Where It All Began

Then & Now

I've been fascinated by wildlife for as long as I can remember. Spending countless hours in the garden and natural spaces around my childhood home in rural England, seeking out nature and, as young kids often do, capturing insects and other critters to keep in jars for "observation". Studying zoology at university was a dream realized, and assisting with reptile research and conservation in the Lesser Antilles and Malaysia before graduation cemented my drive and passion for wildlife conservation. 

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Since then, research and conservation projects have taken me to Antigua, Anguilla, Australia, the Bahamas, Dominica, St. Lucia, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, the United States, and Reunion Island. These projects have involved conserving some of the most critically endangered species of reptile, bird and mammal in the world - from snakes in Antigua and St. Lucia, to birds in Mauritius and Anguilla, and tree kangaroos in Papua New Guinea - where I was responsible for creating the first Conservation Area in the country.

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Personal travel has taken me to over 50 countries, across six continents including 2 years in Japan, much of Europe, multiple visits to Africa, and more recently leading birding trips to Central and South America. Regretfully, I found birding later in life, but I'm trying to make up for lost opportunities by visiting local birding spots whenever possible.

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Alight Tours is the perfect marriage between my knowledge of tropical wildlife and plants, and my passion for travel and wildlife conservation. I have always enjoyed sharing nature's wonders with others. While in Papua New Guinea I had the pleasure of hosting and arranging logistics for world-renowned Ornithologist and Anthropologist Jared Diamond and National Geographic photographers and researchers Tim Laman and Edwin Scholes. More recently I've loved taking groups to the neotropics where we've found birds galore, seen incredible landscapes and experienced fascinating cultures. Where will we go next?