Tony Thorne first visited Guyana in 1988 as a Project Leader with Operation Raleigh and loved the adventure and rawness of the country. He returned in 1991 to watch the West Indians and Australians battle out a test match at Bourda Cricket Ground and decided to stay and accept a position to manage Timberhead Rainforest Resort. In 1994, when he started Wilderness Explorers, tourism was still largely undeveloped and the company took on the challenge of marketing Guyana internationally.

Tony was the first President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana in 1991 and served for numerous years on the board in various positions including Vice President. Over the years he has travelled extensively throughout Guyana and also the neighbouring countries to find suitable properties, locations and communities to work with in developing tourism to the region. Even after all these years he still marvels at the majesty of Kaieteur Falls and its pristine environment and enjoys great satisfaction in working with local communities developing their tourism products. tony@wilderness-explorers.com

Teri is Guyanese born, but was educated in both Guyana and Trinidad. In 1993 Teri returned to Guyana and worked as a travel agent for three years before coming to Wilderness Explorers. At Wilderness she has worked her way up from Reservations Clerk to General Manager. She is the longest serving member of staff leading a team of eight. Climbing through the ranks of the company has enabled Teri to gain experience in all aspects of the business. From initially taking reservations to traveling the length and breadth of the country guiding and leading tours, to attending trade shows internationally and designing, writing and costing itineraries. She has developed a very close working relationship with all the local suppliers enabling the company to offer a wide range of products to the international market while helping the local suppliers grow and expand their own businesses. Teri has benefited from training courses both locally and abroad and utilizes these skills in the discharge of her responsibilities. Her experience and dedication to the industry resulted in her being elected as an Executive Board Member of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana. She has also lectured to first and second year tourism students at the University of Guyana. teri@wilderness-explorers.com

Delice' has been with Wilderness for almost a decade and has extensive travel experience across all Guyana's best - and least - known spots. She has also spent a fair amount of time in neighboring Suriname and French Guiana and is especially fond of the Saramaccan Maroon villages on the along the Gran Rio river of Suriname. Wakey-Yo!

Delice got her start at Wilderness as an administrative assistant but soon found she had a particular knack for the trip planning process. A good thing, too, since she was able to help the company manage a steadily growing demand for customized itineraries. These days, she designs VIP , FIT, and specialty programs for bird and nature groups. delice@wilderness-explorers.com

Luke Johnson is a Guyanese naturalist and avid birder with deep enthusiasm for his country's wildlife and biodiversity. He has a unique passion for birds, educating others about birds, and for giving visitors a taste of Guyana's unique culture. He is a founding member of the Guyana Amazon Tropical Bird Society, produced Guyana's first bird habitation map, developed the Checklist of Birds in the Vicinity of Georgetown Guyana, and is President of the Guyana Biodiversity & Education Development Foundation.

Luke has conducted research expeditions and programs for local lodges and resorts, film crews, and development agencies. These days he leads trips for naturalists and bird enthusiasts across Guyana. His clients regularly comment on his broad-based knowledge of Guyana ecosystems and sharp field skills, not to mention an easy-going style that helps everyone enjoy their outdoor experience.

In 2007, Luke represented Guyana at the Neotropical Ornithological Congress held in Maturin, Venezuela, and in 2008 he participated in the European Union's first-ever Local Bird Guide Training Program. He has also participated in guide training programs in Costa Rica and Venezuela, and manages the IBA program in Guyana. luke@wilderness-explorers.com

Amarylis Lewis is part of Wilderness Explorer's agile and creative operations department. She has been keeping the wheels of Wilderness turning for over three years, and sometimes refers to herself as the utility player on the Wilderness team. She enjoys this role very much as it gives her flexibility in her work. The Rupununi is her favorite place to visit. amarylis@wilderness-explorers.com

Originally an agent with Suriname Airways, Joetha was so intrigued by operations of Wilderness Explorers, that she decided to switch her allegiances and become a fulltime member of staff. This excitement of creating lasting experiences for our travelers has not diminished in the 7 years that she has worked at Wilderness Explorers. Although she has visited many places both in Guyana and overseas she cannot label any one as her favorite destination because they compare equally. joetha@wilderness-explorers.com

Nady is the Client Manager for Wilderness Explorers. She lives in Georgetown, Guyana. nady@wilderness-explorers.com

Shabana is the Operations Assistant at Wilderness Explorers. She lives in Georgetown, Guyana. shabana@wilderness-explorers.com

Monica brings with her a vast amount of experience in the hospitality industry. She worked at the Guyana Pegasus Hotel, a Trusthouse Forte (THF) Hotel at the time, for a number of years starting as Confidential Secretary to the Financial Controller. Due to her ability and quick understanding she was identified for training in computer technology and was trained as a technical specialist in the UK, Ireland and Holland. She later went on to train the staff at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Bermuda and the Bahamas offering them technical assistance in standardising their accounting software. She worked in the various accounting divisions of the Pegasus accounts department covering the more traditional accountancy and administrative side of things. With her excellent organizational and time management skills, and the ability to set priorities for self and others she was promoted to Front Office Manager leading a team of eighteen where she was responsible for all operations of the front desk and guest services, including the concierge, transport and luggage services. Again it was her responsiblity for training the staff and shift scheduling. She was involved in computerizing the entire front office system during her term. Monica is a very hands-on person and in her present role she heads up the day to day financial activities of the company, including; analysis of the books, reporting on the state of the company's finances, cash flow, producing accounts, setting and checking targets, monitoring the performance of each department, auditing and overseeing all tax and regulatory/compliance issues. Her experience and dedication to the industry resulted in her being elected as Treasurer of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana. She holds a certificate in Customer Relations from the Bahamas Hotel Training College in collaboration with the University of Guyana. She enjoys the outdoors and her favorite place in Guyana is the Rupununi. monica@wilderness-explorers.com

Indira joined the Wilderness team in 2007 as the Accounts Assistant with responsibilities for the day to day accounting operations which also encompasses the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway. Prior to Wilderness Explorers, she was the Administrative Assistant for the Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) for five years. She had the opportunity to travel to Barbados, Canada and the USA for travel and trade tourism and gained valuable marketing experience.

Ms. Girdhari enjoys travelling and meeting people, a good game of cricket, music and dancing. Afraid of water but none the less took up the challenge to experience the magic on "MADE OF THE MIST". indira@wilderness-explorers.com

Debra Sutherland is our Client Manager based in Georgetown Guyana. Debra has over eighteen years of diverse working background, marketing various products and services and equally has a diverse social interest as well. Due to tremendous professional training, Debra has developed this very style of performing her duties and conducts herself in a like manner. She is adaptable to different environment; works well as a team member and also demonstrates good leadership skills in supervisory roles. Having held various positions, such as Administrative Assistant; Human Resources Assistant and Customer Service Supervisor, she has excellent interpersonal skills when interfacing with people at all different levels and is accustomed to handling various issues and resolving them, also working under pressure has become routine in her career life. Being a very results-oriented type of person, Debra is very capable and prepared to handle all queries and issues that may require her attention from time to time. Cricket, Motor racing, football, cycling sports and adventurous activities would gainfully grasp her interests; also she becomes very enthuse by other people's cultures, customs and languages. It was a delight in 2008, during her trip to Suriname and French Guiana she participated in cultural performances showcasing the various cultures of the people of the Guiana's through garments and dances. debra@wilderness-explorers.com

Currently pursuing a Degree in Tourism Study at the University of Guyana, Donell was recruited after participating in a Tour Guide Training Program conducted by Wilderness Explorers in collaboration with Guyana tourism Authority and the Ministry of tourism. She is currently employed in the operations department of Wilderness working on tour planning, field logistics and solving customer service issues. She considers herself an allocentric tourist who loves the mystical nature of Guyana's interior. donnell@wilderness-explorers.com

Longtime Georgetown resident Zaman Bacchus is the first person many of our guests meet when they arrive in Guyana... he is our staff driver and has gained a reputation as something of a 'miracle worker' for knowing exactly where to find absolutely anything at all in and around Georgetown. Those who discover a missing piece of kit at the last minute are lucky to have Zaman on the case. He formerly drove for the UN Mission in Guyana as well as the United States embassy. These days he is frequently found bringing guests to and from the Georgetown Botanical Gardens where he's discovered a real talent for bird identification. If you find yourself in a car or minivan with Zaman, be sure to ask him about Georgetown's history and culture.

Claire Antell is our UK representative, based in London. Also the Executive Secretary of the Latin American Travel Association, Claire has travelled extensively in Guyana, Suriname and beyond and particularly enjoys trekking, visiting schools and dancing the hokey-cokey with the kids, shopping for local jewellery and art wherever she goes and of course sleeping in hammocks after a busy day on the river or in the rainforest. Highlights from her many trips to the region include dancing with Maroons in Suriname, listening to two jaguars growling in the bush next to the road and climbing Awarmie Mountain at Rewa. claire@wilderness-explorers.com

Claudia Langer, Representative of Europe, is based in Switzerland. She has spent many years in the airline industry, working in different countries. 11 years ago she got the opportunity to visit Suriname and started her own business. Only few years later she met Tony, who motivated her to visit Guyana as well. She was overhelmed by the untouched marvellous beauty of this special area as well as the warmth and friendliness of the local people. Driven from these emotions she decided to start to promote this very special country, called Guyana. By today she admits, it has been one of her best ideas she ever had in her life. claudia@wilderness-explorers.com