Saskatchewan Naturalist Jenn Smith Nelson Launches Eco-Tourism Venture
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan – For the past 15 years, Saskatchewan-born naturalist, travel writer, and photographer Jenn Smith Nelson has been championing the province's landscapes and wildlife through national publications. Now, she is taking her passion to the next level by launching a new local tourism company called The Wild View, which officially began operations on February 9, 2026.
Connecting People with Nature Through Storytelling
Smith Nelson, who hails from Regina but currently resides in Moose Jaw, has dedicated her career to sharing Saskatchewan's natural beauty. "It's that love of province and love of outdoor connection that drives this purpose for me right now," she explains. "I also just really love sharing those moments with people."
Her new venture will offer interpretive tours in prairie, wetland, and woodland environments throughout southwest and central Saskatchewan, with a particular focus on birding. The tours will be seasonally available from April to October each year to coincide with peak bird migration periods.
Tour Locations and Experiences
The Wild View will guide participants through several notable natural areas:
- Last Mountain Lake
- Grasslands National Park
- Buffalo Pound Provincial Park
- Urban birding locations in both Moose Jaw and Regina
Smith Nelson, who co-authored the 2019 guidebook 110 Nature Hot Spots in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, brings extensive local knowledge to her tours. The experiences are designed to help people slow down and connect with nature through excursions, retreats, and workshops.
Mindfulness and Wellness in Nature
As a naturalist, Smith Nelson believes that mindfulness supports wellness, and she views activities like bird watching as meditative practices. "It's maybe taking five minutes to just listen to the bird song," she suggests. "Maybe it's taking our shoes off and feeling the grass beneath our feet and grounding ourselves to place. It can come in so many forms that aren't traditional."
Accessibility and Conservation Commitment
Smith Nelson plans to offer some donation-based tours to make nature experiences accessible to people facing financial or accessibility barriers. "I hope that by offering these tours, people will learn more about Saskatchewan wildlife and grow an appreciation for it," she says.
The company also incorporates principles of regenerative tourism, with three percent of annual sales being donated to provincial conservation organizations:
- Nature Saskatchewan
- Prairie Wind and Silver Sage, Friends of Grasslands' eco-museum based in Val Marie, Saskatchewan
"It's that idea that tourism could do good and not just be extractive," Smith Nelson explains about her approach. "It's beyond that kind of sustainability idea. It is really leaving the communities in better ways than they were prior."
Her conservation philosophy has been influenced by travel experiences in South America, where she observed how environmental conservation can be integrated with sharing local knowledge.
A Lifelong Passion for Saskatchewan's Natural World
Smith Nelson has always shared her love of nature and her home province through writing and photography. One of her favorite nature spots in Regina is Boreal Island, where she often finds inspiration for her work.
With The Wild View, she aims to create meaningful connections between people and Saskatchewan's diverse ecosystems while supporting conservation efforts that protect these natural treasures for future generations.
