Welcome to Blue Heron Nature Tours!

My name is Elena Ulev and I am the owner and your tour guide.

This business has been years in the making and a culmination of a lifetime of working and recreating outdoors. Here is my story in a nutshell…

I grew up in Chicago where natural spaces were few and far between but I’ve always had an affinity for nature. When I was 16 my high school teacher suggested that I apply for a scholarship to spend a week at the American Wilderness Leadership School in Jackson, Wyoming. I got the scholarship and my life changed- I saw mountains for the first time, rafted a river for the first time, backpacked for the first time and found out that there was a college degree called “Wildlife Biology” so I decided to get one.

I attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Montana and obtained a B.S. in Wildlife Biology in 1998.

After college, I packed up my Chevy Lumina and went on an epic summer road trip exploring the entire western U.S. I visited over a dozen national parks, camped every night and scouted out a place to live for the next chapter of my life. My road trip ended here in Missoula, Montana , in 1999.

For the past 2 decades in Montana I have worked as a field biologist, technical writer and educator. In my early years as a field biologist my work entailed camping alone 5 nights a week and conducting bird, plant and hydrology surveys on the Bitterroot and Lolo National Forests. After having kids I had to shift gears a bit and I worked as a technical science writer and published 17 literature reviews for the Fire Effects Information System database. Our kids have gotten to do all things Montana, including backpacking, skiing and canoeing and now ironically, they want to move to Chicago after college!

Several years ago I became a Montana Master Naturalist and Certified Interpretive Guide and have been working as an educator for the Montana Natural History Center, the Lifelong Learning Center, Montana Folk School and the University of Montana’s MOLLI program, where I’ve created naturalist-themed classes. I also teach the Montana Master Naturalist course in the Bitterroot Valley and in Glacier National Park.

Up until a few years ago I didn’t really know what the definition of a naturalist was. They are scientists, writers and artists. I guess that I’ve been a naturalist my whole life. I’m so glad that I discovered a love for teaching folks about natural history and helping to foster a deeper connection to nature. Life is often busy and overwhelming but I have found that when I stop and mindfully observe what’s around me I feel reverence and gratitude. My goal is to share that feeling.