It’s been a tough year in the travel industry but one silver lining for us has been the recruitment of well-known and popular tour leaders Mike Crewe and Brian Small to the Naturetrek fold. Here we get to know them a little better!

Drawing on decades of knowledge built up from operating bird, mammal, botany, butterfly and other wildlife tours, and combining this with in-house herpetology expertise, we are delighted to be able to offer the chance to join expert field herpetologists in search of some of the world’s finest reptile and amphibian experiences, on a range of herping tours across the planet.

Episode 4 of the BBC’s wonderful new series, A Perfect Planet, portrayed a series of amazing natural history stories, connected by the ocean. We were treated to some great stories from every watery corner of the oceans, from the Humboldt Current at the Galápagos Islands to the Indonesian Throughflow to the tidal surge at Saltstraumen in Norway.

Scotland is home to some of the British Isles’ most iconic bird and mammal species, as well as being the setting for many of their top wildlife spectacles. When it comes to wildlife holidays, Scotland is a fantastic destination.

In this month's tour leader spotlight, we join Neil McMahon. Neil grew up in Northamptonshire and, from a very young age, developed an interest in the natural world. His passion for bird and wildlife-watching has taken him all around the world, visiting more than 50 countries.