Oct 7, 2014 | root_ks8kzico

Leader Profile: Dr. Thomas Emmel

Traveler Resources

Dr. Thomas C. Emmel is the founding director of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, and professor emeritus of zoology and entomology at the University of Florida. Dr. Tom Emmel Dr. Emmel holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and has authored more than 400 scientific publications and 35 books. He is well-known as an international expert on tropical ecology, population biology, and Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). In addition to his extensive academic career, Dr. Emmel has also traveled to more than 45 countries and has led hundreds of natural history and scientific research ecotours across the globe. Dr. Emmel's trips to Mexico to observe migrating Monarch butterflies are especially popular, which is no surprise considering his reputation as one of the world's top experts on Lepidoptera. In this video interview by Kim Smith, he discusses the state of the Monarch migration today and why it is in crisis.

For details on upcoming trips with Dr. Emmel, visit holbrooktravel.com/expedition-travel/.

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A person crouches near the base of a sand dune while aiming a camera offscreen
Twelve travelers and guides pose on a platform overlooking a vast valley below
Many monarch butterflies fly overhead among the treetops
A view of treetops far away where a bird's vibrant feathers make it visible despite the distance
Staff member Debbie Jordan standing behind a conference table decorated with Holbrook-branded signage and handouts
A Galapagos Penguin mid-jump over volcanic rock and seawater
A llama stands on a path with the stone walls of an archaeological site in the background
A woolly monkey balances in the branches of a tree, its limbs outstretched and tail wrapped around a branch overhead
A group of Holbrook staff members pose and smile at the camera outdoors
Multiple people on a forest trail look through binoculars and scopes at something outside the frame
Side view of an adult hippo and calf partially submersed in water
An elevated walkway surrounded by low trees and shrubs with a lake in far background and blue sky with puffy clouds
Staff member Jamie DeVoe poses on an overlook with a volcano and town in the background
Office building with elevated deck and tiered landscaping
Selfie of staff members Kevin Van Dien and Sandy Schmidt smiling
A motmot perches on a tree branch
Upward view of 12 people standing in a circle, smiling down at the camera, with an ornate ceiling above them
A Geoffroy's tamarin sits on a tree branch with its mouth open