Nature Fiend

Growing up in a family of farmers in a rural island, Victor developed an affinity to nature and outdoor living and the wholesomeness of rural life at a young age. When he was a toddler, he used to farm, fish and hunt birds with his father. By his mid-teens, he hunting morphed to fierce environmentalism – he became active in environmental NGOs, a dedicated birdwatcher, and a hunt saboteur. His passion for nature continued to develop through involvement in nature conservation; for some time he led the conservation committee of Birdlife Malta, and he spent time in Italy (Parma) volunteering at a wild bird hospital, where he learned about the care and rehabilitation of injured and sick wild birds (Victor then also ran his own wild bird hospital). By that time, in his late teens, Victor had become a bird photographer, and he took up writing and photography in order to disseminate his environmental views and introduce – through his writing and photography for newspapers and magazines – the spectacle of nature to a wider audience.

His expertise in nature and environmental issues continued to grow. He read widely about these subjects; he took part in nature conservation projects; he ran a wild bird hospital; he went bird-watching and wildlife-watching every day; and he bolstered his knowledge of these subjects at university, where he studied agronomy and animal husbandry. He also spent a stint working with a vet, and another stint working in rural conservation and land-use planning.

His writing and photography developed in tandem with his passion for nature. He has written extensively about nature. Such writings mostly take the form of reportage and essays about environmental issues, or stories about travel for nature – two broad subjects that he continues to write about regularly. In the past decade Victor has increasingly specialized in adventure travel, or outdoor travel driven by the pursuit and enjoyment of nature, and his geographic writing is also closely related to the interaction of nature and peoples at the geographic frontiers.

Aside from his writing, he also continues to be active in nature conservation in varied ways. He now also designs and leads treks or travels focused on the enjoyment of nature and interaction with peoples who remain close to nature – such tours are conducted for private groups who seek out Victor’s expertise and passion for the outdoors. He has also worked on other related projects, including consultancy and organization for TV crews doing documentaries about wildlife or nature conservation.

Organic Journeys