Mark Mckernan

Mark was born and raised in Southern California where at an early age he was given his first backpack, which paired with his father’s love of exploring wild places, sparked a lifetime love of the outdoors and travel. He spent the better part of his childhood camping, backpacking, and exploring the mountains and off the beaten path reaches of California from the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Sonoran Desert. Mark’s interest in Botany and Forest Ecology started early in life and further developed as he acquired a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Mark now calls Seattle home and has worked as a Botanist, Naturalist, Outdoor Educator and Wilderness Kayak Guide conducting education, interpretation and research from Alaska to Baja California and countless points in between. Mark happily embraces his wanderlust tendencies and has discovered a passion for exploring both historic as well as wild, untouched places throughout the world and sharing these experiences with others. “Few things satisfy me more than to close my eyes and quietly absorb the beauty of wild places. There is something empowering about embracing a sense of place where natural cycles and processes timelessly continue on without the influence of humankind”.