Vanessa Garnick is a wildlife naturalist, animal behaviorist and world traveler. She was most recently the co-host and consulting producer for Animal Planet's Caught in the Moment, last summer's weekly behind-the-scenes wildlife filmmaking odyssey. Vanessa, along with wildlife filmmaker Tristan Bayer, traveled around the globe to capture endangered species and animals in rare, beautiful and time-sensitive moments among incredible, visual landscapes.

Vanessa grew up in Buffalo Valley on the outskirts of Teton and Yellowstone National Parks in Wyoming. She was raised on a dude ranch where she had her first horse at five years old. A combination of cowboy naturalists and artsy theatre gurus, Vanessa's parents nurtured her desires for a career incorporating stage, screen and music mixed with her love for the wild world of animals and exotic travel. Between cooking on pack trips for her family's Triangle C Ranch and starring in off-Broadway musicals, Vanessa found a passion for language and art.

During her teen years, Vanessa traveled to Africa for a six-month trip with her grandparents. Living in a cow-manure hut with the Masaai tribe, she found a deep love for third-world countries and exotic adventure. It was in Africa where she caught the travel bug, and her desire to see new places has since increased. Vanessa began scrapbooking, journaling, sketching and painting and eventually began to write children's books. Fluent in Spanish, she taught English as a second language to Spanish-speaking children.

Vanessa became a certified naturalist with the National Forest Service, taught art classes at the National Museum of Wildlife Art and designed theatre sets for multiple productions. In 1999, Vanessa and co-presenter Tristan Bayer won the BBC/Time-Life Natural History Innovation Grant and produced a pilot episode. Shot on location in Borneo and Yellowstone, the storyline focused on deforestation, orangutans, sea turtles and the endangered Wyoming cowboy lifestyle.

Vanessa has played several roles in independent films, wildlife and reality shows and music videos. In addition, she travels the world as a freelance artistic and travel consultant. While not on screen, Vanessa guides adventure tours in Brazil, Australia, Argentina, Chile, England, Japan, Costa Rica and throughout the United States. As part of the music group "The SaddleRock Sisters," Vanessa and four of her sisters acquired a record deal with DreamWorks and recorded in London and Nashville. The SaddleRock Sisters record sassy country rock harmonies in Wyoming and are in the process of creating their own record label.

In her spare time, Vanessa finds time to learn foreign languages, paint, design and build her worldwide travel company.

Vanessa lives in Panama but regularly travels to her mountain home in Jackson to ride her painted pony, breathe fresh air and gain perspective on the fascinating, controversial and ever-adventurous world.