Patty Hostiuck

Patty began her career in Alaska as a ranger for both the Tongass and Chugach National Forests plying the waters of the Inside Passage and Prince William Sound. Since then she has criss-crossed the state, exploring Alaska from Ketchikan to Attu to Nome, working as a freelance naturalist and lecturer on numerous expedition ships. Since 1994 she has regularly crossed the Bering Sea to the Russian Far East in Chukotka, Kamchatka and the Kurils.

Patty has shared her expertise in mammals, birds, insects and plants onboard ships and on the trail with thousands of fellow explorers in dozens of remote areas. You can usually find her out on deck, binoculars in hand, pointing out wildlife, or prowling through the forest or muskeg, identifying wildflowers. Patty’s lively lectures and contagious enthusiasm for natural history, backed by encyclopedic knowledge, make learning come alive for people of all ages.

Several of her lectures include: the history of bald eagles in the U.S. and Alaska and reintroduction efforts; the incredible journey of the salmon; and the density and diversity of wildlife, including the different kinds of bears populating Alaska.

A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Patty graduated summa cum laude from San Diego State University with a degree in biology and geography.