Ian is a highly qualified wildlife expert, with extensive experience in guiding and teaching guests and potential field guides, sharing his broad knowledge and insights of all aspects of the frican bushlife.
Ian was born in Malawi in 1965 but spent most of his youth in the countryside of Zimbabwe. Throughout his schooling years he was actively involved with school Natural History societies. He later moved to England and worked at a number of wildlife centres but primarily at Whipsnade Wild Animal Park as a zoo keeper for five years. He completed, with distinction and the highest marks in the country, a City and Guilds diploma in Zoo Animal Management.
Back in Africa he then worked at Thornybush Private Game Lodge for eight years improving on his knowledge of wildlife, customer service and other aspects of the lodge industry. He has a keen interest in wildlife photography.
He qualified as an Advanced Trails Guide with FGASA, has passed the theory aspect of the SKS Birding exam and is currently busy with the slide and sound assessment for the Core bird exam. During his time at Thornybush he facilitated over 200 companies on team building programmes. He also served as Chairman of the FGASA Lowveld North region for several years. He served on the Grietjie Nature Reserve committee for over 11 years, including as chairman from 2004-2008. From 2016 until 2018 he was employed as the Guide Training Project Manager for BirdLife South Africa.
He has been a member of BirdLife South Africa and the local Phalaborwa bird club since he moved to the area in 2000. He has been involved in surveys over the past ten years looking for the rare and elusive Pel’s Fishing Owl along the banks of the Olifants river, and has been lucky enough to have had several sightings of these beautiful birds.
For 20 years he ran his own Field Guide training programmes at Antares, enabling approximately 250 enthusiasts to gain their FGASA Field Guide certification.
He is deeply committed to providing a professional service to any client or guest and sharing the insights he has gained over the years about the plants, animals and birdlife.