Tour Leader

David Ascanio, a Venezuelan birder and naturalist, has spent over 39 years guiding birding tours throughout his native country, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica, the Orinoco and Amazon River basins, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, the Guianas, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Lesser Antilles, Cuba, Chile, and Panama. He is especially interested in bird vocalizations and has a private library containing voices of more than 70% of all the birds of Venezuela. David combines superb birding skills with an astonishing command of bird vocalizations. He has published a book for children about bird songs and coauthored the descriptions of two new species, the Rio Orinoco Spinetail and the Delta Amacuro Softtail. David has also published numerous papers about the birds of the llanos (plains), Orinoco River Island species, and the pan-tepui endemic species on which he has become an authority. He is the senior author of the Field Guide to the Birds of Venezuela (2017). David is an excellent communicator, has a great sense of humor, and is tireless in helping others find birds and wildlife. These traits have made him one of the most popular naturalists/guides in the Neotropics.

Alison Beringer is Associate Professor of Classics and Humanities at Montclair State University, where she teaches courses in literary history, women’s studies, and medieval literature and culture. She holds the M.A. in Classics from the University of Victoria and the Ph.D. in German Studies from Princeton University. Her scholarly research focuses on the transmission and illustration of Latin and German literature in the medieval and early modern periods. Her first book, The Sight of Semiramis, appeared in 2016, and was followed in 2020 by the publication of Gender Bonds, Gender Binds. Her current project is a study of the place of monumental sculpture in the life and literature of the late Middle Ages. A native of Canada, she lives in northern New Jersey and birds widely in the Americas and Europe, most often with her husband, Rick Wright.

Mark Brazil is a frequent expedition leader of small, land-based, wildlife-focused expeditions in Africa, South America, South Asia, and East Asia. He is a regular lecturer on expedition cruise vessels traveling widely from the Arctic to Antarctica and many destinations between. He is best known for his extensive experience of birding in Japan and for his many publications. Born and educated in the UK, Mark has degrees in Biology, English Literature, and Psychology. He has had careers in conservation biology, in natural history television (20+ years), as a university lecturer (9 years), and now works mainly as a freelance author, editor, and wildlife-expedition leader. He has lived in England, Scotland, and New Zealand, and is now a long-term resident of Hokkaido, northern Japan, where he and his wife, Mayumi, live in the Akan–Mashu National Park. Mark began birding as a child in the UK, studied avian behavioral-ecology for his PhD, and has since birded on every continent. He is fascinated by the amazing diversity of avian behavior. He began leading nature tours in 1980, became involved in the expedition cruise industry in 1998, and since 2007 he has worked exclusively in the wildlife and adventure travel industry as a consultant, expedition leader, guide, and lecturer. In the last few years, he has been increasingly involved in outdoor guide training in Japan. His extensive travels across the length and breadth of Japan since 1980 have given him intimate knowledge of that country’s birdlife, natural history, and culture. He is well-known for his numerous articles and books relating to the region. Mark’s most recent books are: Japan: The Natural History of an Asian Archipelago (2022) and Wild Hokkaido: A Guidebook to the National Parks and other Wild Places of Eastern Hokkaido (2021). His past books include: Helm Field Guide to the Birds of East Asia; The Nature of Japan; Helm Field Guide to the Birds of Japan; and A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Japan.

Rob Broeren has been an amateur astronomer for over 30 years, traveling with telescopes throughout the United States, Peru, and New Zealand, and has published articles in Astronomy Technology Today. Professionally, he works in the aerospace industry. Early in his career he worked on the International Space Station, specializing in thermal propulsion, and then the Delta Rocket program that launches satellites. His rocket scientist journey has continued in his current work on the NASA Space Launch System program whose goal is to make a permanent moon colony and eventually land the first astronauts on Mars. Rob has a degree in Physics (Astronomy/Cosmology) from UC Irvine, and Mechanical Engineering degrees from Oregon State University as well as UCLA. He is an avid bird photographer and currently lives in Huntsville, Alabama. 

Erik Bruhnke has loved birds since he was a child looking at chickadees. In 2008 he graduated from Northland College in Wisconsin with a Natural Resources degree. Erik taught field ornithology at Northland College for three semesters. Between 2009 and 2014, he spent his summers conducting field research focused on breeding bird transects in Upper Michigan, point counts for a breeding bird atlas in Minnesota and Wisconsin’s Northwoods, vegetation and breeding bird surveys throughout wind farms in North Dakota’s prairie potholes, and cavity-nesting surveys in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. A devoted raptor nerd, he is drawn to hawkwatches. He worked as an interpreter for six seasons at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, Minnesota; counted migrating raptors at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch in Texas in 2015; and was the 2016, 2017, and 2018 hawk counter at the Cape May Hawkwatch in New Jersey. Erik’s wildlife photography has won national awards, and he’s written for the American Birding Association’s Birder’s Guide, BirdWatching magazine, and Bird Watcher’s Digest. When not leading birding tours, Erik often leads field trips and speaks at birding festivals. He also enjoys hiking, kayaking, cross-country skiing, and just being out in the snow. In his free time he loves to cook and bake.

Herbert Byaruhanga’s passion for birding and nature was cultivated in the picturesque Rutoto Village, where as a child, he observed and fed eagles near his home. His love for wildlife led him to pursue professional training, and he quickly excelled as the top candidate in an intensive Nature Guide training program at Lake Mburo National Park. Recognizing his exceptional potential, Birdlife International sponsored Herbert to further his expertise in South Africa, where he became a certified trainer of bird guides for Uganda and the broader East African region. Herbert holds a Bachelor's Degree in Tourism Management from Makerere University, alongside numerous certificates and diplomas in tourism, guiding, and leadership. Herbert's contributions to Uganda’s birding community are unparalleled. He is the visionary founder of the Uganda Bird Guides Club, Uganda Safari Guides Association, and the Uganda Women Birders Club. In December 2023, he successfully organized the inaugural International Conference for Women Birders in Kampala and is actively preparing for the second edition in Costa Rica, scheduled for September 2025. Known affectionately as “The Father of Birding in Uganda,” Herbert has trained over 90% of the country’s bird guides, gaining him the nickname “Mr. Product Knowledge.” In 2001, Herbert established Bird Uganda Safaris, a premier birding and wildlife safari company. His extensive experience has made him a sought-after speaker at birding and conservation conferences worldwide, particularly at prominent birding festivals in the United States, where he is a regular guest speaker. Herbert’s expertise spans the East African region, where he continues to lead birding tours across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda, now supported by his sons, Mark Bankunda and Davis Rukundo, who are celebrated among Uganda’s top birding guides.

Rafael Galvez has been birding and illustrating birds since childhood, a dual passion that developed when his family moved from Peru to South Florida. Always with a sketchpad in hand, he has traveled throughout the U.S., Latin America, and Eurasia in pursuit of birds. He served several years as a board member of the BirdLife International affiliate in the Republic of Georgia, developing educational and conservation programs.  He gained knowledge of the Caucasus region while directing a series of records and documentary shorts on the ancient chants of the Georgian nation. During that period he also produced retrospective books and catalogs on the works of Russian realist painters. He has combined his love of art, education, and birds while collaborating in several publications, including a field guide to Raptors and Owls of Georgia (Caucasus), which he illustrated and coauthored. After working with raptor research along the Black Sea, he returned to South Florida to spearhead a new phase for the Florida Keys Hawkwatch migration monitoring project, where he has participated as director. As chair of citizen science and IBA monitoring at Tropical Audubon Society in Miami, he has reached out to underserved communities by providing opportunities for the greater appreciation of birds and Florida habitats. Currently, he lives in Homestead, spends much time in the Everglades, serves on the Florida Ornithological Society’s Records Committee, and is on the Leica Sport Optics Pro Staff. He loves sharing his passion for birds with audiences of all ages, and has been a guide and teacher for over 15 years. You can find some of his latest sketches and articles about painting in the field at his blog, GalvezBirds.com.

Mark S. Garland is a naturalist who has been sharing his enthusiasm for nature with others professionally for over 40 years. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture. His work experience includes six years as a Ranger/Naturalist with the National Park Service, 17 years with the Audubon Naturalist Society (ANS), now known as Nature Forward, and four years with New Jersey Audubon Society’s Cape May Bird Observatory. He has also led tours for Smithsonian Journeys, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Riveredge Nature Center, and Betchart Expeditions. For 14 years he taught week-long birding classes in Cape May for the Road Scholar program by Elderhostel each spring and fall. He teaches one or two sessions each summer at the Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine. From 1984–2001 and from 2006–2016 he planned and operated the Nature Travel Program for the ANS.  He has also organized and led many private tours. Mark is the author of the book Watching Nature: A Mid-Atlantic Natural History (1997). Mark founded the Cape Charles, Virginia, Monarch butterfly research project in 1995, and from 2015–2022 he was Director of the Monarch Monitoring Project in Cape May. He has co-authored three scientific papers on the Cape Charles Monarch migration project and one on the Cape May Monarch studies. From early 2015 he authored the “Birders Question Mark,” Q&A Column for Bird Watchers’ Digest. For over 15 years he appeared regularly on the weekly radio program Metro Connection on Washington D.C.’s public radio station WAMU. He has written regular columns for the Cape May Star and Wave, for birdcapemay.org, and for the Audubon Naturalist News; one of the latter pieces was awarded the Excellence in Mass Media Award by the American Association of University Women in 1995. Mark is a frequent speaker at various events, ranging from nature and birding festivals to bird club monthly meetings. In March 2019 he was awarded the Paul Bartsch Award for Distinguished Contributions to Natural History from the Audubon Naturalist Society.

Brian Gibbons grew up in suburban Dallas where he began exploring the wild world in local creeks and parks. Chasing butterflies and any animal that was unfortunate enough to cross paths with the Gibbons boys occupied his childhood. A wooden bird feeder kit sparked a flame that was stoked by a gift of the Golden Guide and family camping trips to Texas state parks. Thirty years ago Brian attended two VENT camps for young birders. Birds are now his primary interest, but all things wild continue to captivate him. After college, Brian undertook a variety of field biology research jobs that have taken him to the Caribbean, the Bering Sea, and the land of the midnight sun, arctic Alaska. He enjoys working with kids, hoping to spark environmental awareness through birds. For many years Brian’s field research has involved bird banding. His most amazing recoveries were a female Wilson’s Warbler that had been banded in Alaska and was captured by Brian in Colorado, and a Sooty Tern that perished after a hurricane on the Texas coast; it had plied the Gulf of Mexico and the oceans of the world for 24 years. Brian’s recreational bird-seeking has taken him to Machu Picchu in Peru, the Great Wall in China, the plains of East Africa, and the Himalayas in Nepal. Brian leads birding trips in the United States, Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe. As well as being a fanatical birder, he loves capturing birds with photography. He lives in Tucson, Arizona with his wife, Lacrecia Johnson, and their son, Grayson.

Paul Greenfield grew up near New York City and became interested in birds as a child. He received his B.F.A. from Temple University, where he was a fine arts major at the Tyler School of Art. Since 1972, he has lived in Ecuador where his fascination for birds and art has culminated in the completion of 20 years of work illustrating The Birds of Ecuador (Cornell University Press, 2001), which he co-authored with Robert Ridgely. The Spanish version was published in 2006 and The Birds of Ecuador App was launched in 2018. Paul is also co-author of Birds of Western Ecuador, a Photographic Guide (Princeton University Press, 2016) with Nick Athanas. He has participated in the discovery of a number a new avian species to science and has painted several frontispiece illustrations of these newly described taxa. Paul is very involved in saving Ecuador’s avian diversity and important habitats through his involvement with various foundations, as well as working with and inspiring local governments and communities to get involved in the protection of “their” biodiversity as a pioneer and promoter of birding tourism throughout Ecuador. He was the lead author of Ecuador’s National Strategy of Bird Tourism (2006), and its Update (2010). He has been showing visitors the birds of this fascinating country for nearly five decades and has led many Ecuador bird tours. Paul and his wife, Martha, live in Quito.

Remigio (Remi) Grefa was born and raised along the shores of the Napo River in the tiny indigenous Kichwa community of Añangu, in the upper Amazon Basin of Ecuador. As a child of the rainforest, he developed a close tie with the rich biodiversity of the Amazonian jungle, but became especially interested in birds as a young boy when he noticed foreign visiting birdwatchers arriving at a nearby nature lodge. It was then that he promised himself that when he grew up he would learn the names of the local birds, in English. . . and he eventually did! Throughout his formative years, his community had embarked on a groundbreaking nature tourism project of their own—the building and co-management (and eventually outright ownership) of the fabulous Napo Wildlife Center—and by the time Remi graduated from high school he was ready to join the ranks of this incredible endeavor. He began working at the lodge from the ground up (odd jobs, dishwasher, laundry brigade, etc.); after a few months he was promoted to waiting tables, and after six months he became one of the lodge’s bartenders for a year-and-a-half. He then graduated to boatman, where he was the second canoe paddler for many, many birding groups, which gave him the perfect opportunity to receive hands-on apprenticeship in birding, as well as English. In 2009, he took a job as a waiter on the Manatee Amazon Explorer, a houseboat style vessel that cruises the country’s Napo and Aguarico rivers. He was eventually promoted again as an official birding and naturalist guide at Napo Wildlife Center by 2017 and continues to fill that role exceptionally to this day. Remi and his wife, Lola, along with their two daughters, Kayana and Wita, live in the parish of Dayuma, not far from the frontier town of Puerto Francisco de Orellana (more commonly known as “Coca”).

Steve Hilty is the senior author of A Guide to the Birds of Colombia, and author of Birds of Venezuela, both by Princeton University Press, as well as the popular Birds of Tropical America, A watcher’s introduction to behavior, breeding and diversity. He has also written a number of scientific papers on birds and plants, has described two species of birds new to science in Venezuela, and another, with a team of scientists, in Colombia. He also wrote the text and species accounts for the tanager family for the acclaimed Handbook of Birds of the World, published by Lynx Press in Barcelona. In a departure from ornithology, Steve also wrote Dirt, Sweat, and Diesel: A Family Farm in the 21st Century, a book focusing on a Midwestern farm family. However, he returned to birds with his recent (2021) Birds of Colombia, published by Lynx Editions of Barcelona, Spain. Steve holds a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Arizona and has worked at the Arid Lands Department at the University of Arizona, and as a broker with Merrill Lynch. He is currently a research associate in ornithology at the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute. Since 1983 he has also worked for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, guiding trips throughout North and South America, and co-leading trips to India, the Orient, and Australasian regions. With more than four decades of experience in South America and a wide range of natural history interests, he brings a unique breadth of expertise to his Neotropical tours. At night he often turns his binoculars towards the skies for stargazing. Steve lives in Kansas City with his wife, Beverly. They have two daughters.

Dion Hobcroft has been working for VENT since 2001. He has led many tours (more than 200) to Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Bhutan, Indonesia, India, China, Southwest Pacific, Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, Malawi, Myanmar, Japan, Russia, Alaska, Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the Antarctic. In 2007, 2013-2019, and 2022–2024 alone, Dion showed more than 2,000 species of birds to VENT clients. His informative, relaxed, and educational nature, combined with sharp eyes and ears, has established Dion as a favorite of many tour participants. His fieldwork for over 40 years on birds and other terrestrial vertebrates has allowed him to amass an extraordinary knowledge of the biodiversity in the Asia-Pacific region. Born in Tasmania and based in Sydney, Dion has traveled widely throughout Australasia, listing over 1,200 species, placing him in the top echelons of the region’s birders. He is very tuned-in to the songs of bird species in the Asia-Pacific region, and specializes in rare and elusive species. He is delighted to show these skulking rarities to his travel companions. Dion has published several papers on field ornithology, served on national and state rare bird committees, managed Birdline NSW, run introduction to ornithology courses for Sydney University, and, before he traveled so continuously, was a popular speaker with various natural history societies. Dion has worked for many research and government agencies ranging from the Antarctic Division, Department of Environment NSW, Agriculture Protection WA, Taronga Zoo, Australian Museum, and the Queensland Department of Primary Industry. Dion lives in Sydney with his wife, Lise, and two grown-up children, Grace (age 23) and Daniel (age 19).

David James is an Australian birder and ecologist. In 1982, a teenaged David joined a pelagic trip off Sydney Australia, just for a lark. He was instantly hooked on seabirds and has been a birder ever since. David has birded widely in Australia (where he has seen over 750 species), North America (over 650 species) Southeast Asia, Antarctica, and a few other countries. He has written several identification articles on gulls, honeyeaters, and frigatebirds, and is recognized as an international expert on the latter. In the 1990s, David worked as a staff editor for the Handbook of Australian New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, contributing many texts for this definitive reference. He has been a member of the Birdlife Australia Rarities Committee for over 20 years. David is also a professional ecologist who studied in Tasmania and northern Queensland, Australia. At various times he has studied land birds, seabirds, whales and dolphins, Koalas, bats, frogs, reptiles, land crabs, and insects. David has been a guide not only for many bird tours, but also has many years experience as a whale-watch guide in Australia and the U.S.A. In 2006 he organized and led the birding itinerary for the inaugural Christmas Island Birdweek. David currently lives in Sydney, Australia, with his partner, Brigitte. 

Anatol Klass is a postdoctoral fellow in history at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Before joining Columbia, he was a fellow at Harvard University’s Fairbank Center, the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, and the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC. He received his B.A. from Harvard and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He began studying Ancient Greek and the classical world nearly two decades ago and also speaks Chinese and Japanese. His research focuses on the history of international relations with a particular emphasis on China’s changing role in global politics during the modern period. In addition to academic publications, Anatol’s writing about history and international affairs has appeared in venues including The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, History Today, and The Los Angeles Review of Books. Anatol also previously worked for the European Parliament, the principal legislative body of the European Union.

Perri Klass, MD, is Professor of Journalism and Pediatrics at New York University, where she directs the Minor in Medical Humanities. She attended Harvard Medical School and completed her residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital, Boston. Dr. Klass has written extensively about medicine, children, literacy, and knitting. Her most recent book is The Best Medicine: How Science and Public Health Gave Children a Future, about how the decline in infant and child mortality has changed parenting, pediatrics, and the world; her other nonfiction includes Treatment Kind and Fair: Letters to a Young Doctor,  Every Mother is a Daughter: the Neverending Quest for Success, Inner Peace, and a Really Clean Kitchen, which she coauthored with her mother, and Quirky Kids: Understanding and Helping Your Child Who Doesn't Fit In, which she coauthored with Eileen Costello, M.D. She has written regularly about children’s issues for The New York Times for many years, and her medical journalism has appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Harper’s, The Atlantic, Smithsonian, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, The New England Journal of Medicine, and Harvard Medicine. Dr. Klass is the National Medical Director of Reach Out and Read, a program through which pediatricians promote parents reading aloud with young children, providing guidance and books to more than 4.4 million children and their families every year. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Jeri M. Langham has a Ph.D. in plant ecology from Washington State University, and after 38 years as a professor of biological sciences at California State University in Sacramento, retired in May 2008. He received the first Outstanding Teacher Award from the newly formed College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in 1997; the Outstanding Faculty Award from the Science Educational Equity and Minority Organization of Science Students organizations in 2005; and his University’s third annual Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service in 2006. Jeri has ardently birded all over North America, as well as Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Kenya, Borneo, South Africa, Cuba, and Australia. Born and raised in Venezuela, he speaks fluent Spanish. Known for his enthusiasm and boundless energy, Jeri thoroughly enjoys searching for birds and sharing them with others. His passion for teaching and his natural teaching abilities soon become apparent as his tour participants enjoy learning more about the biological world around them. Jeri is a former member of the California Bird Records Committee. He is a Founding Director and the Fundraising Director for the Neotropical Grassland Conservancy.

Geoff Lockwood's interest and involvement with birds dates back to his early years at school and forms part of a wider interest in the biodiversity of the Southern African sub-region. After leaving school, he began a career as a bird artist, illustrator, and author. In 1981, he published Garden Birds of Southern Africa and later also contributed half the illustrations to the 5th and 6th editions of Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. Geoff is currently based at the Delta Environmental Centre in Johannesburg where he acts as part-time manager and education officer, working to instill an environmental ethos in teachers and school groups that visit the Centre. For the past 40 years he has been involved with local birding organizations and has served on the Council of the Southern African Ornithological Society—now BirdLife South Africa, for most of that time. He travels widely in the region, presenting lectures, talks, and courses on bird identification, ecology, and behavior, and was also involved in the training of local bird guides as part of a BLSA initiative to give communities a vested interest in the conservation of their local birds. With 874 species listed within southern Africa, Geoff is amongst the region's top birders. He has led tours to many destinations in Southern and Central Africa, as well as Kenya and Israel.

Ron Martin grew up on a grain and cattle farm on the plains of North Dakota, and bought his first field guide as a young boy. While studying for his B. A. in Music Performance at Goshen College in Indiana, he began birding seriously after a college trip to Honduras. Returning to North Dakota after his studies, he began a career in manufacturing, spending most of his free time birding the Northern Plains and guiding individuals and small groups when time allowed. Ron’s other interests include music, competitive powerlifting, and politics. He has birded across the United States and also in Mexico, Central America, Africa, and the Philippines. Ron is a former chair and longtime member of the North Dakota Bird Records Committee and has co-authored several papers and publications on North Dakota birds, including Birding North Dakota. He was the Northern Great Plains Editor for North American Birds for over 30 years. Ron is a past president of the North Dakota Birding Society and a former board member of the South Dakota Ornithologists’ Union. He has had a keen interest in the Breeding Bird Survey, conducting nearly 200 routes while coordinating the Survey for North Dakota. Ron's special interests are regional variation in bird vocalizations and North American bird distribution. He has contributed range information for numerous North American field guides over the years. After many years on the Northern Plains, Ron is now retired and recently moved to North Carolina.

Brad McKinney began birding during the winter of 1987–88, an exciting year in which many Mexican rarities were recorded in South Texas. His passion for birds has led to numerous birding trips and photography expeditions across North America, Mexico, Central America, and Hawaii. Brad loves pelagic birding and has guided Texas pelagic trips since 1995, many from his home town of South Padre Island. He has been a longtime tour leader at the Rio Grande Birding Festival and has led birding trips across Texas and Mexico. Brad has served on the Texas Bird Records Committee for six years and co-authored A Birder’s Guide to the Rio Grande Valley. He received his degree in biology at the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in marine ecology at the University of Texas at Brownsville. Brad’s other interests include nature photography, surfing, and snowboarding with his son, Will. He lives at South Padre Island with his wife, Janette, and their dog, Sam.

Michael O’Brien is a freelance artist, author, and environmental consultant living in Cape May, New Jersey. He has a passionate interest in bird vocalizations and field identification, and a serious addiction to migration and nocturnal birding. His travels have taken him throughout North and Central America and beyond. At home in Cape May, Michael serves as an Associate Naturalist with Cape May Bird Observatory for whom he conducts numerous workshops, and, for many years, conducted a fall songbird migration count. He is co-author of The Shorebird Guide, Flight Calls of Migratory Birds, and America’s 100 Most Wanted Birds, and is primary author of Larkwire, an online and handheld application for learning bird sounds. His illustrations have been widely published in books and field guides, including the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America and the new Peterson field guides. Michael also has an intense interest in butterflies, leads several “Birds & Butterflies” tours with his wife, Louise Zemaitis, and is coordinator of the Cape May Butterfly Count.

Larry Wolff is the Silver Professor of European History at New York University, and at NYU he has held the positions of Director of the Center for European and Mediterranean Studies, Director of the Remarque Institute, and Co-director (with Perri Klass) of NYU Florence at Villa La Pietra. He received his B.A. from Harvard and his Ph.D. from Stanford. With particular interests in Eastern Europe and Mediterranean Europe, his books, which have been widely translated into foreign languages, include Inventing Eastern Europe (1994), Venice and the Slavs: The Discovery of Dalmatia in the Age of Enlightenment (2001), Paolina's Innocence: Child Abuse in Casanova's Venice (2012), The Singing Turk: Ottoman Power and Operatic Emotions on the European Stage (2016), and Woodrow Wilson and the Reimagining of Eastern Europe (2020). His newest book is The Shadow of the Empress: Fairy-Tale Opera and the End of the Habsburg Monarchy (2023). Larry is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has traveled as a lecturer with cruises in the Adriatic and around the Mediterranean. He also writes frequently about opera for the New York Review of Books and the Times Literary Supplement of London. He lived for many years in Boston and now lives in New York City with his wife, Perri Klass, the well-known doctor and writer.

Kevin Zimmer has authored three books and numerous papers dealing with field identification and bird-finding in North America. His book, Birding in the American West: A Handbook, deals with finding and identifying birds in the western United States. Living in Alaska contributed to his affection for the Far North, where he has anchored VENT’s tour program since 1986. For the past 30+ years he has concentrated his attention on the Neotropics, particularly on Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. He has directed VENT’s Brazil program since 1991. In the past decade, he has rekindled a love affair with the birds and wildlife of Africa, an interest that began as a young boy (watching Marlin Perkins on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom), but which blossomed with his first trip to Kenya in 1987 and leading several tours there through 1998. Following his return to Africa after a hiatus of more than a decade, his yearly tours to Africa have taken him to Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia. Kevin has a PhD in biology (research emphasis in Avian Evolutionary Ecology) from New Mexico State University, and is a Research Associate of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, an elective member of the American Ornithologists’ Society (AOS), and a member of the A.O.S. South American Classification Committee (SACC). He formerly served two terms on the American Birding Association (ABA) Check-list Committee, and is a regular contributor to Cornell’s Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds. He has authored numerous technical papers on the taxonomy, distribution, and behavior of Neotropical birds, particularly those of the Amazon Basin. In 2003 he completed (with co-author Mort Isler) the major chapter on the Thamnophilidae (antbirds) for the prestigious Handbook of Birds of the World series. In 2006, he and Curtis Marantz coauthored a six-CD compilation of Bird Voices of Alta Floresta and Southeastern Amazonian Brazil (produced by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds) that represents the most comprehensive set of commercially available bird recordings for any part of the Amazon Basin. He and Andrew Whittaker are currently at work on a comprehensive field guide to the birds of Brazil, to be published by Princeton University Press. Kevin lives in Atascadero, California with his wife, Susan. Their daughter, Marina, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT). She and her husband, Ryan, and their children, Brinn and Clayton, are now living in Napa, California.

Barry Zimmer has been birding since the age of eight. His main areas of expertise lie in North and Central America, but his travels have taken him throughout much of the world, including such exotic locales as Japan, Russia, Madagascar, Africa, and New Zealand. Barry is a longtime member of the New Mexico Bird Records Committee, and served on the Texas Bird Records Committee for 12 years. He has co-authored three books: Birds of the Trans-Pecos, A Birder's Guide to the Rio Grande Valley, and Birds and Birdfinding in the El Paso Area. Barry has a keen interest in nature photography, having captured over 1,600 species of birds on film. His other interests include sports (a diehard Red Sox fan), cooking, and movies. He received his degree in psychology at the University of Texas in El Paso. Barry resides in El Paso with his wife, Yvonne, and their daughter, Alexandra.