Aaron Steed

Aaron has been interested in birds and natural history his entire life. Originally from Wilmington, NC, Aaron holds a B.S. in General Biology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and has worked numerous ornithological field positions in North Carolina, Texas, Kansas, California and Arizona, focusing primarily on endangered or imperiled species (such as the Black-capped Vireo and Lesser Prairie-Chicken).
Instead of going to grad school in 2013, Aaron decided to take the opportunity to become a professional bird guide and began working for Ventures Birding, leading local day trips in the Western NC region. In the years since, he has taken groups to Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Honduras, Belize, Peru, Cuba, and Spain as well as a multitude of destinations across the US. Aaron likes to have fun with his groups, bringing a low-key professionalism and relaxed atmosphere to his tours.
When he’s not guiding, he’s hard at work in the Ventures office, answering phones, writing itineraries, & researching new destinations. He’s currently working on expanding Ventures’ operations in Europe and has planned upcoming trips to Spain, Romania, and Belarus to name a few. As much as he loves traveling and birding new places, he’ll always be drawn back to the incredible biodiversity of the Southern Appalachians (specifically Asheville), where he lives with his wife and menagerie of pets (2 cats, 1 dog, 15 chickens, and a beta fish).

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