Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris Tour Leaders
Cheesemans Ecology Safaris carefully selects leaders who are tops in their field to insure that your experience is the best it can be. We also provide a complete support staff on our larger expedtions. Your trip itinerary names your expedition leader.
 Gail and Doug Cheeseman have found leading safaris to be a fresh
way of blending a desire to observe nature with a wish to inspire
travelers towards the values of conservation and education. Doug
turned on biology majors with zoology and ecology at De
Anza College in Cupertino, California during his long career. Gail is an avid
birder and naturalist, plus a meticulous coordinator of trip logistics.
Gail and Doug lead as many trips as their schedule can accommodate, including Antarctica, Africa, and Bhutan.
 
Ted Cheeseman caught the travel bug early, growing up amid wildlife safaris. After earning a graduate degree in conservation biology, Ted returned to California to lead and organize safaris as an avenue for turning travelers on to the beauty and value of wild lands, finding in wilderness a tonic for the soul. He recently helped found CarbonTree Conservation Fund that offers carbon offsets to make your travel carbon-neutral. Ted organizes tours and leads our Antarctica, Silver Banks, and Galapagos tours.
 Hugh Rose has guided Alaska trips since 1991 with unending praise for his
true talents as an expert guide, birder, geologist and professional
photographer. Both nature and camera have intrigued Hugh since childhood
and he continues to explore these worlds through guiding, photography
and birding. He is also a
top-notch professional photographer and part of our Antarctica
staff.
 Jim Danzenbaker, who is an expert seabirder, has been the ornithologist on our Antarctica staff since 1998. Jim grew up on the coast of New Jersey, where he started birding with his family at Brigantine NWR and
Cape May and has never stopped. After moving to California, he began leading
pelagic trips in Monterey Bay. On one trip, Jim spotted a Streaked Shearwater, as many people were dozing off. No one will ever forget Jim's enthusiastic yell, "Streaked Shearwater"! Jim's other specialty is leading birding trips to the Neotropics, especially
to Panama. Jim has led for us in Ecuador and is leading our tour to
Panama. People who travel with him appreciate his friendliness, enthusiasm for finding birds and mammals, and willingness to share information. Jim now lives in Washington state and works for Kowa, who makes fantastic sporting optics including spotting scopes. Jim is also one of our top birders on our our Antarctica staff. You will have wonderful "Kowa views" when you travel with Jim Danzenbaker!
 Tonia Cochran is our resident guide and leader of our tour to Australia. She grew up and lives in Australia where she received a BS degree in zoology and botany, and a PhD in zoololgy. Tonia has been involved in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic scientific research since 1985. She is heavily involved with the conservation of threatened species and works as a consultant on a number of projects. Her wide-ranging academic and teaching background, and her passion for conservation have formed an invaluable basis for her career in the tourism industry. She is committed to promoting a tourism industry that is ecologically sustainable and educational.
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 Grant Reed, Director of Letaka Safaris, is the author of "Okavango - Spirit of Life" and narrator of "From Dust to Dust - the Story of Lake Ngami". In addition to his 15 years of guiding experience in five African countries, he also holds a post-graduate degree in Nature Conservation and is currently working on his PhD. Grant holds the highest level of guiding qualification in southern Africa (Field Guide Association of Southern Africa SKS (DA)). Grant is the owner of Letaka Safaris in Botswana and the Okavango Guiding School and does extensive guide training for all members of the tourism industry. Grant lectures both in Botswana as well as abroad, primarily on Birds and Ecology of Botswana. Grant leads our tour in Botswana and Zambia.
 Hishey Tshering, the owner of Bhutan Birding and Heritage Travels, is based in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. After working with the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature and George Archibald, the co-founder of the International Crane Foundation, Hishey established his company in 1999. RSPN is the only environmental NGO in Bhutan and Hishey is a member of their board. He still works closely with the International Crane Foundation. His attention to details is amazing and his knowledge of Bhutan second to none. Despite Bhutan only being open to the outside world since 1974, he is determined to keep his focus on quality and personal service. He believes in the concept of "Gross National Happiness", which he exudes from the moment he meets us on our Bhutan tour.
 Fraser Gear was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. After school, he followed his interests in conservation by rehabilitating habitats on private game reserves surrounding Kruger National Park. His extensive time in the field as a naturalist led him to guiding as a career and to becoming one of the few qualified game trackers in South Africa. He has an in-depth knowledge of birds, mammals and reptiles in Madagascar and will insure that everyone has maximum time in the field with the amazing wildlife that you will encounter. Fraser leads our Madagascar tour where he will spend quality time with the mammals, herps and invertebrates, as well as the birds and endemic flora. Madagascar is superb for nature photography and our leader
will stay as long as possible with any subject (of course, depending upon the cooperation of the beast involved!).
 Ricardo Clark lives in Salta, northern Argentina and is the founder of Clark Expeditions, the leading operator of natural history tours in his native country. Prior to establishing his company, Ricardo worked in the Argentine National Park Service and published a field guide to the birds of Tierra del Fuego, having spent several years working in this wild and beautiful southern extremity of the continent. Ricardo is considerate, outgoing and friendly, and has great enthusiasm for high energy safaris with long days in the field. He is an accomplished tour leader with a perfect command of English, and has escorted many groups within Argentina and in recent years has broadened his experience to include Peru, Paraguay, Brazil, Chile and Bolivia. Ricardo leads our tours to Peru, Argentina and Brazil.
 Etienne (ET) De Backer, who has a doctorate in biology, plus a decade of work experience in his native Belgium, set out (in his mid-30's) to explore the world. His adventures eventually led him to his home on the Galapagos Islands in 1985. Since that time Etienne has led tours on nearly every ship in the Galapagos. He speaks 5 languages. Ely Coral-De Backer, Etienne's wife, was born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador. In 1980, following college, she moved to Puerto Ayoara in the Galapagos Islands. Originally working with the Galapagos National Park, she then worked at the Charles Darwin Station, accompanying herpetologists, ornithologists and botanists in their fieldwork. She began guiding in 1982 and is fluent in four languages, and conversational in an additional four. She met her husband, Etienne, in 1985 and they live and work together in Galapagos. Etienne and Ely lead our tour to the Galapagos Islands.
 Paco Madrigal has 20 years experience guiding wildlife, natural history, and birding tours throughout Costa Rica. He has been leading wonderful wildlife tours for us since the early 90's. He grew up in Sarapiqui very close to the Organization for Tropical Studies Station at La Selva. He learned about botany and wildlife from his father who had learned from his father. He was the first resident naturalist guide at the nearby Selva Verde Lodge Tropical Reserve. In 1989 he was selected to participate in the first 4-month intensive training course for naturalist guides, sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund and the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS). At the University of Florida he studied English and ornithology and graduated with honors. Before becoming a full time professional leader, Paco worked for five years at La Selva Biological Station in Sarapiqui. He is very enthusiastic and always adds fun to the experience in the field, as well as finding lots of wildlife for you. Each morning he'll be ready for an early start to maximize opportunities when birds and mammals are most active and arrange travel time, as much as possible, between lodges for the middle of the day, then have the late afternoon in the field when the light is also excellent for photography. There will be several owling excursions, weather permitting, and a pre-breakfast opportunity most every morning. Paco designed this also to include the rich wildlife areas to the south with very nice lodgings, private baths and great food, that will appeal to all, including anyone who has already been to Costa Rica, but wants to return to new areas and new species.
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