Hannah Lawson
Expedition Leader/ Mammologist
Hannah Lawson spent her childhood watching wildlife, drawing pictures and looking after a multitude of pets. After a period living in Israel (at school, in the army, painting murals and watching the raptor migration) she returned to Britain to read zoology at Liverpool University. To get close to big mammals, she spent a summer in Kenya looking at the intestinal parasites of black rhinoceros and gorillas. She has also worked as the artist in residence at Chester Zoo, a researcher in Uganda and as an illustrator for various conservation projects. She has also completed a masters in Natural History Illustration at the Royal College of Art in London. Her love for nature has taken her around the globe, watching, drawing, photographing and learning about the creatures she has encountered.
Zodiac Driver
Chris is a qualified Rescue SCUBA Diver having dived all around the world from the famous Blue Hole in Belize to the Great Barrier Reef and cave diving in the Cenotes of Mexico. His passion for sport and the outdoors has led to extensive travelling since his graduation from university, taking him from his home in Halifax, Northern England to many countries around the world. Visiting remote tribes in the Venezuelan Amazon, trekking in the Peruvian Andes, island hopping the Galapagos Archipelago and exploring the jungles of Borneo have fuelled his love of exploring, all the time combining it with the chance to witness all manner of wildlife in their native habitat. He learnt to drive Zodiacs whilst working in Australia and enjoys being out on the water. His experience in the Antarctic in 2008 being truly unforgettable.
Mick Brown
Ornithologist
A native of Dublin, Mick has lived in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, for over 30 years. An all round naturalist with a passion for seabirds and marine life and a photographer since his teens, he has had a variety of jobs ranging from picture gallery proprietor to ecologist working for the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. He also runs environmental awareness courses for children and adults. Working as a guide he has travelled throughout Europe and now concentrates on the Polar Regions. Offshore Islands with Seal and Seabird colonies are his natural habitat. At home Mick enjoys sea swimming, cycling and camping. A zodiac driver and lecturer, his enthusiasm for the natural world is inspiring.
Veronika Nemes
Climate Change
Geography
Growing up in the Pennine Hills of Yorkshire, Northern England, Joel spent his childhood developing a passion for the natural world. A degree in Geography from The University of Durham further cemented this interest and has led to many exciting years working and travelling throughout the world. As a qualified SCUBA Rescue Diver, Joel has spent some of his most memorable times underwater, diving at sites across the globe and is enthused by all manner of marine life. A keen interest in Glaciology has drawn Joel to the Polar Regions where he continues to be amazed by their scale and dynamism.
Marine Biolog
Dr. Ingrid Visser devotes her research interests in studying Orcinus orca. She is the first person to study these animals in her native country, New Zealand. She has made many world first discoveries in relation to this population of Orca, including new methods of feeding and a new food source. Ingrid is one of the few people in the world who actually study Orca underwater, getting into their environment without backup support such as shark cages. She has worked with internationally renowned Discovery Channel to produce a documentary about her research.
Ingrid is a marine biologist and diving instructor. She has dived in many locations around the world and enjoys underwater photography, especially photographing whales and dolphins. Having sailed around the world aboard a yacht, she has seen many areas of the world and has also worked in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Ingrid enjoys teaching and sharing the wonders of the marine environment.