Long-Running Brand Re-Launches for 2027, Invites Travelers to Work Alongside Scientists in Support of Conservation Field Research
Boulder, CO, April 21, 2026 – Natural Habitat Adventures (Nat Hab), one of the world’s leading conservation travel companies, has formed a new relationship with Earthwatch Institute to run Earthwatch Expeditions, a global leader in field-based participatory science.
Following the signing of a long-term licensing agreement finalized in February 2026, Nat Hab has assumed management of Earthwatch Expeditions travel operations and will introduce 13 new itineraries under a revised brand, Earthwatch Expeditions by Nat Hab, to begin in 2027. Additional trips are planned in the years to come, for a total of approximately 20 destinations.
The collaboration brings together Nat Hab’s expertise in delivering outstanding wildlife experiences with Earthwatch’s depth and leadership in participatory science.
“For more than 50 years, Earthwatch has connected people directly with working scientists conducting some of the most important field research on the planet,” said Ben Bressler, Founder and CEO of Natural Habitat Adventures. “Long before I founded Nat Hab, Earthwatch showed me that travel could be a genuine force for conservation.
“At a time when science and data matter more than ever in shaping the policies that protect our planet, this kind of hands-on research is critical. Together, we’re building on a legacy that has helped inform more than 1,200 environmental policies and wildlife management plans worldwide, backed by long-term research efforts that reflect a commitment to meaningful conservation.”
Guests on Earthwatch Expeditions play an integral role in scientific field research addressing pressing environmental challenges, from ecosystem health and threatened wildlife habitats to climate impacts and biodiversity protection. Under Nat Hab’s stewardship, each journey blends hands-on research with active exploration, balancing study time in the field with immersive nature experiences.
Working in small groups alongside Ph.D. scientists and their research teams, travelers collect real-world data through experiences like monitoring sea turtle nests in Costa Rica, documenting dolphin nurseries at the headwaters of the Amazon, banding owls by headlamp in the American Southwest, and deploying GPS tags on penguins along the coast of Patagonia.
Six itineraries are bookable now for travel in 2027, including:
- From Permafrost to Polar Bears: Churchill’s Changing Arctic, studying climate change at the Arctic’s edge while tracking ecosystem shifts across the tundra and Hudson Bay
- Following Orcas & Their Prey in Iceland, tracking the diet and movements of this apex predator in a changing North Atlantic
- Conserving Sharks in Belize, working where commercial fisheries and shark protection converge, to shape the ocean’s future
- Monitoring Wildlife Recovery in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, tracking animals while rebuilding ecosystems and reconnecting wildlife corridors with international scientists and a local Maasai community
- Tracking Turtles in Costa Rica, helping endangered leatherback sea turtles rebound from a precipitous decline
- Surveying Wildlife in the Upper Amazon, monitoring how seasonal river shifts affect wildlife movement and behavioral patterns
Seven more 2027 Earthwatch Expeditions by Nat Hab will be announced this summer, including programs such as:
- Climate change in Maine’s Acadia National Park
- Conserving wild bees and other pollinators in Costa Rica
- Following forest owls in Arizona
- Collecting wildlife data on foot in South Africa
- Tracking primates in Africa
- Marine life of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula
- Studying polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba
Established in 1971, Earthwatch Expeditions has built one of the world’s most respected participatory field research networks, conducting more than 100,000 hours of study annually on topics ranging from climate change and wildlife conservation to rainforest ecology and marine ecosystems. Since its founding, Earthwatch Expeditions has contributed to thousands of peer-reviewed publications and environmental policies, with projects supported for an average of 12 years. More than 200,000 traveler participants have been engaged as field research assistants.
Stan Rullman, Director of Research for Earthwatch Expeditions, said, “I am thrilled to see these two apex institutions—Nat Hab and Earthwatch—join in a synergistic collaboration that will honor our independent legacies while allowing something new and powerful to emerge. We come together with shared core values, incredibly dedicated staff and scientists, and complementary skill sets to truly move the bar on wildlife conservation and the preservation of biodiversity in all its forms.”
Bressler added, “This partnership is rooted in shared purpose. At Nat Hab, we’ve spent decades proving that travel can support conservation. And Earthwatch has done the same through science. Together, we’re giving travelers a meaningful way to be part of that work.”
Itineraries start at $6,942 per person. For more information or to reserve a spot, visit: www.nathab.com/earthwatch-expeditions.
Earthwatch Expeditions by Nat Hab connects travelers with scientists worldwide to participate in real conservation research. Operating under a long-term partnership with Earthwatch Institute, the program builds on more than 50 years of field-based participatory science, bringing together scientific discovery and immersive travel. These small-group expeditions invite guests into the field to work alongside leading researchers in critical ecosystems across the globe, contributing to real-world studies that help better understand and protect the planet. Each expedition blends hands-on data collection with immersive wildlife experiences, offering travelers the opportunity to contribute to meaningful scientific studies while gaining a deeper understanding of the natural world. For more information, visit nathab.com/earthwatch-expeditions.
Natural Habitat Adventures has been a trailblazer in sustainable and conservation-focused adventure travel since 1985. Led by professional naturalist guides, Nat Hab journeys reveal the planet’s most extraordinary nature destinations, including polar bear tours in Churchill, small-group Galapagos cruises, intimate African safaris, close encounters with Alaskan brown bears, wolf quests in Yellowstone, and much more. As the world’s first 100% carbon-neutral travel company, creator of the World’s First Zero Waste Adventure, and the conservation travel partner of World Wildlife Fund since 2003, Nat Hab offers nearly 100 eco-conscious nature adventures from Antarctica to Zimbabwe and beyond. Natural Habitat Adventures is part of Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, a global leader in ship-based and land-based expedition travel. To date, Nat Hab has provided more than $9 million in support of WWF’s mission and will continue to give 1% of gross sales plus $185,000 annually through 2028. Featuring unique and artfully crafted itineraries, Nat Hab trips demonstrate how conservation travel works with and benefits local communities, furthering a shared commitment to conservation. Nat Hab actively seeks ways tourism can lower its impact on the planet while raising global citizens’ appreciation for the wonders of nature. For more information, visit nathab.com.
See also:
Mindful Travelers Seek Out Responsible, Sustainable Travel Providers
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