Christine T. Mackay Co-founder and Executive Director

Chris Mackay has been working in environmental education, outdoor recreation, community development, and ecotourism since 1980. She co-founded and directed the Bearfoot Backpacker, offering outdoor educational excursions throughout Washington State. Her love of international travel and the natural world, together with her concern about the negative impacts of tourism on culture and the environment, led her to co-found Crooked Trails in 1998.

Chris holds an M.A. in natural science education from Western Washington University and a B.A. in geography with a minor in biology from the University of Washington. She has worked with youth and adult education in both formal and non-traditional sectors, and has taught at all levels from elementary school to university. Chris sees education as the cornerstone of efforts to protect the natural world and at-risk cultures. Her ability to engage and inspire her audience has made her a popular speaker at clubs, international conferences, bookstores, universities, and schools.

Chris acts as a consultant to a wide range of organizations on issues such as community-based tourism, nature education, international study abroad and community service, and wilderness education.  Organizations she has worked with include Tillicum Village, Concordia College, the Shoshone/Arapaho and Makah tribes, North Andaman Tsunami Relief, Western Washington University, and Lakeside High School.