Chris Morgan is an ecologist and conservationist with a passion for our planet, wildlife and the Live Riveted lifestyle. For the last five years, he has been hosting TV shows for PBS Nature, the BBC and National Geographic. Most of his work revolves around large carnivores, with a focus on the bears of the world. The places the animals he studies live in are pretty wild, so for Chris, that is why the animals are worth understanding, appreciating and protecting! In the past, he has hosted shows about bears in Alaska, Siberian Tigers in Russia and Sumatran orangutans. Chris is currently hosting a mini-series, “Animal Homes” on PBS Nature, which has allowed him to discover amazing animal dwellings and the behavior that revolves around them.
Last month, Chris Morgan embarked on a Live Riveted adventure through the Arizona wilderness with a Toyota Tundra and an Airstream Sport! We recently caught up with Chris to learn more about him and his Airstream adventure. Read on to learn more about Chris and his trek through the wilderness!
What inspires you to travel the world as a wildlife researcher and educator?
I have a drive to do what I can for wildlife and wild places (and people) on this planet while I'm here. Plus, I have a passion for knowledge, adventure, and inspiration! I've always been the guy who wondered what was around the next corner- I like to press forward. I love traveling and meeting people from fresh new backgrounds and cultures in places that I know little about. I love to learn, and I just feel like there is so much out there to discover - you don't have to go to the far ends of the earth to find those adventures! I enjoy sharing experiences that make people happy and intrigued. That's why I feel so privileged to be doing the work I do.
How did you get the idea to journey through Arizona in an Airstream?
I've always looked at Airstreams as iconic - a beautiful slice of Americana! The attraction has always been there. I grew up "caravanning" a lot in the UK with my folks and loved it - we were never without a small RV or caravan/camper so it's just a part of who I am. There is just something about packing up a cozy home and taking it with you - the adventure is never far away when you can up and leave in a moments notice. My partner Bren and I wanted to see Arizona and find some wildlife stories to film, see the old haunts of grizzly bears, and grab some sunshine in the process. I'd heard Arizona was a pretty wild, diverse place and we were ready for an adventure. What better way to do all that than from an Airstream??!! It was perfect - we loved every minute of it!
Tell us more about your Airstream adventure in Arizona:
We picked up the 22-foot Bambi Sport towed by a 2014 Toyota Tundra up at Desert Autoplex in Phoenix - what a place! It was an Airstream dream! The folks (Denny, Heather and Eric) there were just incredible and really looked after us.
Heading north we immediately hit weather - the kind of weather we weren’t expecting, with heavy rain and then snow. So it immediately turned into an adventure! Due to the inclement weather, we decided to not head up to the Grand Canyon, so we changed our plan a bit. We had a pretty exciting drive over the pass towards Payson through about 3 inches of snow (I couldn't believe how sturdy the Airstream and Toyota were- it was a perfect combo).
We wild camped mostly, aka "off the grid". After a few days in the mountains we dropped down into the Tonto basin, filled with desert, cacti, hot sunshine and right in bear and mountain lion country. It is hard to imagine black bears eating prickly pear, but they love it! We wild camped on the edge of the Superstition Wilderness Area and completely fell in love with the place. A week later we circled back around northwards to the Grand Canyon before ending back in Phoenix. We met some wonderful people, saw some mind-blowing ancient dwellings (Montezuma's Castle, and the 700 year old cave dwellings at Tonto National Monument were breathtaking), hiked many miles looking for wildlife, and even met some captive Mexican wolves, mountain lions, and bears at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center near Phoenix. We were gone for nearly three weeks, but it felt more like 3 months!
How was your Airstream experience while traveling?
I was amazed at how maneuverable the Airstream Sport was - on and off road - tight corners to open highway, through snow and sunshine. It turns on a dime and gets you into great little camping spots. The single axle and light-weight trailer definitely helped. I'm over 6 feet 4, but I more than comfortably fit in the bed inside the trailer. One of the most surprising things to me was that despite my size, life wasn't cramped - just comfortable and cozy.
How do you Live Riveted? What makes you come alive?
To me, we live on a unique and mesmerizing planet. I wish I could live 10 times over to see it all! There is nothing quite like hitting the road to seek out an adventure - whether on my motorbike, on foot through the mountains, or in an Airstream - to find what lies ahead. And for me, living riveted always means seeking the wild and going back to our roots as humans, which is when I feel the happiest.
While I was on this trip I did a lot of thinking about how we're all in this together - this thing called life on this home we call planet Earth. And as we passed fellow travelers - and especially Airstreamers, the sense of community was big and very present. When something pulls people together - a common interest, an experience, a road into the sunset, a lifestyle, or even a mishap....it can only ever be a good thing. Lets all seek those moments!
To learn more about Chris Morgan and his wildlife adventures, stay tuned for updates on his Facebook page and Twitter account! And be sure to tune in to his mini-series “Animal Homes”, airing on April 8, 15 and 22 on PBS Nature!
Photos by Brenda Phillips
