Green Mountain Exposure builds connections between people and place through natural history and nature photography programming in Vermont and abroad.
From evening birding walks in the Champlain Valley to week-long wildlife photography safaris in the heart of the Northern Rockies, Green Mountain Exposure immerses residents and visitors alike in experiences that cultivate inspiration, enjoyment, and meaning from our natural environment. Green Mountain Exposure is operated by master naturalist and guide, Sean Beckett.
About Sean Beckett
Years ago in the Costa Rican rainforest, a teenage Sean was begrudgingly dragged out of a peaceful, 4:30 AM slumber in an airy bungalow and shuffled into the electric energy of a waking jungle. The dawn chorus of a hundred tropical songbirds soaked the air and decorated the branches in emerald and sapphire. Sean was transfixed. Hooked on natural history, Sean went to Vassar College to study biology and environmental studies, and received his M.S. from the University of Vermont's Field Naturalist Program.
Sean has worked extensively as a wildlife ecologist, researching Atlantic puffins in Maine, saw-whet owls in New York, hawks and falcons in Idaho, pygmy-owls in Mexico, and Clark’s nutcrackers in Wyoming. Sean then settled in the peripheries of Yellowstone National Park, leading natural history safaris and photography excursions to share the region’s wolves, bears, and bison with inquisitive visitors and nature lovers. When Yellowstone's wildlife viewing slows, Sean takes travelers to traverse the frozen shores of the Hudson Bay in search of polar bears and arctic foxes.
Originally hailing from Vermont, Sean Beckett grew up with a camera in-hand. Trained by his mother, an Army photojournalist, Sean learned from an early age how a camera can deliver the essence of our planet’s most powerful experiences. For Sean, each photo represents not only an encounter with a stunning animal or wild place, but an entire experience powerful enough to move travelers toward environmental consciousness, understanding, and responsibility.
Sean is also an expedition leader for Natural Habitat Adventures and the World Wildlife Fund, and an artisan at Burlington's Frog Hollow Gallery.
Testimonials
“I recently contracted with Sean to help me organize my Lightroom Library and he was a dream come true. He skillfully helped me untangle my maze of photos and learn how to manage and organize my images utilizing best practices for working with Lightroom catalogs. Sean is a patient and gifted entrepreneur with the ability to provide clear and concise explanations in language which matches the learners’ expertise…a skill which sets him apart from many teachers. I am delighted I reached out to Sean and look forward to his online video tutorial The Digital Darkroom Online: Photo Editing with Adobe Lightroom Classic CC as I continue my Lightroom journey. And I should add that his charges for services are beyond reasonable. He is the whole package!”
— Lisa L., Vermont
“Thanks so much for a truly wonderful experience – we are still talking about what a great trip we had and how, in particular, the time with Sean formed its core. Sean is an amazing guide, with an encyclopedic knowledge of the area, its terrain and wildlife and a great, welcoming and generous style. We have been on many trips with many guides and certainly Sean stands among the best.”
— Lisa K, Massachusetts
“We will remember the trip all our lives. Sean is such a great example to us and our daughter of someone who lives out his commitment to a green and better world every day with everything he does... Also, he has equal ease relating to grown-ups AND to shy 11 year olds... As big-city dwellers, we don’t often get the opportunity to connect with nature in such a profound way. We consider ourselves so lucky to have been given this experience...”
— Susan M.K., Georgia
“This young man was absolutely awesome. Not only did he educate us regarding the tundra, the wildlife of arctic Canada, the life and times of the earliest human residents of the area, the lifestyle of the current residents of Churchill and the push and pull of mother nature vs. climate change...but he did it all with good humor, great answers to each and every question and researching any little item we had questions about and getting that info back to us.”
— Carolyn S.
“I’m so glad that we committed to the tour, because it ended up being the best thing we did the whole trip! Our tour guide, Sean Beckett, was excellent. He was knowledgable, friendly, safe, and very easy to get along with. Sean was able to answer all of our random questions (and we had tons). You could tell that ecology and wildlife are his passion, and we learned so much from him. We saw elk, moose, buffalo, osprey, beavers, and truly magnificent scenery. He’s a great storyteller, and the 12 hour day flew by. I learned more in one day from Sean than I did in 9th grade Biology! Thanks for an awesome, unforgettable day! ”
— Lydia M.
“Our trip was an absolute blast! Our Guide Sean was more accommodating than I could ever imagine! I retained more about science and nature from Sean in an eight hour day than I remeber from all my years of schooling! My son Drew is still talking about Sean and the experience of the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone weeks after our trip! Sean did several hands on science experiments with my son which he absolutely loved...We have memories to last a lifetime!”
— Ryan H., Chicago
“Sean did a great job of engaging me and the other guests by asking us questions about the animal behavior we were witnessing. This gave way to intelligent discussions rather than lectures and made the tour a very pleasant experience. Sean also made sure everyone in the van was always content and taken care of. He provided us with coffee and a variety of drinks and snacks. He also made sure the trip was tailored to meet everyone’s needs. After some great bison and pronghorn viewing Sean mentioned he’d heard of a pack of wolves nearby that might be visible. It was a bit of a drive with more wildlife and stunning views and a short walk to see the wolves. This was entirely worth the effort as at sunset they emerged from behind a hillside and provided us with an amazing window into wolf behavior. Sean was an excellent guide who made my trip special and I can’t thank him enough for the time he spent teaching me about this beautiful area.”
— Gail F
“Our guide, Sean, made this expedition into a memory that will last a lifetime! Sean’s love for nature was obvious and his enthusiasm was contagious. He was excellent with our children (10 & 11). He didn’t just tell them about what they were seeing, he asked them questions that lead them to their own correct answers. Our entire family learned a lot!”
— Sree K.
“They are superb! They maximize every moment of our time with learning, laughing and inspiring our appreciation of the environment, wildlife and people around us. We’re amazed at the depth of their knowledge about history, geology, photography, wildlife, customer care and all nature we encountered. They are also extremely caring individuals who have a gift of knowing what we need and tending to it, before we are aware ourselves. They are fabulous teachers and make learning even the most technical information easy and fun.”
— Alan S.
“Sean did a great job of taking care of a group that was pretty diverse in terms of their level of photography expertise. For those who barely knew how to turn on their camera, he gave a lot of helpful info. and for those who knew more, he gave helpful hints specific to the conditions and opportunities to shoot.”
— Diane L.
“Sean is a wonderful young man with a plethora of knowledge and talents! He not only was delightful to be with but he educated all of us on the flora and fauna of the tundra, the whole picture of the polar bear life, the joys of hunting down the ptarmigan, the arctic buntings, the foxes the eagles the hares and the sometimes tragic, sometimes beautiful histories of local Alaskan tribes. We so enjoyed his every effort to sit and talk with every person on the tour each day...”
— Steven S.