Natural Leader

Greg Meyer, a professional naturalist, outdoor guide and university lecturer, has observed nature up close on all seven continents. His childhood self would be pleased. 

"As a kid, I just wanted to be outdoors all the time," Meyer says. "When I was in college, though, I didn't think you could do that for a living, but I was lucky and sort of fell into doing this." 

Meyer graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in environmental studies and received his master's degree in the same discipline. Since then, he has led numerous international expeditions for eco-tourism organizations, universities, museums and outdoor education programs. 

During such a trip, he lectures on the natural history of the area and is the lead guide for activities such as whale watching in Alaska; birding in Belize, Costa Rica and Ecuador; snorkeling in the Bahamas; kayaking and snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands; backpacking and hiking in Switzerland; and observing Antarctic wildlife from a Zodiac boat, which he operates. His personal travels include visits to Africa, Australia and Asia.

Closer to home, for more than 20 years Meyer has guided local residents on year-round trips in central and northern California through Los Gatos-Saratoga Recreation (LGS). Next month, Meyer will once again lead a Monterey Bay whale cruise. 

"Summer is not typically known for whale watching, but, in fact, that's the best time to watch whales in California," Meyer says. "They come into Monterey Bay to feed and tend to be predictable. The weather is better, and they're doing interesting things, while in winter they are just migrating, swimming past California. [In the summer] we see them feeding, socializing, traveling, and sometimes we see killer Orca whales harassing the humpbacks. Sometimes friendly humpbacks come up to the boat and interact with it. They follow the boat, swim in circles around it, and send water through their blowholes onto the people. It's pretty wild." 

Sea lions, seals, dolphins and countless seabirds are co-stars of the trip, which goes 5-15 miles offshore. 

"During all those summer trips, we've never not seen whales," Meyer says. 

As a certified instructor, Meyer also gives kayaking lessons so people can go with him to places such as Elkhorn Slough near Monterey and lakes in the Sierra Nevada. 

"Elkhorn Slough is one of the premier places to see sea otters in California because those kinds of quiet, shallow waterways are where sea otters used to live in great numbers, historically," Meyer says. "They're very relaxed, since there's a lot of food around. Sometimes we go out there and see them from a distance, and other times they are, literally, climbing on our boat, so you can never predict." 

Mark James, who took Meyer's kayaking lessons via LGS a year ago, says Meyer's knowledge, skills, personality —"and cookies"—were pluses to the enjoyable lessons. Janet Sumpter, a recreation supervisor at LGS, says she dittos James' remarks, having taken the class this year. She went on the kayaking trip Meyer led in April to Elkhorn Slough, as shown in one of this article's photos. 

Meyer's next kayaking trip is a June 18-19 overnight campout alongside an alpine lake in the Sierras. For land lovers, his Fall Creek Traverse, near Felton, on July 23 will involve a 5.5-mile hike to explore the area's natural and human history. 

Meyer is the sole lecturer of the outdoor education and recreation program at CSU Monterey Bay. He says he likes to bring students to relatively close but lesser-known nature-filled areas. 

"That's what I do with the local recreation department classes as well," Meyer says. "I want the people to know that in their backyard there are some amazing sights." 

For information about Meyer's upcoming nearby trips, visit the Nature Trips section of the LGS brochure or email him at greg@ge-trips.com. Meyer is currently updating his Great Expeditions Web site www.ge-trips.com, which contains information about previous trips.

About this column: Each week, Susan Wiedmann will write about nature or outdoor activities enjoyed by local residents.  Susan is a longtime freelance writer and photographer with a passion for capturing wildlife through her camera's lens. Please leave any comments about this article at the bottom of the page. You can contact Susan about possible topics at Susan@UpCloseWithMotherNature.com or at www.UpCloseWithMotherNature.com.