Guides
Our guides are Scientists
Our guides are what makes hikes with the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation so unique. Our guides have degrees in geoscience, bioscience, paleontology, other physical sciences, and ecotourism. Our guides have a passion for sharing their knowledge with people of all ages and backgrounds. Our longest serving guide has been educating hikers for the past 30 years about the Burgess Shale fossils and the beautiful Rocky Mountains where they reside.
We're Hiring - Come work with us!
We are currently hiring guides. Please check out the job advertisement on our careers page.
Antoine Archambault
B.Sc. Geology
Antoine has always been fascinated by fossils, evolution and geological processes. Originally from Quebec, he moved to British Columbia at an early age to pursue his passion for the mountains and the outdoors. He earned a B.Sc. of Geology from Laval University in 2017 and has since worked as an Exploration and Project Geologist in the mining and mineral exploration industry. His passion for geology and the mountains has led him to study a variety of deposits and geological settings across Canada and France. Intrinsically curious and perpetually inquisitive, Antoine strives to bring this same engagement and wonderment into his guiding. In his free time, you can find Antoine enjoying many hobbies from the alpine to the sea, including surfing, snowboarding, mountain biking and stone carving. Antoine is a certified Apprentice Interpretive Guide with the Interpretive Guides Association.
Simon Haynes
MSc. Geology, P. Geol.
A native of southern Ontario, Simon studied Earth Science at Brock University and spent the summer of 1995 in Yoho Park with the Royal Ontario Museum, collecting fossils from the Walcott Quarry. Since then, he has worked as a mine geologist in Fort McMurray AB, obtained an M.Sc. from the University of British Columbia studying the Eocene paleogeography of NE Nevada, and worked with several multinational energy corporations as an exploration geologist and manger for offshore projects across Canada in the Arctic, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia, and internationally in the US, Ireland, and the UK. He has extensive experience volunteering with various geoscience organizations including the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG) and the Canadian Global Energy Forum (CGEF). He spends his free time hiking, biking, paddling and skiing. Simon is a certified Apprentice Interpretive Guide with the Interpretive Guides Association (IGA), a Professional Geologist with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), and is also a member of the BSGF Board of Directors.
Andy Adler
Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering
Andy Adler has a life-long fascination with the intersection of life sciences and technology. He teaches and researches about medical devices at Carleton University and has worked with several companies to bring innovations to use, both for human medicine and veterinary and wildlife monitoring. He is fascinated with the ways in which medical imaging techniques are now being used in paleontology, and the new ways this allows science to try to understand behaviour and function from fossils. He is trained as an ACMG appentice hiking guide and has always loved guiding and teaching in the mountains.
David Moore
M.Sc. Geology
David Moore’s lifelong fascination with paleontology and evolution began at an early age – as a child, he collected rocks and fossils in eastern Canada. After several years pursuing a career far removed from the rocks, David returned to his first love, moving to Alberta to study geology at the University of Calgary. While undertaking his M.Sc. in geology, he began guiding for the Foundation – that was back in 1996. Working for several energy companies in Calgary, David has enjoyed a successful career exploring for unconventional gas in Canada and around the world. He has taught popular courses on unconventional gas in Canada, has presented at numerous technical conferences and has lectured on Earth and Life History to general audiences. His engaging style and sense of humor have introduced many people to the wonders of geology, paleontology and to scientific exploration. David is a certified Apprentice Interpretive Guide with the Interpretive Guides Association. David Moore is also a member of the Board of Directors.
Hugh Southee
B.Sc. Geological Engineering
Hugh works as a Hiking Guide in the summer and as the Manager of Operations and Geoscience Programs for the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation the rest of the year. Hugh earned a B.Sc. in Geological Environmental Engineering from Queen’s University in 2004 and has worked as a Geologist and Geotechnical Engineer in both mining and the oil & gas industry. Hugh started guiding with the BSGF in 2009, then moved to Australia for two years to pursue geological work in the mining industry. Since returning to Canada, Hugh has continued to lead guided hikes for the Foundation during the summers. Hugh is a certified Professional Hiking Guide with the Interpretive Guides Association. On his days off can be found scrambling and rock climbing in the Canadian Rockies. He looks forward to sharing his passion for the mountain scenery and his curiosity about the amazing fossils in the Yoho area. Hugh is also a guide for Road Scholar, and has guided for National Geographic Expeditions.
Peter Bezeau M.Sc. Earth and Atmospheric Science
Peter grew up on a farm near Cochrane, Alberta, with a view of the eastern slopes of the Rockies. He started working as a hiking guide in the Canadian Rockies in 2007 and has worked on a broad range of interpretive and instructional programs since. In addition to guiding for the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation, Peter has combined his passion for the mountain with expertise in glaciology, geomorphology and hydrology to support a range of research and geohazard projects in rugged and remote locations throughout North America.
Peter is a certified Day Hiking Guide and Apprentice Hiking Guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, as well as a registered Professional Geoscientist with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta. He is always excited to spend a day in the mountain discussing their past, present and future!
Jane Whitney
B.Sc. Biology
Jane Whitney’s passion for adventure and wild places has led her to become a seasoned wilderness leader. Jane is a certified Professional Hiking Guide with the Interpretive Guides Association, and a Hiking Guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. Jane has been guiding expeditions in the Polar Regions, Haida Gwaii and the Canadian Rockies since the early 90’s.
Jane’s goal is to make you feel comfortable in the wilderness and be inspired by the places you visit. Jane has an incredible array of stories and infectious energy to have you excited for your day in the mountains.
Jane has called the Canadian Rockies home for over 30 years. Jane is fun to be with and has been lauded by many as a superb naturalist. She is excited to show you a trip of a lifetime!
Paul McNeil
Ph.D. Paleontology
Paul McNeil has a Ph.D. in vertebrate paleontology from the University of Calgary and his doctoral research centered on the lives and extinction of large mammals (mammoths, camels, and horses) at the end of the last ice age. In addition, he has spent time working for and with the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta. He has taught courses at both the University of Calgary and Grande Prairie Regional College. He has been guiding with the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation for two decades and continues to hike the trails to the fossil sites because of the interesting people that he meets. Paul has appeared in several documentaries for The Nature of Things, National Geographic, and the History Channel. He even made a brief appearance in the I-Max movie: “T-Rex; Back to the Cretaceous”. Paul is a certified Apprentice Interpretive Guide with the Interpretive Guides Association.