Richard was born in South Africa and, after spending his childhood years in Zimbabwe, settled in Cape Town where he has lived for over 30 years. A keen birder for the past 20 years (including a spell as secretary to South Africa's National Rarities Committee) Richard began running birding tours on a full time basis in the late 1990s. With his wife Ria, they operate a small, personalised birding tour business travelling as far afield as the Kalahari Desert. Whilst the focus is on birding, the tours provide exposure to South Africa's big game, plantlife and enormous cultural diversity Richard conducts EarthFoot's Birding around Cape Town experience.