Leader Details

Dean Thompson Dean Thompson is a naturalist who also happens to enjoy birding. Trained as a wildlife biologist, he has worked with a variety of raptors in California, Arizona, and Wyoming for The Peregrine Fund/Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Group and has also conducted Least Tern surveys. He traveled to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji before finally settling down here in SLO County. Since then, he has worked as an outdoor science school instructor in Montana de Oro State Park, conducted classroom programs, and led natural history tours and workshops along the central coast. Dean writes the column Natural History Nuggets for the Estero Bay News and produces the Substack BrainFodder, Ruminations of a Naturalist (https://deanthompson.substack.com/). He's raised 2 children and has managed to stay sane by spending as much time as possible outdoors. Dean's skill as a Naturalist, author, and professional storyteller makes his tours both entertaining and educational.