Audra Conklin - Founder and Naturalist Guide
Wildlife advocate, environmentalist and tour professional, Audra is dedicated to sharing unique experiences with her guests who come from all over the world to view the impressive display of animal species in Yellowstone’s Northern Range.
This passion was honed during Christmas of 2009 when Audra received a gift from her “roving naturalist” mother that would change the trajectory of her life: A week of watching and learning about wildlife at the Lamar Valley Buffalo Ranch. Surrounded by bison, reintroduced wolves and grizzly bears was beyond her imagination but five years later, after selling Modern Mermaids, her nontoxic cleaning products company, she headed West to Montana for a three-month hiatus. What initially was to be a summer adventure evolved into almost a decade of unexpected and enchanting events that has led to her immersion into all things “Yellowstone”, as a researcher, educator, and guide.
Audra has a B.S. degree in communications, is a graduate of the International Guide Academy, and is Wilderness First Aid, CPR, and ‘Leave No Trace’ certified. In addition to guiding and operating Lamar Valley Touring, Audra has led Grandparent/Grandchildren trips to all corners of the park for Road Scholar and Student Trips for Global Travel Alliance. She’s had the pleasure of working with people of all ages from all over the world and believes that, “Every person should visit Yellowstone at least once in their lifetime and it is my heartfelt joy when I can be a part of their experience”.
Traveling between Montana and the East Coast to visit with family, Audra is always ready to talk about Yellowstone and its beautiful wildlife inhabitants.
Claudene Williams - Naturalist Guide
Claudene has been investigating animals in the field since she was very young; having a passionate teacher, her father, who was a wildlife guide in South Africa. She was bitten by the natural curiosity bug and happily spreads the contagion of adventuring the ‘out’doors, studying and tracking wildlife.
Holding a B.S. in Natural Resources, she has worked in small-scale farming on the North Carolina coast for a decade with pasture animals, medicinal herbs, fruit trees, high value tree crops, and gardening design. She has also had the privilege to work with the National Park Service restoring hiking trails in the Appalachian Mountains. In moving to Montana, she upscaled to advocating for quite a larger range of land.
Outside of touring, you’ll find her recording natures’ sights and sounds, singing to her hearts delight, and being surrounded by instrument-loving folks. She is thrilled to be joining the Lamar Valley Touring team in the 2023 season and joyfully awaits sharing all the beauty of Lamar Valley and the Northern Range of Yellowstone National Park.
Shauna Baron - M.S.
Shauna saw her first wild wolf while volunteering for the Yellowstone Wolf Project in 1996, just one year after the reintroduction, and has been working to protect wolves and wild places ever since. For over 25 years, she has focused her career on outdoor education and wildlife conservation, including work as a biologist for the USFWS Red Wolf Recovery Program in North Carolina, a forest carnivore researcher for the University of Vermont, and as a volunteer at the Colorado based Mission:Wolf program.
Having a B.S. in Biology as well as a Master’s Degree in Science Education has led her to not only to being a published author but also, to developing nature therapy programs for disabled veterans, inner-city youth and autistic groups. Recently, she was the editor for the Yellowstone Wolf Charts and Genealogy publications as well as launching Yellowstone Trip Planning, an online venue for visitors wanting to make the most of their time vacationing in Yellowstone. When Shauna isn’t in the field guiding or helping others plan their trips, she can be found with a scope to her eye or a book(and a kitty)on her lap.
Anu Lawrence - Naturalist Guide
A gifted educator and healer, it's no wonder Anu has always been enthralled by the magic of nature and wildlife; particularly wolves.
While owning a successful business in Colorado, he would travel to Montana twice a year for their howls and so enjoyed sharing his enthusiasm for Yellowstone as a visitor that he decided to invest his time learning from some of the best instructors in the Park. Many hours of course and field study led him to assisting Lamar Valley Touring in 2024 and he is now joining the team for the busy 2025 season.
Anu is a lifelong outdoorsman who has traveled the world and has worked in numerous capacities as a teacher, is an effective communicator with people from various backgrounds and feels that sharing experiences in Yellowstone is a privilege.
When not working, you can find him traveling with his favorite canine, Tilak, exploring and loving life! *And don't forget to ask him about his name!
Amazing Yellowstone Experience!
August 5, 2024
“We knew we were doing the right thing by hiring a professional guide for our Yellowstone hike when we first chatted with Audra. She was so personable, passionate, and open to a taylored experience. Our goals were part hike and part critter sightseeing. She managed to accomplish both goals in a fun, flexible experience. Her knowledge of the land and the animals was amazing. And of course we never had to worry about getting lost or managing an “encounter“ with mama bear…her confidence showed the way. We can’t recommend her enough!”
Fantastic experience with great tour guides!
August 20, 2024
“We had the absolute pleasure of having Audra and Shauna as our wildlife guides for a large group of 8 people. They are wonderful, engaging, and extremely knowledgeable. They know exactly where to go to see the animals, are prepared with information and visual aids, and can answer all your questions. We asked our kids at the end of our vacation to GTNP/YNP and they all answered unanimously that the tour with Audra/Shauna was the highlight of the trip! Would recommend it to anyone interested in seeing the wildlife in the park. We were able to see wolves, bears, eagles, bison, mountain goats, and many more animals. They even brought us extra coats and gloves (being that it was very cold in the morning and we are not from the area) and binoculars. Could not have asked for a better experience. Thank you both for the wonderful memories!”
Highly Recommend this Tour
May 15, 2024
“Our tour with Audra was the highlight of our first 7-day tour of Yellowstone. Audra was an expert historian regarding Lamar Valley and especially in regards to the animals who live there. Her narratives added significantly to our viewing experiences. She would spot the animal(s) and then allow us to view them with her long range telescopes and binoculars if needed.
Audra also taught us ways to help preserve this environment which was much appreciated.
The tour was amazing and we are very grateful to have made the connection with her touring company.”
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