About Yellowstone Wild

After earning a degree in Wildlife Biology from Illinois State University, Matt’s early career took him to the mountains of Colorado, where he worked with Colorado Parks and Wildlife restoring native cutthroat trout to high-elevation lakes across the state. From there he headed west with time in Oregon before traveling north to Alaska, where he served as a project crew leader on Kodiak Island studying sockeye salmon and collecting data on one of the most remarkable life cycles in the natural world.

In 2018, Matt made his way to Yellowstone. Since then, he has shared the park’s wonders with visitors from around the world. Over the years he has hiked and skied thousands of miles across Yellowstone’s valleys, forests, and snowy plateaus, exploring the landscape in every season. For Matt, Yellowstone is the ultimate classroom. Between the diverse wildlife and the park’s extraordinary geothermal features, there is always something new to discover.

Today, Matt is a year-round guide with Yellowstone Wild, leading a wide range of adventures including wolf tracking, wildlife safaris, cross-country ski tours, and family explorations. Whether guiding a single-day outing or a multi-day expedition, he brings deep field knowledge, curiosity, and enthusiasm to every experience.

Matt is a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association for Interpretation and is certified in Wilderness First Aid and CPR.

Laura first came to Yellowstone from Chicagoland on a whim in 2005 with a friend to work for a summer at Old Faithful before heading off to college. After graduating with a degree in Sociology, getting married and exploring the west for a little over a decade, Yellowstone beckoned with its sulfuric arm.

While reconnecting with the wildness of Yellowstone, Laura became a certified interpretive guide who enjoys sharing her knowledge about wildlife, imagining what the park looked like over millions of years of geologic history,  and discovering some of Mother Nature’s hidden secrets.

Laura has joined the Yellowstone Wild Team on a year-round basis and loves spending her free time identifying small scurrying critters’ tracks, and venturing out into seemingly untouched wilderness. She is ready to explore this enchanting part of our world together!

Laura is certified in avalanche safety and is a Certified Interpretive Guide with the National Association for Interpretation.

After growing up in Syracuse, New York, Aleksa stayed fairly close to home for a few years after graduation. With a degree in Wildlife Science from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry under her belt, she studied small mammal and vegetation abundance in the heart of the Adirondacks. One day, she and her mother decided to take a trip to Yellowstone, and Aleksa was sold. It was less than a year after that when she said “goodbye” to the High Peaks and “hello!” to the Rocky Mountains.  Aleksa now works in the park year-round, and is looking to keep it that way for quite some time. Where else in the world do you get wolves, bears, and boiling hot water shooting out of the ground all in the same place?

While she does love the larger animals of the park, insects, birds, amphibians, and all of the “little guys” have captivated Aleksa since she was a kid. When she is not birdwatching or hiking, you can usually find Aleksa hunched close to the ground, marveling at the creepy-crawlies that make the world go ‘round.

Aleksa is a Certified Interpretive Guide with the National Association for Interpretation.

Erik has always had a passion for the outdoors and the natural world. Growing up in “the middle of nowhere” in upstate New York, he spent countless hours exploring the woods, sparking a lifelong fascination with wildlife and wild places.

That curiosity eventually carried him across the globe in search of nature’s most remarkable landscapes. From the rainforests of Costa Rica—where his interest in wildlife guiding first ignited—to the Galápagos Islands, where the dream truly took hold, Erik made a habit of joining wildlife tours wherever he traveled, eager to learn everything he could about the profession.

Before becoming a naturalist, Erik worked in film production, including time at CBS, NBC, and several years with a private production company. Eventually, he traded the camera for a pair of binoculars and set off on a one-way journey to South Africa. There he trained as a field guide and spent five years leading safari tours, sharing the region’s extraordinary wildlife, landscapes, and ecosystems with travelers from around the world.

Today, Erik feels he has truly found a home in Yellowstone. Among the bison, marmots, and sweeping wild landscapes of the park—and within the Yellowstone Wild team itself—he’s discovered not just an extraordinary ecosystem, but a community of passionate guides he’s proud to call family. Erik is beginning his third summer as a year-round naturalist with Yellowstone Wild.

Erik is an Eagle Scout, a certified field guide through the Field Guide Association of South Africa, certified in Wilderness First Aid and CPR, and completed the Yellowstone Guide Academy in spring 2024.

Kyle Moon grew up in Orlando, Florida, where he developed an early interest in wildlife and the natural world. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida. After graduating, Kyle worked as a field biologist across the Americas with a variety of non-governmental organizations as well as state and federal agencies, gaining hands-on experience studying and protecting wildlife in diverse ecosystems.

In 2017, Kyle moved to Montana, where he continued working as both a biologist and firefighter. Soon after settling in the region, he began working in and around Yellowstone National Park—an extraordinary landscape he now considers his office. As a year-round guide, he introduces visitors to the remarkable wildlife and natural history of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Kyle is also an award-winning professional nature photographer whose work has gained international recognition. As a photography instructor and workshop leader, he teaches clients not only how to master their cameras but also how to practice ethical wildlife photography through what he calls “field craft,” emphasizing patience, awareness, and respect for wildlife.

When he’s not guiding or teaching, Kyle can often be found with a camera in hand exploring the quieter corners of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Kyle is a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association for Interpretation, a Wilderness First Responder, holds an Avalanche Level 1 certification, and has completed the Yellowstone Guide Academy.

Parker grew up in Connecticut, where he spent much of his childhood exploring the woods around his home, building forts and climbing rocks and trees. Early experiences outdoors sparked a lasting connection to nature and a sense of curiosity that would guide him west.

In his early twenties, Parker moved in search of bigger mountains and new adventures. While living in Portland, Oregon, he fell in love with the lush forests and snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Range, deepening his appreciation for wild landscapes.

That pull for wide-open spaces eventually led him to Montana, which he now calls home. His first memory of Yellowstone dates back to a Thanksgiving family trip, where he experienced two of his favorite things: eating pie and watching massive herds of bison roam the Lamar Valley. That moment in such a pristine landscape left a lasting impression and sparked a connection to the park that continues to grow. Today, he enjoys sharing that same sense of wonder with guests exploring Yellowstone.

Parker holds a BA in Communications from Western Connecticut State University, a foundation that supports his work in environmental interpretation and education.

He is a Certified Interpretive Guide, a Wilderness First Responder, a Leave No Trace educator, and a Backcountry Guide and Instructor.

Rob was first captivated by the grandeur of Yellowstone as a 9-year-old on a family vacation. His first memory of Yellowstone’s wildlife was watching the famed Druid Peak wolf pack hunting in Lamar Valley during the height of their reign. Over the next two decades, the pull of Yellowstone grew ever stronger as he racked up hundreds of miles exploring the trails of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. He spent three seasons working for one of the park’s main concessionaires before relocating to Gardiner permanently, where he has worked full-time as a guide for the past three years. He is passionate about sharing Yellowstone’s eminent wildlife, geology, and natural history with others.

Rob is also an avid landscape and wildlife photographer with 12 years of experience behind the camera lens. He loves the challenge of capturing the raw beauty and truly wild fauna of  Yellowstone in photographic form. In addition to guiding, Rob enjoys climbing in the Tetons, backpacking throughout the GYE and beyond, and trying amazing new foods from around the globe.

Rob is a Certified Interpretive Guide with the National Association for Interpretation and a Certified Wilderness First Responder. He studied Outdoor Recreation Leadership Management at Northern Michigan University.

Check out Rob’s work on his website and Instagram  page!

Check out Evan’s work on his website, Instagram, and YouTube sites.

Hannah first fell in love with nature along the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. But it wasn’t until a move from the Midwest to California to try her hand at becoming a film star that her path truly shifted. The call of the Sierra Nevada quickly drowned out the call of film, and Hannah soon discovered a new passion in backpacking and long days on the trail.

Since then, she has taken on adventures such as the John Muir Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, Annapurna Sanctuary, the Trans Catalina Trail, and many more. Along the way, wild places became less of a destination and more of a way of life.

After completing the Colorado Trail, Hannah eventually made her way to Yellowstone, where she has happily called home since 2024. These days her mornings often begin with the sound of bugling elk and regular sightings of bison, bears, and Yellowstone’s other wild residents.

Hannah is excited to share her love of the outdoors with guests and help create memorable experiences for everyone who comes to explore this remarkable landscape.

Hannah is certified in First Aid and CPR.

Melissa’s first visit to Yellowstone came as a graduate student attending the Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association’s geology field camp. She truly fell in love with the park a few years later while leading her first teacher workshop there in 2005.

For the next twenty years, she returned regularly to guide biannual teacher workshops as the Manager of Teacher Education at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, helping educators connect with Yellowstone’s remarkable geology, wildlife, and ecosystems.

In 2025, Melissa and her husband relocated to Gardiner, Montana, where they take every opportunity to explore the wonders of their new home—on foot, by canoe, and through a spotting scope or camera. She is excited to partner with Yellowstone Wild to continue sharing the magic of Yellowstone with teachers, students, and visitors eager to learn about this extraordinary landscape.

In addition to being a naturalist and educator, Melissa is also a writer, illustrator, and photographer. She has published a collection of illustrated nature stories for students, and her poetry and photography are featured in an exhibit at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

Melissa holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a master’s degree in structural geology. She is a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association for Interpretation, a graduate of the Lawrence Hall of Science’s BEETLES Project Leadership Institute, certified in Wilderness First Aid and CPR, and holds a Class C Commercial Driver’s License.

She and her husband share their experiences in nature through their Roads End Naturalist blog.

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Tyrene fell in love with Yellowstone and its ecological diversity during her first visit to fish in the park in 1996, while pursuing a BFA in Acting in Ashland, Oregon. It was a life changing experience, and in 2002, she made the choice to give up her dreams of Broadway to live the dream of moving to Yellowstone. Since 2007, Tyrene has worked in the park as an Interpretive guide, snowcoach driver, fly-fishing guide & instructor, Certified Interpretive Guide Trainer, and outdoor educator.  Tyrene finds inspiration in guiding both new and seasoned park visitors to find a deep and personal connection to Yellowstone as well as encouraging them to discover what wildness means to them.

Tyrene’s greatest joy is the timeless beauty of a day on a river, and she spends as much time as possible in the backcountry of Yellowstone and the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness searching for wildlife (not just fish!), wildflowers, and her next great adventure. She passionately believes that fostering education through fun, interactive, hands-on experiences has the power to inspire change, increase understanding of, and develop a voice for, our wild places. She brings this passion to the Yellowstone Wild team with a deep-rooted commitment to fostering and implementing a culture focused on continual professional development, one-on-one coaching, and biannual seasonal trainings with the Naturalist staff.

Tyrene is a Certified Interpretive Guide Trainer and Certified Interpretive Guide with the National Association for Interpretation.

Also, GO DUCKS!

Lola and Chance are not just team members, they are the heart of Yellowstone Wild.  As best friends and adventure partners, they have worked hard to develop their professional contributions to the team by remaining available at ALL times to lend a paw in all aspects of the operation. Their presence is not just felt, but deeply appreciated by all.

Lola’s dedication to her duties is unwavering. Her special skills include chasing the shop bunnies away from incoming/outgoing vehicle traffic, assisting with the removal of potential hazards such as elk/deer bones, and ensuring the Yellowstone Wild workspace remains 100% free of wayward food items. Her efforts to ensure the property is clear of all possible bear/animal attractants have been an inspiration to the entire team (she sure leads by example!). The staff remains grateful for the positive attitude and true joy she brings to her daily duties.  Additionally, she is exceptionally cute and loves to have her front paws massaged.  She’s always game for snuggles, and when staff need a hug, a laugh, or a hiking buddy, they know Lola will be there for them!

Chance’s greatest strength lies in his tireless efforts to keep the team engaged. His motto is simple: “If you have time to talk, you have time to throw!”  Chance takes this seriously as demonstrated through his commitment to pursuing any manner of flying object, including (but not limited to): frisbees (preferred), sticks (close second), balls, stuffed animals, pinecones, small rocks, 2×4’s, entire logs, twigs, bones, ropes, and much, much more. When staff is busy and unable to throw an object for Chance immediately, his continued optimism in keeping his team motivated to throw something is beyond inspirational. He knows the crew will buckle eventually and he’s ready when they do! This “keep ’em engaged” work ethic has proven invaluable for staff morale when things get tough. We can’t thank Chance enough for reminding us of the healing power of staying active, engaged, and enjoying the endless bounty of the natural world.