Who We Are

Human Nature Expeditions is a community-based, education-oriented travel business with operations in Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ecuador.

Our Mission

Human Nature Expeditions

Our mission is to design travel experiences that inspire respect for our world by fostering a sense of wonder and understanding of the interconnectedness of nature, humanity, and self.

The deep relationships we have cultivated with the communities we visit and work with are an integral part of the experiences we provide. Our clients range from lifelong learners who want more than a typical tourist experience, to educational institutions like middle schools, high schools, and universities. We customize each experience to exceed client goals- whether curricular or personal- and to encourage each student of life to connect to their sense of place, sense of self, and sense of wonder.

“When you understand interconnectedness, that we are all truly ONE, we treat people and the earth differently.” – Rayna Weiss

The most appropriate response to the world is to realize, with awe, the ferocious mystery of being alive in it. And act accordingly.”– Carl Safina

Origin Story

Our History

Human Nature has two founders: Alexa Stickel, a Miami-raised nature enthusiast, is an expert bird watcher and tropical naturalist guide who has lived in Costa Rica for 15 years. Rayna Weiss is a native Colorado outdoor educator who has lived in Ecuador and Colombia for 12 years.

In 2008, Alexa was a student on her first tropical ecology course in Costa Rica, in awe of the beauty and complexity of the tropical forests surrounding her. After graduating from the University of Florida, she returned to Costa Rica to intern at an Ecolodge as a Naturalist Guide, and loved it so much that she never left! She started her own guiding business called TropicAves in 2012, working mostly with students on Tropical Ecology field courses, like she had been!

In 2010, Rayna – who always loved to cycle- started a nonprofit dedicated to cycling and service learning trips. While cycling through South America, she understood the lived experience of authentic travel was the best classroom she has ever been in. She decided to move to Ecuador to continue organizing cycling and service trips, this time for students.

As they became integrated members of their chosen communities, Alexa and Rayna both realized the importance of designing these trips intentionally, so that their impact would be lasting and positive: not just for the students, but for the places they visit.

Several years later, Rayna and Alexa met in Ecuador while leading student travel programs, and knew immediately that they shared a vision regarding international student travel. During the pandemic, Rayna and Alexa decided to join forces to birth a business that reflected their values and vision. They called it Human Nature Expeditions.

Purpose

Our Why

When we started HNE, we asked ourselves: what is the deeper reason behind why we want to start this business?

The following goals are our reasons, the “why” behind what we do, and the guiding principles in our business practices.

Encourage people to exist in awe of this planet and its people, with a reverence for life that is reflected in their actions.

Contribute to a world where students can problem solve, feel safe enough to take risks, withstand discomfort, examine themselves, and change when necessary for the greater good.

Shift the status-quo in the outdoor travel industry to value educators and outdoor professionals as gate bearers to a harmonious future, and create employment opportunities for people who have been systematically or contextually limited.

Generate economic prosperity in the places we travel to, ensuring that funds remain in the local economy.

Contribute to a critical mass shift in consciousness through deep understanding of the interdependence of our own health and well-being with that of the earth’s and its people.

Human Nature Expeditions

Our Values

Humility

Connection

Meaning

Nature

Curiosity

Growth

Humility

We are aware that “we don’t know what we don’t know,” and always have new things to learn. Different perspectives provide more informed solutions for the problems our planet faces. We do not preach our belief systems; instead, we provide opportunities for others to form their own perspectives and reflect on their beliefs in intentional ways.

Connection

Profound connections create profound experiences. We encourage respect for and connection to self, others, and the ecosystems around us by visiting people and places that inspire awe.

Meaning

Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” We encourage every trip participant to look for meaning in what they do and to examine their beliefs. Meaning is important for the human psyche: it is the paintbrush we use to color the world, give us direction, and feel more fulfilled.

Nature

We revere the natural world as a source of inspiration and wonder. We recognize that the health of our natural world and our well-being are inextricably tied. We collaborate on projects and with organizations that positively impact the environment and inform ourselves and others about current threats to the natural world, and how we can be part of the solution.

Curiosity

We believe curiosity is the spice of life, a motor that drives deeper understanding of and connection to both ourselves and the world. Curiosity about ourselves generates the self-awareness necessary for transformation. Curiosity about the world keeps us learning, cultivates empathy, and keeps us open-minded.

Growth

Travel has a way of stretching our minds, showing us places and ways of being we would have thought of otherwise. If our travel does not lead to deeper understanding or positive change, however small, can we justify its large environmental and social impacts?

Costa Rica, Colombia & Ecuador