About Ardea EcoExpeditions

Our Philosophy

1. We offer unique life changing experiences for our clients that allow them to move from being tourists to become active participants in improving human and natural communities. Incomparable experiences and instruction will provide lifelong tools to travel safely and interpret the landscape to develop their “land ethic.”
2. We employ local people and create economic justification for wildlife and habitat protection.
3. We support local ecological research, conservation and community projects through donations of capital and labor.
4. We strive to create a new tourism model for that combines the best of ecotourism/voluntourism/traveler philanthropy programs with socially responsible business practices.
5. We practice principles of sustainability — locally by supporting Schoodic Area lodging and food providers and globally through Leave No Trace practices and developing carbon offset and zero waste programs.
6. We work to create a better world and donate the equivalent of 1% of our sales to local non-profit social and environmental programs.

Your Guides

We understand that the value of your outdoor experience is in large part determined by the quality of your guide. At Ardea EcoExpeditions you will be led by co-owner Master Maine Guides with over two decades of teaching and outdoor instruction.

Darrin Kelly’s passion for exploration and natural history interpretation dates back to a childhood exploring the wonders of his backyard salt marsh. Ardea EcoExpeditions is the culmination of a lifelong dream to meld his backgrounds in environmental education, activism, and ecological research. Experiences range from working as a naturalist on whale watching boats in the Gulf of Maine to bird research in the Colorado Rockies and Maine’s coastal islands to navigating the perilous halls of Congress as a lobbyist. He is a Master Maine Registered guide with specializations in sea kayaking, a Wilderness First Responder and a Leave No Trace Trainer.

One overarching theme is inherent in all of Megan Gahl’s work experiences, they have all been outside: an environmental educator and trip leader for students aged 5-85, an organic medicinal herb farmer, and biologist researching the wintering ecology of Harlequin Ducks and Purple Sandpipers, wetland ecology, and amphibians. And she still finds time to play music (a little bit of everything from mandolin to bagpipes, and nothing very well?) and take beautiful photographs. She is a Master Maine Registered Guide and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree studying amphibian disease in Acadia National Park wetlands.

Darrin Kelly and Megan Gahl met over a decade ago while leading backpacking trips in the Canadian Rockies and now are creating a homestead together in Gouldsboro, ME. They are committed to a low impact lifestyle that includes an off-the-grid yurt surrounded by easement protected lands that will provide years of exploration.

We thank you for your time to learn about us. Please contact us if we can help you in any way — from helping to plan an itinerary for your Maine vacation or to learn about global ecotourism projects.? Or just call to see if the fish are biting or the warblers have arrived...