Bryan Bates

Bryan Bates has explored and led wilderness trips in the mountains and canyons of the West for 40 years. Following a B.A. Degree in Native American Studies and M.S. in Environmental Science, he and a friend backpacked 21 days through the Grand Canyon. Bryan has led canyoneering backpacks, been a river guide, and conducted archaeological & archaeoastronomical research across the Colorado Plateau, including the Grand Canyon. He has published on archaeoastronomy and was Chair of the Oxford International Conference on Cultural Astronomy. Bryan is currently President of the Society for Cultural Astronomy. Bryan taught biology, environmental science and natural history at Coconino Community College, until retiring as Professor Emeritus, Science, at CCC.

In addition to his research and teaching, Bryan works as an interpretive naturalist with a number of different organizations including the American Association for Advancement of Science, the National Parks Conservation Association and numerous Natural History Museums. 

Wayne Ranney

Wayne Ranney is a geologist and writer who is a veteran of expedition travel, having journeyed to and lectured on all od Earth’s seven continents. He is the recipient of the 2018 American Association of Petroleum Geologists “Geosciences in the Media Award” and has received other national and regional honors for his writing, lectures, blog postings and expeditionary guiding. His foreign and domestic travels have taken him to South America (Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, and the Amazon), Australia and New Zealand, the Polar regions (Antarctica, Iceland and Greenland), and desert landscapes in Africa, Asia, the Atacama and the American Southwest.

With a lifelong interest in the earth sciences, Wayne specializes in making the fascinating story of our planet come alive for fellow travelers. He was elected to the Explorers Club and has visited more than 85 countries. Wayne is a retired professor of geology who lives in Flagstaff, Arizona near his beloved Grand Canyon. He is passionate about sharing his vast knowledge of earth history with others in an easy-going and informal style, yet he is a well-respected author of numerous award-winning books and articles. He enjoys languages, hiking, river running, photography, conversation, and anything that allows him to get outdoors with others in seeing the varied and interesting landscapes of our beautiful planet.

Kirt Kempter

Kirt Kempter is a Fulbright Fellow and Ph.D. graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, where he conducted his dissertation research on Rincón de la Vieja volcano in Costa Rica. For the past 11 years, Kirt has worked for the New Mexico STATEMAP program, studying the geologic history of northern New Mexico. Kirt is also an instructor for the NASA astronaut training program, teaching NASA’'s 2009 astronaut candidates geologic mapping techniques in northern New Mexico. Since 1993, Kirt has led numerous journeys for the Smithsonian Institution, from Iceland to Antarctica.