Nikki Jones

B.A. History, Environmental & Social, University of North Carolina at Asheville

Nikki comes from a family of scientists and teachers and has kept those traditions strong while moving education out of the classroom and into the wide world. She first left the United States at age 3 and has kept exploring ever since. Calling on a lifelong love of learning, Nikki immerses in history and nature to explore new cultures around the world and share them with travelers of all backgrounds.

Nikki started as an educator teaching science and outdoor skills at Girl Scout Camp.  She later worked with the National Park Service, taught 3rd grade in a classroom fondly known as “The Center of the Universe,” and developed programs for hands-on environmental education in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Nikki continues to explore in Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, and Latin America. She seeks ways to learn from and get involved with grassroots projects dedicated to empowering local communities to defend their natural resources. Nikki has worked in organic agriculture and permaculture in Nepal and Belize, reforestation efforts in Guatemala, wildlife rehabilitation and protection in Cambodia, and genetic research on endangered trees in the United States. In a small town in Guatemala, Nikki bumped into a crew of Dragons, and she immediately set out to learn more about this travel organization that would guide students so deep into off-the-beaten-track communities. She is thrilled to work with the students Dragons attracts and the partners it supports.

At home in Colorado, Nikki lives in a tiny cabin in a roadless canyon of the San Juan Mountains. You can find her there teaching, reading, and writing in environmental education, making friends with elk, and filling her friends’ kitchens with the smells and tastes of her travels.