Millennium Magazine_7th Ed

58 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine EDUCATION tourism program, reducing the nonprofit’s “car- bon footprint,” and redirecting resources to forg- ing partnerships with mainstream publishers to create books that illuminate the wondrous com- plexity of nature and key conservation issues. Ms. Benedict is the author of “The Naturalist’s Guide to the Southern Rockies” (1991, 2008, 2014), “Valley of the Dunes: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve” (2005, 2010), “The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest” (2015, Nautilus Gold Award), “Explore the Salish Sea: A Nature Guide for Kids” (2018, Nautilus Silver Award), and “Pacific Flyway: Waterbird Migration from the Arctic to Tierra del Fuego” (2020). She is also author of the blog “ePostcards from Around the World,” on the Cloud Ridge Naturalists website. For more information, visit www.cloudridge.org . Ms. Benedict received the 2003 One Conservancy Award from The Nature Conservancy. She serves on the board of The SeaDoc Society. M entored from a young age to love the outdoors, Audrey DeLella Benedict chose a multidisciplinary academic path in the natural sciences. Matric- ulating at the University of Colorado, she received a BA in geology and biology in 1983. Reflecting on her professional achievements, she describes herself as a naturalist in the classic tradition, wilderness guide, science writer and advocate for research and conservation. In 1979, Ms. Benedict founded Cloud Ridge Naturalists, serving as its chief executive officer for more than 40 years. As a pioneer in providing unique ecotourism opportunities blending natural history education with expedition- style travel extending from the Arctic to the Antarctic, Cloud Ridge enabled more than 6,000 participants to become better informed stewards of the natural world in some of the most spectacular wilderness regions on Earth. Cloud Ridge Publishing was launched in 2009 to produce science-based, photo-driven books and other visual media that inspire and promote environmental advocacy and stewardship. In 2019, Ms. Benedict curtailed Cloud Ridge’s eco- AUDREY DELELLA BENEDICT FOUNDER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Cloud Ridge Naturalists & Cloud Ridge Publishing Ward, CO