Marine biologist offers eco-tourism tours as North Star Naturalist

Marine biologist Cypress Hansen found working in a lab unfulfilling.

So she broke out creating her own La Jolla-based eco-tourism business named North Star Naturalist.

Now she does public and private tours for people of all ages and skill levels taking them out tide pooling, hiking, and wildflower walks, among other outdoor excursions.

Hansen’s two- to three-hour guided outdoor educational tours clue clients in on all the various ecosystems San Diego’s diverse coastal environment has to offer.

The naturalist, who previously worked at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. wanted to be a marine biologist from as early as age 8. But after going to school in Florida and moving to California to become a scientist, she found something was lacking. “I was doing these various marine science projects and I realized everyone around me in the field was either not interested, or not very good at communicating science,” Hansen said. “And I loved it (communicating). That was the best part of my day when I got to communicate with people.”

After working for the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park as the museum’s communications manager, Hansen, who grew up in Tucson, Ariz., noted that the experience “was awesome. I learned so much about all of San Diego’s ‘subtle’ ecosystems where there is so much diversity.”

But Hansen was quick to add: “But working with the Nat wasn’t getting me to interact with the public directly. I wanted to share science and nature with people face-to-face. That’s where I feel I can serve my community the best, which is why I started this business. I finally had the confidence to guide my tours.”

Hansen advertises her eco-tourism business on her website, northstarnaturalist.com, as “Witnessing wildlife through the eyes of an expert naturalist.” Seasonal hikes include daytime hikes from 8-11 a.m. and 2-5 p.m.; tide pool tours dependent on low tides; and seasonal hikes such as fungi (mushroom) forays, wildflower, and historical tours, night hikes, and one tour where Hansen allows clients to “pick their own trail.”

North Star’s hikes typically cost $52 for adults and as much as half off for children. Tide pooling costs less, $35 for adults. Youth under age 4 tour free. “I wanted my tours to be a little more personalized, a little more directed,” Hansen said adding, “I try to give people information while on tour that is accessible and fun and paints the picture of the whole ecosystem. I don’t want to be just dispensing information and facts. I want people to feel more connected, more conscious, and appreciative of these ecosystems.”

Hansen’s public tours generally are in small groups of 10 to 12. She also hosts private tours for individuals, couples, or small family groups numbering 1 to 12 people. Tours can be booked online on North Star’s website.

The naturalist said her change in occupational direction has been life-changing. “It’s pretty exciting to be starting my own business at age 29,” she said. “It’s something I don’t think I would have done 10 years ago.”

Added Hansen: “I think this business is fairly unique. It’s not every day that you meet someone who is a self-described ‘old school’ naturalist, and one of the most knowledgeable people about a wide array of things that are natural to San Diego. And what better place to do that than in San Diego County, which is the most biodiverse county in the United States.”

NORTH STAR NATURALIST

What: Eco-tour owner Cypress Hansen

Info: Northstarnaturalist.com, 619-354-0672.