Joachim Bertrands was born in Belgium and was drawn to natural areas of the country from an early age. His backyard hobby quickly blossomed into an obsession that led to travels across Europe to look for birds. A trip to Ghana was his first real taste of tropical birding, and he has now birded on all the continents, except Antarctica. Joachim has a MSc degree from a university in the Netherlands, and now works as an environmental consultant in Canada. He conducted research on Dunlin in the Fraser River Estuary as part of his university studies. Joachim’s main interest is birds, with some of his favorite types being gulls, and shorebirds, however he also has a well-rounded knowledge about other creatures, such as mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and butterflies to name a few.