OUR PHILOSOPHY
We are a conservation-minded tour operator that aims to contribute to our understanding of the world’s biodiversity and help to protect biologically rich habitats. As we travel to some of the world’s most significant biodiversity hotspots, we aim to provide local scientists with data and funding through contributions from tour sales and our conservation efforts.
OUR TEAM
Robert Gilson
Founder
Robert is a biologist and naturalist with a deep passion for the wild world. An avid amateur lepidopterist, he has several years researching the moth fauna of North Carolina, contributing to a growing understanding of the region’s biodiversity. His work is driven by a commitment to identifying and protecting local species, with conservation at the heart of his research and daily life. Robert delights in sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for butterflies and moths with others, inspiring curiosity while always seeking to expand his own understanding of the natural world. He is also the Founder of Fauna Ventures, where he brings together his love of nature, research, and conservation to create meaningful impact.
Fredy Montero Abril
Colombia Expert and Guide
Fredy is a lepidopterist passionate about the fauna of his home country, Colombia. Since 2000 he has researched butterflies in almost every region of the country and some of the best places to find and observe butterflies around the territory. His photographs of live butterflies in their natural habitat enrich several different literary works about butterflies. He has also co-authored several scientific articles describing species previously untreated life cycles in the literature. Since 2012 he has acted as a guide for scientific expeditions, and tourists alike attracted Colombia’s incredible biodiversity.
Robert Gallardo and Oliva Diaz
Honduras Butterfly and Bird Experts and Guides
Robert was born and raised in California and had a passion for nature from an early age, especially butterflies. After graduating from Humboldt State University in 1992 with a degree in Natural Resource Planning and Interpretation, he joined the Peace Corps, served three years in Honduras, and has resided there ever since. He eventually became the country’s leading ornithologist and produced and self-published two bird guides. He also trained the country’s bird watching guides and was the first person to successfully reach out to the highest levels in the Honduran government on the importance of Nature Tourism. He and his partner, Olivia, began working in earnest on a future Guide to the Butterflies of Honduras in early 2016 and have already discovered several new species for science. They reside in their fifty-acre rainforest realm of Emerald Valley, home to over 670 species of butterflies.
Chris Talkington
Wildlife Guide and Driver Extraordinaire
Chris is a naturalist whose primary interests are butterflies, birds, dragonflies, reptiles, and mammals. Raised in Ohio, Chris spent much of his young life banding birds and learning about wildlife from his father. Chris enjoys sharing his enthusiasm and knowledge with others and spending as much time as possible outside enjoying nature.
Peter DeGennaro
Wildlife Guide and Naturalist
Peter is an accountant by trade but a naturalist whenever time allows. He became interested in nature at an early age before focusing especially on butterflies, dragonflies, and birds. Spending most of his life in Connecticut, in 2020 he moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he currently resides. He is a past president of the Connecticut Butterfly Association and a former board member of the Connecticut Ornithological Society.