sedimentary processes and interactions between fault evolution and sedimentation within active continental rifts, and across the rift to continental margin transition. Current projects continue his established research in the Gulf of Corinth Rift and the Red Sea Rift.
Richard has published extensively on the Corinth Rift, including contributing to <a href="https://books.google.dk/books/about/The_Gulf_of_Corinth.html?id=02c-AAAACAAJ&amp;redir_esc=y" target="_blank">The Gulf of Corinth (Classic Geology in Europe series)</a>, and has guided numerous groups through the area.
Tours from Richard Collier:
Geology and Archaeology in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece

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Mark Cooper resides in Calgary, Canada, where he manages his own consultancy, Sherwood Geoconsulting, and is an Honorary Professor of Geology at the University of Aberdeen, UK. He is an avid communicator and enjoys sharing his knowledge of the history and heritage of the Canadian Rockies.&nbsp;
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Mark&rsquo;s career includes time in academia and industry and has involved projects in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. For the last 15 years Mark has been teaching classroom and field courses, many in the Rocky Mountains, to enthusiastic reviews. He has been a Distinguished Lecturer for the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.&nbsp;
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Mark is also involved in developing awareness of the impact of climate change in Canada.&nbsp;
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Mark has worked and published on the geology of the Rocky Mountain foothills of western Canada for more than 30 years and enjoys spending time in the mountains, whether doing fieldwork, hiking or skiing.&nbsp;
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Tours from Mark Cooper:&nbsp;
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Prairies to Pacific &ndash; An Epic Journey through the Geology, Landscapes and History of Western Canada&nbsp;
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Jeff is Principal Curator &amp; Head of Learning at The Wordsworth Trust. Jeff has worked in the Museums world for 38 years, having begun his career as a volunteer with the Wordsworth Trust in 1981 before becoming Curator in 1994. The Trust cares for the single largest collection of Wordsworth&rsquo;s verse manuscripts, many of them now held in the place where they were written, and holds the four surviving notebooks comprising Dorothy Wordsworth&rsquo;s Grasmere journal. In 2010, Jeff was awarded an MBE in recognition of services to museums. He is currently leading on the reinterpretation of the site and Museum for the HLF-funded project Reimagining Wordsworth.

Russell Davies splits his time between homes in Dallas, Texas, and Grand Junction, Colorado. He developed an interest in the rocks around Moab, Utah, over 30 years ago and has been leading geological field trips to the area ever since.
Russell is employed as a global geological advisor to the oil and gas as well as alternative energy sectors. He works on consulting projects for a range clients, teaches and has published papers on the structural geology of areas around the globe, including on the deformation of rocks across the Colorado Plateau.
He finds time each year to explore the high desert plateau and deep canyons of SE Utah, searching for ruins, rock art and new hiking trails and unraveling geological mysteries, making geology more of an avocation than a vocation. In his spare time he reads, hikes, bakes bread, rock crawls in a jeep and spends time with family.

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Alistair Donohew lives near Truro in Cornwall, England, where he manages his own environmental and economic consultancy, Kovia Consulting Ltd. Alistair is a proud Cornishman with a deep love of Cornwall&rsquo;s natural and cultural history - he also makes a fine pasty.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Alistair has nearly twenty-five years&rsquo; experience encompassing scientific research, technical consulting and policy advice as well as time teaching. His consulting work has included roles in environmental assessments, mergers and acquisitions, economic evaluations, urban regeneration, sustainable procurement, social and economic impact assessment, strategy formation, and feasibility studies.&nbsp;
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Alistair has been a teacher of science and geography at several schools and colleges and has guided many trips around the Duchy.&nbsp;
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Tours from Alistair Donohew:&nbsp;
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Energy of the Future: Exploring the GeoEnergy Revolution in Cornwall, England&nbsp;
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Jonathan Evans currently resides in Dorset, England, close to Corfe Castle. He has guided many groups along the Dorset and Devon coasts, both for geoscientists and individuals from other backgrounds.
Jonathan has spent his career in the petroleum industry, initially in technical roles and then in management roles in India, Pakistan and Oman and, finally, global leadership roles from the UK. More recently, Jonathan elected to retire from industry to pursue other interests.
He was involved in supporting the application for the Jurassic Coast to be recognized with UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
Jonathan&rsquo;s interests include sailing, beekeeping and organic vegetable gardening.
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Tours from Jonathan Evans:
The Fascinating Landforms and Fossil Treasures of England&rsquo;s Jurassic Coast (3 days)
The Jurassic Coast of England: Geology, Fossils, Landscapes and Castles (6 days)

Dr Paul Ferguson grew up next to what was then a working quarry in the north-eastern Lake District. He is a Senior Lecturer in literature and culture at the University of Cumbria and is the programme lead for the MA in Creative Practice. He also teaches modules on &lsquo;Literature and the Environment&rsquo; and &lsquo;Contemporary Cumbrian Fiction&rsquo; for the MA Literature, Romanticism and the Lake District. He has published on literary connections with the Anthropocene and is currently working on material relating &lsquo;local&rsquo; Cumbrian experiences to global events'.

Ian Francis grew up near Loweswater, in the northwest Lake District. Having gained his degree and PhD in geology from Oxford University, he worked as a Higher Scientific Office with the Geological Conservation Review Unit in Newbury, then as a well-site geologist in the Australian outback, before returning to the UK to lead earth science book publishing at Blackwell (later Wiley-Blackwell).
Ian is co-author of The Lake District: Landscape and Geology, recently published by Crowood Press, and writes a regular column on landscape and geology for Cumbria Magazine.
Ian is a keen fell walker, musician and photographer, and a member of the Cumbria GeoConservation Group, a volunteer organisation working to record and preserve important geological sites in the county.
He lives in Maryport, on the Cumbrian coast.

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Mark Hammond&nbsp;currently&nbsp;resides in&nbsp;Chichester, England.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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A visiting professor at Canterbury Christchurch University and a visiting Fellow at the University of Bath, Mark&nbsp;has an MA in history from Cambridge University and an honorary doctorate from Canterbury. He is currently a non-executive Board Director for the Crown Prosecution Service and for the General Pharmaceutical Council. Mark previously worked as Chief Executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission for 5 years and of West Sussex County Council for 6 years. He also served as a diplomat in the British Embassy, Washington, and helped to negotiate the Climate Change Convention. 
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Tours from Mark Hammond:&nbsp;
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How Geology and Geologists shaped the History of Southern England&nbsp;
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Alex Hare is an award-winning professional travel, landscape and tourism photographer based in Kent, southeast England. He is also an experienced photo tour guide, well equipped to help you build your photography skills and confidence with any smartphone or camera during our photography tour.
Whatever your level of experience, Alex is here to help you. He&rsquo;s particularly passionate about helping new or inexperienced photographers master their smartphone or camera to make the most of the kit they have. He also has plenty of technical, creative and post-production tips to help advanced photographers enhance their existing skills.
Alex has taught hundreds of adult learners, from beginners through to advanced, on the various workshops he has run over the years. He studied photography as part of his own Undergraduate degree, and has formal teaching experience from teaching photography students at his local university.
Alongside Kent, Alex&rsquo;s other favourite places to photograph are the picturesque Lake District and, of course, the Scottish Highlands, the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Skye!
As a self-confessed outdoors-type and a practiced landscape photographer, Alex is committed to protecting the natural environment, and puts 5% of profits towards environment-supporting charities and carbon offset initiatives.

Dr Vickie Heaney&rsquo;s background is in zoology with a PHD specialisation in seabirds, and the Isles of Scilly provide plenty of birdlife for her to study and conserve.
As a Seabird Ecologist with the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, Vickie&rsquo;s work includes monitoring the Isles&rsquo; avian visitors, and improving conditions through initiatives like the Seabird Recovery Project. Among other outcomes, this has been credited with bringing successful breeding populations of Manx Shearwaters and Storm Petrels back to Scilly.
Vickie&rsquo;s other passion is printmaking, and from her studio on St Mary&rsquo;s she creates limited runs of linocut prints inspired by seabirds, nautical themes and island life, together with hand decorated ceramics with striking designs.
With Jess Vian, Vickie runs Isles of Scilly Tours. During the winter months, her ornithology expertise takes her to the far south, helping to engage expedition cruise ships passengers about wildlife in places like the Falklands Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica.

Originally from Dudley in the West Midlands, Ken lives in near Cork and is ideally positioned to help you discover the natural wonders of Ireland and the Dingle Peninsula.
After graduating with a PhD from the University of Sheffield, Ken worked for the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) in Dublin for 11 years before moving to the Department of Geology at University College Cork, becoming an Associate Professor in 2002.
He established an internationally-recognised research centre on Palynology (the study of microscopic organisms, spores and pollen), that focused on the Devonian and Carboniferous periods, when the first plants spread across the land.
He has over 100 peer reviewed research publications and since his retirement in 2012 has co-authored three books on Irish geology, including the Geology of the Dingle.
In addition to geology, Ken enjoys gardening and athletics. Following retirement he took up running, and since 2019 has represented Ireland at both cross country and track running in international Masters Athletics events.

Bob is a Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences at Durham University, and has a lifelong association with Scilly. First visiting the islands at the age of four, Bob has returned several times every year ever since. Scrambling around the wild rock landscapes of Scilly and hunting for beautiful sea-polished pebbles on its shores had a profound, positive influence on his choice of future career.
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Exploring and studying geological landscapes in the field is a real passion for Bob, and he likes nothing better than sharing his experiences and understanding with novices and experts alike. He is a regular contributor to media stories about geology, especially earthquakes, and is widely recognised for his skill in making the subject accessible and engaging.
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A Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and of the Geological Society of London, Bob has written over two hundred and twenty papers and chapters on aspects of geology worldwide, with a strong focus on the geology and evolution of the British Isles. Scilly is just a microcosm of that passion for archipelagos, and Bob has also helped to write visitor guides about the fascinating earth history of Scilly http://naturalhistoryofscilly.info/geology-tour.

Rob has immersed himself in the Scottish Highlands for more than 40 years, during which time he has developed a passion for its geology and landscapes that almost rivals his passion for his native Wales!
Rob has won awards for his work, including the prestigious William Smith Medal from The Geological Society of London, and is a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.
Rob is currently involved in Energy Transition, and works with local and national groups promoting changes towards a carbon neutral society. He is also part of the World Heritage Site team working to raise awareness of the slate landscapes in North Wales.
Tours from Rob Knipe:
The NW Highlands of Scotland
London, Stonehenge, Bath, and the Jurassic Coast

Rob Knipe is the Chairperson at GeoCultura and an Emeritus Professor of Structural Geology at the University of Leeds; he splits his time between homes in Yorkshire and Wales and revels in engaging the public in the history and application of science. He also created and led &lsquo;Rock Deformation Research Ltd&rsquo;, a leading structural geological consultancy.

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Bob Krantz resides in Durango, Colorado, where he combines geological teaching and research with telling non-specialists about earth history.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Bob is a consulting geologist, Adjunct Professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson and faculty member at Fort Lewis College in Durango. He specializes in fault and fracture systems, with current research focusing on applying 3-D cognitive and visualization skills in complex structural settings.&nbsp;
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While a grad student in Tucson and throughout his career, Bob has led field trips for the general public, including for Elderhostels, many in his native Arizona. He has also engaged with K-12 educators for science enrichment, and is past chair of the AAPG Youth Education Activities committee.&nbsp;
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Bob&rsquo;s love of field geology has to accommodate his other interests. He has a passion for sports cars, from restorations to racing. Once a competitive mountain biker, he still enjoys riding trails around the west. And Bob still finds time to pursue landscape photography, with both digital and old-school film.&nbsp;
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Tours from Bob Krantz:&nbsp;
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The Geology and Landscapes of Southern Arizona 
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Lee has won a number of awards for technical and presentation excellence, and has had the honor to serve as president of both the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Society for Sedimentary Geology. He is actively involved in addressing public misconceptions of climate change and pragmatic approaches for appropriate policy.
In addition to spending time hiking and exploring the mountains of the western US, he enjoys competing in (and winning!) equestrian events with his &ldquo;monster&rdquo; horse Kilo, who is a bit taller than 6 ft at the shoulder.
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Tours from Lee Krystinik:
Rambling, Rafting, Riding and Rifting: Exploring the Rio Grande Rift of Colorado and New Mexico

Lee Krystinik lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he delights in being part of a "passing it forward" group to communicate knowledge of the geological past to all. Lee is the principal and founder of Equus Energy Partners, LLC, and uses integrated geoscience to assess earth resources.

Richard has had a storied history in the Royal Navy, having served for 27 years in a variety of significant roles. After teaching himself to dive in 1947 in the River Thames, his passion for exploring shipwrecks took off, and since then Richard has dived all over the world and on hundreds of wreck sites.
Richard&rsquo;s career highlights include discovering and investigating the wreck of HMS Association off the coast of the Isles of Scilly, and using his ingenuity to help raise the Mary Rose in 1982, a feat which earned him a personal letter of thanks from the then-Prince Charles.
Other notable moments include Richard being awarded an OBE for his work in cataloguing UK shipwrecks through the National Maritime Record, and discovering the wreck of the Admiral Gardner which yielded millions of copper coins.
Richard has written over 60 books on the subject of shipwrecks, including nine about the Isles of Scilly, and will be talking about his adventures, British naval history and a number of key Scilly shipwrecks.

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Gil Machado resides in the greater Lisbon area, where he couples his geology background with his passion for history and archeology to expound upon the many ties between Portugal&rsquo;s past and its physical setting. From early in his career, Gil has enjoyed leading geo-tours and other public science events.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Gil is founder of a geological consulting company, Chronosurveys, as well as a researcher at the University of Lisbon. He has worked projects in Portugal and the Middle East, focusing on applied biostratigraphy, microfossil recovery, artificial intelligence and machine learning using stratigraphic data.&nbsp;
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Gil has had a love of geology since his teenage years. Combining this with the Portuguese way of life and a family makes a perfect match, while martial arts keep him physically and mentally fit!&nbsp;
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Tours from Gil Machado:&nbsp;
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Stone, Water and Quakes: A Geo-historical Tour of Old Town Lisbon and the Arr&aacute;bida National Park 
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With a lifetime of working in the great outdoors and an enviable knowledge of the best places to visit in Scotland, Ali has more than enough experience of guiding people around her homeland.
As a Blue Badge-accredited guide with the Scottish Tourist Guides Association, Ali delights in showcasing Scottish landscapes, wildlife, culture and history.
Career highlights for Ali include working as Education Manager for the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), and running the Discovery Centre at the Royal Highland Show, Scotland&rsquo;s biggest annual agricultural show which attracts visitors and exhibitors from across the country.
Ali&rsquo;s Hill and Moorland Leader (HML) qualification means she is perfectly placed to take you on and off the beaten track in search of spectacular landscapes, captivating wildlife and history-rich sites in Scotland.

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Josep Anton Mu&ntilde;oz currently resides in Barcelona, Spain, where he is a professor of structural geology at the University of Barcelona and Founder and Director of the Geomodels Research Institute.&nbsp;
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Josep Anton is a structural geologist specializing in fold and thrust belts, fault systems and salt tectonics.&nbsp;
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Hisprimary research interests are kinematic and dynamic evolution of orogens, 3D reconstruction of geological bodies and structural characterization of thrust and fold systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Honors include recognition in 2002 as a young researcher&nbsp; by the Catalan Government.&nbsp;
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Tours from Josep:&nbsp;
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The Collision of Tectonics and Culture: The Influence of Salt on Landscapes, History and People in the Catalan Pyrenees 
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Jon Noad resides in Calgary, Alberta, where he is in demand for running &ldquo;Geology for Non-geologists&rdquo; courses. Jon is a consulting geologist and palaeontologist, an Adjunct Professor at Mount Royal University, Calgary, and a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide. Jon specializes in sedimentology and trace fossils and is currently researching Cretaceous river systems and fossil localities in Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta.&nbsp;
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Jon has led groups in the field for many years, and is an enthusiastic teacher and presenter. He has taught university courses in Alberta and internationally. He has recently developed a popular portfolio of geology-focused videos across western Canada.&nbsp;
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In addition to fieldwork, Jon loves hiking, wildlife photography and travel. He has run more than 30 marathons and skies in the winter. He also enjoys cooking and eating hot curries.&nbsp;
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Tours from Jon Noad:&nbsp;
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From the Rockies to the Badlands: Geology, Dinosaurs and Settlements of Alberta 
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Paul Olsen is a professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the Lamont&ndash;Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University in Palisades, New York, is a research associate at a number of museums, including New York&rsquo;s American Museum of Natural History, has been given the Lenfest Distinguished Columbia Faculty Award and the Thomas Jefferson Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Natural Science, and is a member of the United States National Academy of Science.
His interest in geology, and paleontology and dinosaurs, in particular, was evident when, as a teen in New Jersey, he and a friend found dinosaur footprints. They led a successful campaign to have the site preserved, and the Riker Hill Fossil Park is now a National Natural Landmark, for which Olsen was given a Presidential Commendation by Richard Nixon.
Paul is a broadly trained paleontologist and geologist. His research focuses on the impact of climate change over geological time scales on the evolution of continental ecosystems, the influence of variations of the Earth's orbit on climate and sedimentation, and the effects of evolutionary innovations on biogeochemical cycles. Other projects include analysis of the mass extinction 202 million years ago that set up the dominance of the dinosaurs, and excavations at major fossil vertebrate sites throughout North America, Morocco, and China.
Paul has appeared in many documentaries on the history of life, climate, and environmental change.
Having a deep interest in in the fine arts, he worked his way through college as a graphic artist and painter, while his passion for the &ldquo;Dawn of the Age of Dinosaurs&rdquo; expresses itself through many scientific and popular fieldtrips from North Carolina to Nova Scotia, the western US, and Morocco.

<ul>
<li>M. Phil. and Ph.D. in biology, Yale University, 1984</li>
<li>B.A. in geology, Yale University, 1978</li>
</ul>

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Henry Pettingill has homes in Texas, and in A&iacute;nsa, Spain and is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic expert linking Spanish geology, landscapes and local culture. Henry manages his own geological consultancy, and is a Senior Associate at Rose &amp; Associates LLP.&nbsp;
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His home in Spain is in an area of outstanding landscapes that is a world-class destination for examining sandstones and Henry has been leading groups through A&iacute;nsa for many years. The town (not necessarily the home!) is on the itinerary of the Aragon tour Henry leads for GeoCultura.&nbsp;
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Henry has been a professional geologist since 1983. One of his more recent job titles was Director of Business Innovation, where he was responsible for looking into the future to discern upcoming trends. The &ldquo;outside the box&rdquo; thinking required for this role led Henry to develop a training course on &ldquo;Creativity and Innovation&rdquo;, where participants discover that these are skills that can be learned.&nbsp;
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Henry was recognized by the American Association of Geologists as one of the &ldquo;100 Explorationists Who Made a Difference&rdquo; (2017).&nbsp;
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Tours from Henry Pettingill:&nbsp;
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A Geocultural Tour of Aragon: Geology, History and Gastronomy in the Spanish Pyrenees 
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Gene Rankey lives in Lawrence, Kansas, where he is Geology Professor at the University of Kansas. He enjoys travelling to and expounding on the geology and oceanography of anywhere there are carbonate rocks, from the Caribbean to west Texas and the South Pacific to SE Asia.
Gene has worked in industry and academia. He serves as co-Principal Investigator of an academic-industry consortium dedicated to research, training, and education for understanding subsurface carbonate systems. His research emphasizes field study of modern carbonate ramps and atolls, where both process (waves, tides, chemistry, etc.) and product (e.g., sediment, biota, geomorphology) can be observed. His perspectives are derived from field areas around the world.
His many publications include The Pull of the Tide: A History of Crooked Island, Bahamas, which presents the history of the inhabitants of a Bahamian island.
Aside from work, Gene enjoys spending time with his dogs, reading history books, and fitness. He always threatens to run away to the Bahamas, and one day will.
Tours from Gene Rankey:
Reefs, Turtles and Pirates: A Dip into the Geology, Ecology and History of the Bahamas

Eminently qualified to tell the story of Charles Darwin and his discoveries, Michael Roberts has travelled the world as a geologist, but also practiced as a vicar in north Wales, bringing together the sometimes-opposing worlds of science and religion.
Michael&rsquo;s travels as a geologist have taken him to Africa and closer to home, to the spectacular mountain ranges of Wales and Snowdonia, as he traces the footsteps of Darwin across the landscape.
For his work in bridging the gap between Darwin&rsquo;s research and Christian teachings, Michael&rsquo;s efforts have been recognised by a number of institutions, including the John Templeton Foundation which awarded him the Exemplary Paper in Science and Theology prize for &ldquo;Darwin&rsquo;s Doubts about Design&rdquo;.
Michael remains an active scholar in studying Darwin, geology and the role religion has played in developing scientific theories and likes to remain physically active too by cycling and mountain climbing across Wales.

Mark Rowan resides in Boulder, Colorado, where he manages his own consultancy, Rowan Consulting, Inc. Mark has been a Distinguished Lecturer and International Distinguished Instructor for the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and is most in his element when discussing technical and cultural topics with participants on tours. As he says, &ldquo;I love to tell stories.&rdquo;
Mark is a structural geologist with a world-wide reputation for expertise in salt tectonics, having been at the forefront of developing new ideas and revising old theories and applying them in salt basins around the world.
Mark is a recipient of the Doris M. Curtis Medal from the Gulf Coast Section of the Society for Sedimentary Geology and the Robert R. Berg Outstanding Research Award from the AAPG.
His interests include rock climbing, surfing and travel.
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Tours from Mark Rowan:
The Collision of Tectonics and Culture: The Influence of Salt on Landscapes, History and People in the Catalan Pyrenees

Richard Swarbrick lives in Bradford-upon-Avon, England, where he manages his own geological consultancy, Swarbrick GeoPressure Consultancy Ltd, and is an honorary professor at the University of Durham.
Richard specializes in the interpretation and validation of subsurface pressure data.
His career includes time in industry and academia, the latter involving teaching geology and basin studies. He founded the GeoPOP research group (a multi-disciplinary project investigating overpressure in sedimentary basins) and GeoPressure Technology Ltd (now part of Ikon Science). More recently he has worked independently consulting and teaching professional development courses.
Awarded with the Geological Society of London&rsquo;s Petroleum Group Medal in 2018, Richard is now semi-retired and increasingly involved in the GeoEnergy Transition &ndash; with interests in energy conservation and sustainable energy sources.
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Tours from Richard Swarbrick:
Energy of the Future: Exploring the GeoEnergy Revolution in Cornwall, England
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Taija is an Associate Professor at The University of Leeds and an expert in earth structures and mineral resources. Taija has worked in the Universities of Abo Akademi University in Finland, Aberdeen, Helsinki as well as Leeds, and has also spent time in industry, including working on the geological repository for containment of spent nuclear fuel in Finland.
Taija is passionate and experienced at communicating the complexities and uncertainties of interpreting earth processes. At present Taija is committed to promoting the understanding of how earth processes underpin societal needs for the energy transition, particularly the future challenges for stewardship of the required mineral and metal resources.
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Like many, Jess caught the Isles of Scilly bug from a young age after visiting the islands on holiday. After moving to the islands to work the 2001 summer season, Jess has never looked back. Throwing herself into island life, she has held an impressive number of roles over the years, working in the agricultural, tourism and transport industries.
Jess has a particular interest in the history of Scilly, with a specialisation in the lighthouses that dot the coastline and surrounding islands. Additionally, she has previously chaired the Isles of Scilly Museum Association and continues to support the organisation, as both a Trustee and the current Vice Chair.
Alongside Dr Vickie Heaney, Jess runs Isles of Scilly Tours, helping to guide visitors across and around the islands. Outside of guiding, Jess manages her smallholding of goats, chickens and ducks, and runs a small business making soap from goats&rsquo; milk.

With an extensive background in hiking and exploring Ireland&rsquo;s geological gems, John Walsh is ideally placed to take you around, above and below the country to visit its most fascinating features.
John is a great communicator and known for his super public speaking.
John is Professor of Structural Geology at University College Dublin, Co-Director of the internationally recognised Fault Analysis Group, and in 2015 became the first Irish Honorary Fellow of the Geological Society of London.
John has served on the editorial boards of five geological journals and has published countless papers. He is the Founding Director (2014-2018) and Earth Resources Theme Leader of the Irish Institute for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG), which works in areas including protecting water sources, sustainable energy production and assessing the effects of climate change.
John has won prestigious awards for his research and contributions to geology &ndash; he is also known for his success as a stand-up comedian!

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Marian Warren lives in Calgary, where she manages her own consultancy, Jenner GeoConsulting. Her work has taken her to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, SE Asia and the Americas, where she enjoys sharing with others how geology has influenced the course of human culture and events.&nbsp;
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A native of New England, Marian obtained degrees in geology and astronomy/physics, became an instructor in astronomy and then pursued her passion for the geology of mountain belts by completing projects in the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains. Her time in remote parts of the Columbia Mountains of British Columbia and her interactions with many geologists, local residents and the diverse landscapes across the Cordillera were key drivers in her decision to remain in Canada.&nbsp;
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Marian has received the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists&rsquo; Medal of Merit and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists&rsquo; Matson Award for excellence in technical publication and presentation, and she has toured in North America as an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer.&nbsp;
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Tours from Marian Warren:&nbsp;
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Prairies to Pacific &ndash; An Epic Journey through the Geology, Landscapes and History of Western Canada&nbsp;
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Expert Guides

Máirín Ahern

Janok P. Bhattacharya

Marcia Bjornerud

Penny Bradshaw

Rob Butler

Richard Collier

Mark Cooper

Jeff Cowton MBE

Russell K. Davies

Alistair Donohew

Jonathan Evans

Paul Ferguson

Ian Francis

Mark Hammond

Alex Hare

Vickie Heaney

Ken Higgs

Bob Holdsworth

Rob Knipe

Bob Krantz

Lee Krystinik

Richard Larn OBE

Gil Machado

Ali Motion

Josep Anton Muñoz de la Fuente

Jon Noad

Paul Olsen

Henry Pettingill

Gene Rankey

Michael Roberts

Mark Rowan

Richard Swarbrick

Taija Torvela

Jess Vian

John Walsh

Marian Warren