Our partners

SZABOLCS KÓKAY

Hungarian wildlife artist of international reputation, Szabolcs Kókay has been into nature and birds since his childhood. He began his career working in Nature Conservation (Birdlife Hungary, Hungarian Ministry of the Environment, CITES) but he decided to be a full-time artist and illustrator in 2001. He has published his works in many world-famous handbooks and field guides, gaining a wide audience and winning several international art competitions (British Birds ‘Bird Illustrator of the Year’ award, Birdwatch ‘Artist of the Year’). Although, during his career, he experienced several painting mediums its favourite has always been watercolour. He works mainly directly from life en plen air, spending on field as much time as possible. He travelled the world looking for new subjects and locations with expeditions from Trinidad, to Uganda, to New Zealand.

RICCARDO ALBA

Riccardo grew up in close contact with Nature, approaching the birdwatching world at the age of 10. He undertook a three-year degree in Natural Sciences and then continue his studies with the master’s in Environmental Biology, graduating in both with full marks at the University of Turin. Ornithology is his great passion, in particular he is fascinated by the alpine ecosystem and to high altitude bird species. He is currently doing his PhD in Turin where he studies the influence of avalanches and snow on mountain bird communities in a climate change context.

FRANCESCO SIMONETTA

Graduated in Natural Sciences and Ecobiology of Marine Systems, he has a strong passion for hiking. A professional nature photographer and birdlife expert, he is a great connoisseur of the Lazio region and central Italy. He collaborates with K’ Nature leading wildlife photography trips, workshops and day trips focused on wildlife watching.

CHIARA TALIA

Chiara is a wildlife photographer with a background in Veterinary Medicine and a Masters in Wildlife Conservation. She teaches photography, with online courses and events that have trained over 100 students from all over the world. Specializing in bird photography, she has received international awards (Canon Young Talent Award and the Federation of European Photographers Award). Her photos have been published in international magazines and platforms, and she collaborates with brands in the photography and nature sector. She is also the creator of one of the most active bird photography communities on social media, with over 34,000 followers, where she helps enthusiasts improve their technique, promoting an ethical and scientific approach. You will most likely find her along the coast or in a swamp, looking for unique shots. After almost a decade spent abroad photographing in Belgium, Holland, Germany, France, Scotland, Slovenia and Australia, she returned to Italy to contribute to the protection of local wildlife.

KATHARINA HERTA URACH

A passion for nature and wildlife led Herta, Austrian biologist, to study zoology at the University of Vienna. In 2014, she came to Ponza for bird migration research and was captivated by the island, which is now her home! As a nature guide and snorkelling instructor, she offers tours in Italian, English and German that combine culture, nature and the Mediterranean’s rich biodiversity. Specializing in birdwatching and a certified bird ringer, she actively contributes to local birdlife research and conservation.

DAVIDE DE ROSA

Davide De Rosa is an ornithologist expert in ecology, bird migration and population dynamics, especially in Southern Italy and Sardinia. During his PhD he worked on the Lanner Falcon and the Red Kite and on the impacts of climate change on bird communities.
Davide is a bird bander, who has collaborated in several birdlife monitoring and bird ringing projects in Italy and abroad (Morocco, Scotland and Norway).
In recent years he has worked in the Life Under Griffon Wings and in other projects in Sardinia. Thanks to his deep knowledge of the Sardinian territory and its fauna, together with Ilaria Fozzi he published the book “Where to watch birds in Sardinia”, leading birdwatching tours throughout the region.

DANIEL LI VELI

Graduated in Natural Sciences and with a great passion for hiking and nature photography, he has been collaborating with K’ Nature since 2018 as Endas Mountain Hiking Guide.
He generally leads naturalistic expeditions on the main mountain groups of Campania, especially on the Picentini Mountains, of which he knows in depth the territory and naturalistic peculiarities.
His excursions are focused on the search for characteristic plant and animal species from an ecological and conservation point of view, on environmental awareness and scientific dissemination. He also organizes nature photography workshops.

RICCARDO MATTEA

Born in Italy, Riccardo graduated in Zoology and holds a master’s degree in Biodiversity conservation in England. Research and studies have brought him to distant countries such as Peru, Ecuador and Uganda. His great passions are photography, Entomology and Herpetology. For years he has been practicing macro photography focusing on Reptiles, Amphibians and Insects. During his excursions you will learn to recognize different species of flora and fauna and take advantage of his advice on macro photography applicable directly in the field.

MARCO BASILE

Marco Basile is a researcher in the field of forestry and ecology. His research has interspersed several taxa, mainly Birds, but also Amphibians, Reptiles and Mammals. His passion for birds banding led him to work in various regions of the world, including Canada, Mexico and Cameroon. At present he is studying the forest birdlife between Germany and Italy.