About Our Experts
Go Behind the Scenes With Our Experts
Every great adventure has its memorable characters: the brilliant scientist, the consummate storyteller, and the local whose passion fills the room. These are your in-country experts, wonderful people from diverse backgrounds with an almost encyclopedic knowledge of your host country. These are the folks most excited to share with you their knowledge of the local animals, fauna and culture, taking you off the tourist trail and introducing you to a deeper, authentic engagement with the people and the land. Take our expert in Australia who single handedly has saved six species of frogs. This is a guy so passionate and so willing to share you’ll swear there’s nothing he doesn’t know about amphibians. Or take our expert in South Africa, a high-energy paleoanthropologist in charge of the archeological dig at Drimolen Caves. He won’t just teach you evolutionary theory, he’ll take you on a dig for early hominid fossils.
On your trip, you’ll encounter several in-country experts. Each will amaze you with their knowledge and passion. Each will invite you to roll up your sleeves and to experience their world first-hand. As one student adventurer put it: “After just a day, you’ll swear there’s nothing they don’t know.” Gurus, adventurers, and scientists—these are the folks who make your trip unforgettable. Spend a few days with a Discovery Student Adventure in-country expert and, who knows, you might just dedicate your life to frogs too!
Meet some of our experts:
Boris Behncke, Ph.D.
Volcanologist
Italy / Greece
Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Boris is responsible for mapping new lava flow fields on volcanic Mount Etna and analyzing data from a wide range of sources, from CO2 emissions to satellite observations. He serves as a teacher and professor, as well as a researcher with Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV-CT).
Master Yan Bo
Warrior Monk
China
Yan Bo has been a student at Shaolin Temple since he was 10 years old. He is highly accomplished in martial arts and recognized as his famous temple’s most expert swordsman. Yan Bo has traveled to more than 30 countries to speak and demonstrate kung fu.
Colin Menter, Ph.D.
Paleoanthropolgist
South Africa
Colin has worked extensively on dig sites across southern Africa and currently serves as the deputy director at Drimolen, one of the most remarkable hominid sites being excavated in Africa. He will share his own experience uncovering fossils in the region, including the “Little Foot” skeleton, and show you the amazing discoveries still being made.
Heather Purdie, Ph.D.
Glacierologist
New Zealand / Australia
Heather has spent many years studying the Fox Glacier on the west coast of New Zealand. Heather holds a Ph.D. in glaciology and climatology, and her vast knowledge of the glacier and the publications she has authored, make her a sought-after resource for visitors and other guides.
Duncan Forster
Reef HQ Aquarium
Australia
Duncan had lived in 15 countries before joining Reef HQ in 1993. He is an avid divemaster, bushwalker, and traveler. Duncan loves sharing his tremendous knowledge of the Great Barrier Reef with students.
Willy Aguilar
Tirimbina Rainforest Center
Costa Rica
Willy has worked with students for years, teaching them rafting, mountaineering, surfing, among other skills, in addition to having extensive experience as a naturalist guide. In his current work, he appreciates the chance to help people from all over the world understand the importance of forest conservation.
William Lishman, Ph.D. (Hon)
Artist, inventor, filmmaker, and naturalist
The Arctic
Bill Lishman is perhaps best known as the first human to lead birds in formation flying an ultralight plane. He inspired the film Fly Away Home and co-founded Operation Migration to continue to restore native birds that have disappeared from a particular region.
