Meet our Brand Ambassdors
Mariah Hryniewich
Mariah grew up exploring Florida’s outdoors, which sparked her lifelong love for wildlife. Photography made her notice the birds around her, and she’s been hooked ever since. After falling for birds of prey at the Florida Keys Hawkwatch, she went on to work with many species as a field technician for the Avian Research and Conservation Institute. She now guides to help others discover the birds and wildlife she loves. When she’s not in the field, she’s representing Phone Skope and Raven Birding Apparel at shows and festivals. She’s always up for a trip and loves any chance for a new adventure.
Luis Gles
Luis is a Colombian naturalist who grew up exploring his country’s wild places, where his love for nature and birds first took hold. He’s well known in the birding community as a hawk counter with the Florida Keys Hawkwatch and has spent more than a decade guiding tours across the US, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. He has worked with several tour companies and now co-runs Woodstars Birding and Nature Tours with Mariah Hryniewich. When he’s not guiding, you’ll often find him at the Kowa booth or representing Raven Birding Apparel at trade shows, phonescoping, or looking for reptiles and butterflies. His energy and genuine passion for the natural world make him a natural teacher in the field.
John Groskopf
A resident of Sarasota, Florida, John has followed a childhood fascination for birds from the beginning. John began birding seriously in 2017/18 and has since extensively traveled Florida and its offshore waters seeking birds. He did a Florida Big Year in 2019, which boosted his familiarity with birding throughout the state. John continues to chase state and life birds throughout Florida and has become invested in many of the state's birding authorities, groups, and communities. John is a Florida statewide eBird reviewer, member of the FOS records committee, and is partnered with Florida Birding Guides as a professional guide.
