Sunrise Birding - Birding & Natural History Tours

Biography

Gina Nichol is the founder of Sunrise Birding, a company devoted to personalized, authentic, affordable birding and natural history tours.

Gina in the Northwest Territories A naturalist and birder for more than twenty years, Gina first became fascinated with the natural world in rural upstate New York where she spent most of her childhood out of doors.

Gina received her B.S. in Environmental Education from Cornell University and her M.A. in Educational Technology from Fairfield University. She began her career as a Naturalist at the Rye Nature Center in Rye, New York. Gina's interest in human/wildlife interactions then took her to Volunteers for Wildlife in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. There she coordinated the operation of a 24-hour Wildlife Crisis Hotline and developed programs dealing with wildlife rehabilitation.

In 1987, Gina became Program Director for the National Audubon Society in Greenwich, Connecticut. In that capacity, she led numerous environmental workshops and local field trips. While with the National Audubon Society, Gina also led ecotours for Audubon Nature Odysseys. Destinations included Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, the Pacific Northwest, and Baja California. Upon leaving Audubon, Gina taught biology, chemistry, physical and environmental science, and computer courses for several years at Greenwich Academy in Greenwich, Connecticut. While at the Academy, she also worked as the school's Web Manager and Director of Technology.

Gina's avid interest in wildlife biology led her to the Yellowstone Institute in Wyoming where she studied animal behavior as well as methods for tracking animal movements. She also worked on a research project on the Isle of Skye in Scotland where she investigated habitat requirements of Eurasian otters. In addition, she participated in an Earthwatch study of mountain lions in the Jim Sage Mountains in Idaho.

Gina is a dedicated birdwatcher. When she is not indulging her passion for birds, her other interests include cross-country skiing, book collecting, organic gardening, and photography. Her varied interests and love of the natural world have taken her to Alaska, Costa Rica, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, Mexico, the Northwest Territories, Panama, the American Southwest, California, Belize, Florida, and a host of other destinations.

Photos:
Upper, middle:
Gina Nichol camping and birding on an ice floe in northern Canada. Photo by Melissa Wilson.
Lower, left:
Gina Nichol birding at her favorite patch near New Haven, CT. Photo by Julian Hough.

How Sunrise Birding Began
In 1990, as a Naturalist for the National Audubon Society, I was asked by Audubon Nature Odysseys to lead a tour along the Columbia and Snake Rivers in the Pacific Northwest. At that time, I had limited travel experience but had led numerous local field trips and natural history workshops for the National Audubon Society's Center in Greenwich, Connecticut. Delighted at the opportunity to explore an exciting new area, I proceeded to learn everything I could about the natural history of the destinations on our itinerary.

The success of that trip led to other tours for Audubon Nature Odysseys, including another trip to the Pacific Northwest, a tour of Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, and a whale-watching expedition in the Sea of Cortez in Baja California. Soon, I was absolutely hooked on nature travel. With my strong background in field biology, a lifelong love of the natural world, and an adventurous spirit, ecotravel suited me perfectly.

Since then, I've traveled extensively in the United States as well as Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, Peru, Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, Belize, Mexico, Alaska, the Northwest Territories, Scotland, and Europe.

Through Sunrise Birding tours, workshops, and lectures, my goal is to offer exceptional learning experiences that reveal the wonder of the natural world and produce memories that last a lifetime.