Smithsonian Journeys Experts

David Catlin has spent his professional career helping people connect to special places, especially natural ones. Over the last 45 years, he has worked as a naturalist and educator for the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Missouri Department of Conservation, and the National Audubon Society. Catlin was born and raised in Detroit and has traveled widely, with a special affinity for places in the U.S. and Canada that are “off the beaten path.” One of his favorite haunts is the Canadian Maritime provinces. He has special interests in birds, traditional acoustic music, and lighthouses.

Catlin has degrees in environmental education and interpretation from Michigan State University and the University of Washington. He currently lives in Springfield, Missouri, with his wife Ann, and works nationwide as a consultant to nature centers and other environmental learning institutions.