Karen Copeland

Born and raised in Canada, Karen received her B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Waterloo, her M.D. from the University of Western Ontario and interned at McMaster University in Hamilton. Detouring from hospital hallways, Karen soon became a whitewater guide and published photographer, pursuing an interest in knowledge that began with botany and led to geology and ornithology.

Karen has worked as a full-time naturalist for National Geographic–Lindblad Expeditions since 1991. Her interest in writing continues through daily expedition reports and a published paper on the foraging behavior of gentoo penguins. Karen is familiar with the seas and shores of Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, Baja California, Central and South America and regions from Iceland, Svalbard, Greenland, the Canadian Arctic, the British Isles and the Baltic to the Azores, Mediterranean, Tierra del Fuego, Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctic Peninsula. Her decades in the field have given her extensive experience interpreting wildlife, landscapes and natural history across diverse environments.

She received her Photo Instructor certification through a multi-day workshop developed and taught by National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions photographers. The training provided additional insight and skills to help guests better understand their cameras, composition and how to capture memorable moments during an expedition.