Katherine Coley

Kitty Coley is a professional geologist who received her master's degree from the University of Texas in Austin. She is also a very knowledgeable naturalist, an avid birdwatcher, a butterfly enthusiast, and has a good familiarity with plants of both the rain forest and the desert. Additionally, Kitty is an experienced scuba diver and snorkeler and enjoys exploring the underwater world with expedition participants.

Kitty serves as a consultant to National Geographic magazine and has led expeditions for National Geographic for more than twelve years. She worked as a geologist for 15 years before becoming involved full-time in expedition travel. Through her work, she has spent extensive time in remote rain forests and rugged geologic settings around the world.

An entertaining and popular lecturer, Kitty’s enthusiastic and interactive teaching style greatly enhances the educational experience and the thrill of discovery for participants. Kitty has traveled many of the world’s scenic areas lecturing on natural history expeditions for more than 20 years. These areas have included Peru (both the Amazon and the Andes), Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Panama, Iceland, Copper Canyon and the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, the Falkland Islands and Antarctica, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Canadian Rockies, Malta, Sicily, Italy, and US Western National Parks. When not working, Kitty enjoys hiking, scuba diving, backpacking, white-water and sea kayaking, and biking. She lives in Austin, Texas.