Naturalist icon Naturalist

Alex Farrell

For Alex Farrell, wild places have always been the ultimate teacher. From alpine ridgelines to coastal waters, she has built her life around studying, experiencing, and respecting the power of the natural world — and sharing that passion with others. At Loyola Marymount University, Alex earned her honors degree in Biology with a focus on both marine and avian sciences. Her research explored the physiology of blue mussel species in the Pacific, alongside studying the ecology and distribution of raptor populations across the Great Basin. This foundation continues to fuel her curiosity on every expedition and is constantly scanning the skies for hunting eagles or peering down into the intricate world of the intertidal zone.

 

Her connection to the mountains runs just as deep. As a professional ski patroller in the Sierra Nevada’s, Alex specializes in avalanche forecasting, snowpack evaluation, rope rescue, and mountain safety. The years she’s spent studying Sierra snowpacks have given her profound respect for the raw, shifting forces that shape both land and sea. Not to mention, she also thoroughly enjoys throwing explosives for avalanche mitigation. And when not exploring with Lindblad expeditions or in the Sierra Nevada backcountry, Alex can be found teaching women-specific boating lessons on Lake Tahoe, empowering others to confidently navigate and enjoy life on the water. As a Field Naturalist with Lindblad Expeditions, Alex brings a combination of scientific expertise, technical skill, and a deep personal connection to the environments she explores. Whether leading a Zodiac tour up to calving glaciers or guiding a hike through temperate rainforest, she helps guests experience the beauty of wild places while also teaching others the responsibility we all share in protecting them.