Carl Erik Kilander

Carl Erik Kilander was born in Norway and earned a master’s degree in forestry and nature conservation from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in 1973. His professional career has centered on environmental management and conservation across mainland Norway and Svalbard.

From 1999 to 2001, Carl served as Head of the Environmental Department at the Governor of Svalbard’s office. He later worked as District Manager in southwestern Norway and as a Senior Environmental Adviser with the Norwegian State Forest Service. In the latter part of his career, he served as a Senior Adviser with the Norwegian Nature Inspectorate, overseeing law enforcement, monitoring and public relations connected to more than 100 protected areas in southern Norway.

Between 2011 and 2014, Carl played a key role in the planning and implementation of the eradication of approximately 6,700 introduced reindeer on South Georgia. This British-Norwegian project, managed by the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, involved extensive preparation and field operations, during which Carl served as liaison and leader of the Norwegian reindeer team.

Carl has worked annually with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions since 2003, guiding voyages throughout Norway’s fjords, Svalbard, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Arctic Canada, Alaska, South Georgia, the Falklands and Antarctica. His particular interests include birdwatching, polar history and nature photography.