James grew up living all over the world, but found home when his family moved to Alaska when he was 13. He spent his teenage years exploring forests, creeks, and mountains, an upbringing that fed his curiosity and taught him the importance of learning through firsthand experiences outside. James worked as a wilderness guide while he studied wildlife biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. As part of his studies, he had the opportunity to live, study (and ski) in Svalbard, where his worldview shifted towards polar regions.

James returned to Alaska to finish his degree and continued adventure guiding, leading trips throughout Alaska. In between rock and ice climbing, skiing, whitewater rafting, kayaking, and backpacking, James discovered his passion for sharing the natural world with others. These experiences led him back to work in wildlife biology, with a focus on fieldwork in remote areas of Alaska and Northern Canada. From plants to polar bears, James learned about the vast ecosystems of the far north. This work and these places became the cornerstone of his ecological mindset that he builds upon each day.

James caught a lucky break when a classmate and ski adventure partner from his university days reached out with an opportunity to work as a naturalist on an expedition cruise around the Svalbard archipelago. Fascinated by the chance to combine his love of outdoor guiding, biology, the circumpolar north, and science communication, he embarked on a the first of many expeditions. He has now served as a naturalist aboard cruises in Norway, Svalbard, the Falklands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula.

When not at sea, James works for the State of Alaska Department of Fish & Game as a fisheries biologist on the Yukon River. This vast river drainage (569,000 km2) is home to diverse peoples, ecosystems, and sacred natural resources, including salmon and whitefish. His other passions include exploring snowy landscapes on his skis with his wife Klara, standing in freezing rivers trying to trick fish into biting a hook with feathers on it, and endlessly watching the weather forecast.