As a very young boy, Jakob made the unlikely move from the big city in California to the wilds of British Columbia, ending up in a small cabin with a wood stove and no running water. A childhood in the bush spent catching snakes and frogs naturally led to a biology degree and a career in conservation— mostly catching snakes and frogs.
One of his first biology jobs was crawling up and down the muddy slopes of Haleakala crater on the Island of Maui, searching for endangered forest birds. Here, in one of the rainiest places on earth, he was lucky enough to find the fourth Maui Parrotbill nest ever recorded. This experience solidified his love for field work and he has spent the last 25 years working as a wildlife biologist.
Jakob has birded in New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Komodo, Borneo, Sulawesi, Uganda, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, Mexico and the US.
