Exploring the Natural Wonders of Planet Earth

Mark Pretti Nature Tours offers high quality trips with exceptional birding and natural history education at great rates*;

Mark Pretti is a perpetual student of nature as well as a humble teacher focusing on birds, general natural history, and conservation. In addition to birds of southeast Arizona and the neotropics, my other interests and areas of expertise include the identification and ecology of plants, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects, with a particular interest in ecological relationships and conservation. 

I worked as the naturalist at The Nature Conservancy's Ramsey Canyon Preserve from 1997 to 2004, and in my free time, have moonlighted as field trip coordinator and trip leader for the Southwest Wings Birding and Nature Festival, board member and trip leader for the Huachuca Audubon Society, and office manager, trip leader, and head dishwasher for Mark Pretti Nature Tours. While I love being out in the field with birders, butterfliers, botanists and the like, one of my favorite activities is teaching and learning about nature with kids.  Both with the Conservancy and as a freelance environmental educator, I provide environmental education programs for hundreds of students each year in southern Arizona and have been leading summer nature camps for children since 1998.  I've also enjoyed improving my Spanish by doing similar programs with many students in Sonora, Mexico.

Along with my wife, Karen, I worked as a birding and natural history guide at the Cristalino Jungle Lodge in the southern Amazon as well as in other locations in Mato Grosso, Brazil for three months in 2004 and again for four months in 2006.  In addition to our Brazilian travels, I've had the good fortune in recent years to have made about 50 trips to Mexico, more than a dozen trips to Belize, and trips to Costa Rica and Ecuador where I've greatly enjoyed seeing, enjoying, and learning about the birds and natural history of these wonderful places.  I have a B.S. in Zoology and have led birding and natural history trips in Arizona and south of the border since 1997.

When not in the field with my binoculars, I'm usually getting my endorphin fix by swimming, running, enjoying our tandem bicycle, or mountain biking.................after which I usually satisfy my ravenous appetite with Karen's fabulous cooking.

My focus on unique experiences, small group size, and love of learning and teaching has created memorable natural adventures in some of Earth's most beautiful and wildlife-rich landscapes.

* For many years Karen and I have had a strong interest in conservation and have worked to incorporate that interest into our day-to-day lives.  With that in mind, I've structured my business to minimize resource consumption by working from our small home, not producing glossy catalogs or mailings, and enjoying a simple lifestyle.  With such an approach, I can offer the same itineraries (in many cases, the exact same lodges, trails, wildlife, food, etc.) as the larger tour companies but for 15-30% less than their prices. 

Last updated: April 10, 2008.