Hi everyone! My name is Josh Vandermeulen and I am a freelance biologist and bird guide based in southern Ontario. I started ONshore Birding in 2020 so that I could share my love of Ontario birds, wildlife and ecology with like-minded individuals. A little bit about myself...
I grew up in Cambridge, Ontario and had a love for the natural world from an early age. Reptiles and amphibians were my initial passion and as a teen I proclaimed that I was going to be a herpetologist one day. I enrolled in the University of Guelph to study Ecology and during the summers I worked as a field biologist studying two Species-at-Risk in Ontario - the Eastern Foxsnake and Butler's Gartersnake - in Windsor, Ontario. It was while attending university that I caught the birding bug, mainly due to my association with the university's Wildlife Club, of which many of the members were interested in birds.
Birds became my main focus and throughout my university years I lived and breathed birds. I began traveling around the province in search of birds and this culminated with my Ontario Big Year in 2012 (an attempt to see as many bird species as possible in one calendar year in Ontario). My Big Year was a success and I visited some incredible parts of the province and witnessed some amazing species. I finished the year with 343 species which, at the time, was a record.
I grew up in Cambridge, Ontario and had a love for the natural world from an early age. Reptiles and amphibians were my initial passion and as a teen I proclaimed that I was going to be a herpetologist one day. I enrolled in the University of Guelph to study Ecology and during the summers I worked as a field biologist studying two Species-at-Risk in Ontario - the Eastern Foxsnake and Butler's Gartersnake - in Windsor, Ontario. It was while attending university that I caught the birding bug, mainly due to my association with the university's Wildlife Club, of which many of the members were interested in birds.
Birds became my main focus and throughout my university years I lived and breathed birds. I began traveling around the province in search of birds and this culminated with my Ontario Big Year in 2012 (an attempt to see as many bird species as possible in one calendar year in Ontario). My Big Year was a success and I visited some incredible parts of the province and witnessed some amazing species. I finished the year with 343 species which, at the time, was a record.
With a Helmeted Iguana in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
In 2013 I accepted a full-time position as a biologist for an engineering firm and over the next six years I worked as an environmental consultant. Birds have remained a passion of mine throughout the years and there is nothing I enjoy more than learning a new facet of bird identification, using weather and geography to find specific birds, and understanding the ecological connections between species. While working as a biologist, birds were the focus of a lot of my work but I also began to delve into butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, botany and more. Instead of just being someone who knew birds, reptiles and amphibians, I took a greater interest in becoming more well-rounded to better understand the ecological connections in this world. In the last year or two I have taken a great interest in moths, leafhoppers and several other insect groups as well. As far as I am concerned, the excitement of setting up a moth sheet at night and seeing what comes in is almost unparalleled!
During the long, cold winters when my biology work slowed down, I began to travel abroad in search of birds and other wildlife. During these years I completed trips to Panama, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Spain, Morocco, Portugal and a few other countries with birding friends or with my fiancée at the time (now wife), Laura. Seeking out ecological curiosities was only part of my passion; I also loved to share these experiences with others. In 2015 the perfect opportunity came up - a chance to guide in Cuba with Quest Nature Tours. This was a smashing success and I began to take on more tours with Quest. It has been an wonderful opportunity to visit some amazing places in this world with other travellers!
During the long, cold winters when my biology work slowed down, I began to travel abroad in search of birds and other wildlife. During these years I completed trips to Panama, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Spain, Morocco, Portugal and a few other countries with birding friends or with my fiancée at the time (now wife), Laura. Seeking out ecological curiosities was only part of my passion; I also loved to share these experiences with others. In 2015 the perfect opportunity came up - a chance to guide in Cuba with Quest Nature Tours. This was a smashing success and I began to take on more tours with Quest. It has been an wonderful opportunity to visit some amazing places in this world with other travellers!
Laura and I in Orosi, Costa Rica
In recent years I have become more involved with various aspects of the birding community in Ontario. I have volunteered as a board member of the Ontario Field Ornithologists, and I have also served as the Chair and a voting member on the Ontario Bird Records Committee for three years. I have led some walks for the Ontario Field Ornithologists, such as the Gull Weekend at Niagara for several years.
In the autumn of 2019, Laura and I quit our full-time jobs to spend several years traveling in Central and South America, a long-awaited dream of ours. The trip started off well, with three months in Ecuador, two months in Colombia and one month in Costa Rica. Then Covid-19 hit, and all of our plans changed. Originally I was hoping to start ONshore Birding at the conclusion of our travels in a few years' time, but since we are back in Ontario for the immediate future I thought this was the perfect time to begin leading tours in Ontario. I hope to see you "in the field" soon!
A few links:
My eBird profile
My iNaturalist profile
My Quest Nature Tours profile
Explorations of an Ecologist (my blog for international travel)
In the autumn of 2019, Laura and I quit our full-time jobs to spend several years traveling in Central and South America, a long-awaited dream of ours. The trip started off well, with three months in Ecuador, two months in Colombia and one month in Costa Rica. Then Covid-19 hit, and all of our plans changed. Originally I was hoping to start ONshore Birding at the conclusion of our travels in a few years' time, but since we are back in Ontario for the immediate future I thought this was the perfect time to begin leading tours in Ontario. I hope to see you "in the field" soon!
A few links:
My eBird profile
My iNaturalist profile
My Quest Nature Tours profile
Explorations of an Ecologist (my blog for international travel)