Heritage Expeditions Staff

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 Rodney Russ - Founder
Rodney is the founder of Heritage Expeditions. He worked for 12 years as a biologist for New Zealand Wildlife Service on the management of rare and endangered bird species. It was during this work that he came to appreciate the importance of advocacy as a conservation tool. As they say the rest is history - he chartered his own vessel, a Polar Research vessel from the Russian Far East, and advertised expeditions to the Subantarctic Islands and Antarctica. His company has continued to grow and is now a leader in worldwide expedition travel. Rodney can still be regularly found doing what he likes doing best, leading expeditions on the 'Spirit of Enderby'.

Dave Bowen - General Manager
Dave has moved to New Zealand with his family from North America. He brings to the office a wealth of management experience from some of the biggest Expedition Travel companies in the World.

Nathan Russ - Operations Manager
Nathan is the youngest son of Rodney and Shirley. From a young age Nathan has been travelling and working onboard expedition vessels, which has enabled him to experience many of the remote regions of the world.  From a young age Nathan had the ambition to be a chef, and graduated with London City and Guilds. In the early years working onboard 'Spirit of Enderby' for Heritage Expeditions you could find Nathan in a variety of roles including Head Chef, lecturer, zodiac and hovercraft driver. As he gained experience and knowledge of the Southern Ocean and the Russian Far East, Nathan took on the challenge of leading the expeditions. He now has experience leading expeditions all over the globe, and uses the skills gained in the years of travel in his current role with Heritage Expeditions as Operations Manager.
Nathan enjoys managing the 'Spirit of Enderby' operations and logistics from the head office in Christchurch, however you will also occasionally find him leading one of many fantastic voyages that Heritage Expeditions offers.

Gill Scott-Douglas - Sales and Reservations Manager
Gill joins us with 8 years project management experience from the UK. She has always had a passion for travel, shown by her worldwide travel experiences. More recently she made her way to New Zealand via South America including the Galapagos Islands - a highlight for her. She has also travelled throughout New Zealand, experiencing first hand what makes our Nature Self Drives so special.

 

Cassia Jackson - Sales
Cassia has been working in the travel industry since graduating from Canterbury University. Her travel experiences includes destinations such as Mexico, Cuba, Europe, and the United States. A recent highlight was two months in South East Asia, climbing Mt Kinabalu, exploring the jungle in Sabah, and getting up close and personal with Elephants and Orangutans.

 

 

Lynn Tough - Reservations



 Aaron Russ - Expedition Leader & Manager of Wild Earth Travel
The eldest son of Rodney and Shirley he literally grew up in the Southern Ocean, surrounded by wildlife and wilderness. Aaron studied zoology and geology at Canterbury University, New Zealand, graduating with an Honours degree. He began expedition leading for Heritage Expeditions but has subsequently led expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula, the High Arctic and Galapagos Islands.