Dennis Cornejo

Dennis Cornejo has spent more than half of his life working with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, building a career rooted in long-term field experience and close observation. He began guiding in Baja California and Southeast Alaska and now works primarily in polar and sub-polar regions.

He completed graduate studies in zoology at the University of Arizona and in botany at the University of Texas, grounding his work in both animal and plant sciences. Dennis’s interests span reptiles, amphibians, undersea life, plants and insects, with particular attention to organisms that are often overlooked or difficult to spot. He is especially interested in hoverflies, liverworts, lichens and temperate rainforests.

Before focusing on higher latitudes, Dennis spent 18 years working in the Sonoran Desert, gaining extensive experience with desert ecosystems that included toads, large cacti, legume trees and sea turtles. While he still values desert environments, he now lives in Pacific Grove, California, where the Pacific Ocean, cooler temperatures and coastal fog provide a contrast to arid landscapes.

As a Naturalist, Dennis focuses on careful observation of both plants and animals, with particular attention to species that are often overlooked in the field.