Newsletter & Latest Projects
Natural Selection Newsletter
No 1: June 2010
After too many years of inefficiency, I’ve decided it’s time to drag myself out of the dark ages and make a concerted effort to keep in touch with past and potential new clients. So welcome to my first quarterly newsletter which aims to keep you up-to-date with the trips I’m leading and planning and other projects I’m involved with.
A major development is that I will be planning, organizing and leading a number of trips myself under the “Natural Selection” banner. These trips will be tailored for wildlife enthusiasts and photographers where the emphasis is on outstanding wildlife watching/photographic experiences, rather than locations where priorities appear to be lavish accommodation and levels of service while the wildlife aspects seem almost secondary.
All “Natural Selection” tours will be run through an established tour operator and so will be covered by the required ATOL and AITO bonds etc.
I am also pleased to say that in 2011 and beyond I will be continuing my associations with Wildlife Worldwide and Papyrus Tours. I have again been asked by Wildlife Worldwide to take part in their annual Festival of Wildlife which next year will be in Baja California (March 10th-20th). While my long association with Papyrus Tours continues with established trips like Madagascar and Kanya-Tanzania, plus a new trip to British Columbia.
Here is an outline of the tours I currently have planned for 2011 and a "taster" of what is being planned further down the line. More information and details are available on the Tour pages or if you prefer please contact me directly with any questions relating to these trips.
Trips in 2011
Tanzania: Southern Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
24th March – 7th April 2011
From £4895
Timed to coincide with the annual gathering of wildebeest, zebra and other game on the short grass plains of the southern Serengeti. Witness and enjoy one of the greatest wildlife spectacles.
5 nights Ngorongoro Crater, 9 nights southern Serengeti.
Scotland: Mull & Treshnish Isles
11th - 18th June 2011
£975
Mull is arguably the UK’s finest wildlife location and this week-long photography workshop, offers the chance to hone and develop your photographic skills and techniques with tuition from highly experienced professional photographers. Small group size and two or three tutors guarantees personal attention for everyone.
7 nights Isle of Mull.
British Columbia: Great Bear Rainforest
8th - 22nd September 2011
From £7505
The pristine wilderness of the Great Bear Rainforest provides a stunning backdrop to a fortnight of superb bear watching and photography. Targeting remote locations within ancient forests where intimate encounters with Spirit Bears, Black Bears and Grizzly Bears are commonplace.
2 nights Vancouver, 7 nights Klemtu Bear Lodge, 5 nights Atnarko River Lodge.
Madagascar
October - November 2011
From £TBA
The island of Madagascar is like nowhere else. Millions of years of isolation have created a parallel world where numerous weird and wonderful creatures survive. Combining rainforest and dry forest locations, this trip will maximize the opportunities to see a diversity of lemurs, other mammals, endemic birds, chameleons, frogs and a host of invertebrates.
2 nights Kirindy Forest, 3 nights Masoala NP, 3 nights Andasibe-Mantadia NP, 3 nights Anjajavy Forest.
Photography Workshops
Launched in 2010, this series of workshop tours with Wildlife Worldwide builds on the successes of their inaugural year to now offer three destinations where wildlife watching and photography go hand-in-hand. All tours are a week in duration and tuition in both photographic and digital techniques.
Borneo's Rainforests, early May 2011, £TBA
Kenya: Masai Mara, late June, £TBA
Zambia: Luangwa Valley, early October, £TBA
In the Pipeline: Trips for 2012 and Beyond
Looking ahead to 2012 and beyond, I have a number of trips that are currently being planned and developed. These will undoubtedly feature more strongly in future newsletters as details become available, but if you would like to register interest in a trip please drop me a line and I will be sure to forward all the necessary information as soon as I can.
Wyoming: Yellowstone in Winter
January - February 2012
A fairy-tale landscape of forests, ice and snow, where Wolves, Bobcats, Elk and Bison roam. Staying at different locations around the park and including key locations within Yellowstone, this trip will offer terrific photographic potential amidst a breathtaking, eerie landscapes.
Borneo: The "Lost World" of Maliau Basin
Spring 2012
Maliau Basin is a Conan-Doyle-like “Lost World” in the heart of Sabah’s pristine rainforests. A natural fortress, this remarkable area has remained protected and largely undisturbed and supports and extraordinary biodiversity. This trip plans to spend time trekking through the basin, in combination with a more relaxing stay at another premier rainforest location. The photographic opportunities during this trip should be very special.
Brazil: The Pantanal
October 2012
South America’s wetland wildlife wonderland that supports an incredible diversity of mammals, birds, reptiles and other creatures and also offers the best chance of seeing a wild Jaguar as well as other spectacular creatures like Giant Otters, Giant Anteaters, Hyacinth Macaws and Anacondas. I will be in the Pantanal during September this year and will be planning the specifics of the tours afterwards.
