A naturalist and birder for more than thirty years, Gina first became fascinated with the natural world in rural upstate New York where she spent most of her childhood out of doors.

Gina received her B.S. in Environmental Education from Cornell University and her M.A. in Educational Technology from Fairfield University.  She began her career as a Naturalist at the Rye Nature Center in Rye, New York.  Gina's interest in human/wildlife interactions then took her to Volunteers for Wildlife in Cold Spring Harbor, New York.  There she coordinated the operation of a 24-hour Wildlife Crisis Hotline and developed programs dealing with wildlife rehabilitation.

In 1987, Gina became Program Director for the National Audubon Society in Greenwich, Connecticut.  In that capacity, she led numerous environmental workshops and local field trips.  While with the National Audubon Society, Gina also led ecotours for Audubon Nature Odysseys. Destinations included Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, the Pacific Northwest, and Baja California. Upon leaving Audubon, Gina taught biology, chemistry, physical and environmental science, and computer courses for several years at Greenwich Academy in Greenwich, Connecticut. While at the Academy, she also worked as the school's Web Manager and Director of Technology. 

Gina's avid interest in wildlife biology led her to the Yellowstone Institute in Wyoming where she studied animal behavior as well as methods for tracking animal movements. She also worked on a research project on the Isle of Skye in Scotland where she investigated habitat requirements of Eurasian otters.  In addition, she participated in an Earthwatch study of mountain lions in the Jim Sage Mountains in Idaho.

Her varied interests and love of the natural world have taken her to all seven continents and Gina has led wildlife tours to Central and South America, Alaska, Antarctica, China, Kenya and countless countries in between.

In 2005, Gina founded Sunrise Birding, LLC to offer personalized, authentic, affordable private and small group bird watching and wildlife tours around the world.

Photos:
Upper, middle: Gina Nichol camping and birding on an ice floe in northern Canada.
Photo by Melissa Wilson. 
Lower, left: Gina Nichol birding at her favorite patch near New Haven, CT. Photo by Julian Hough.