For the birds

southerners

With passion and delight, Victor Emanuel shares the wonder of nature through his birding tours.

On an early-morning birding expedition, Victor Emanuel leads a group into the mountains just above Cibolo Creek Ranch in Texas. The founder of Victor Emanuel Nature Tours moves quickly up the trail, resembling a teenager with his slender, agile frame. Hearing the rapid whistle of a song, he stops and directs everyone's attention to a gray vireo in the sagebrush. Victor flashes a broad smile as those around him focus on the bird. A palpable excitement rises in the air.

"Birding teaches you that some of the most important things in life are small-a warbler, a flycatcher, a gray vireo," Victor says as he contemplates the sighting. "It also encourages you to look at detail, because the beauty of a bird, a flower, or an insect is in the details."

Victor's enthusiasm for the natural world helps others see beyond the obvious and ordinary. This youthful exuberance infuses his tours with vitality, engaging participants without overwhelming them.

"In nature there is always more to learn, always more to see," he says. "People who are birders tend to be healthy because they have a hobby that is stimulating and satisfying."

The Accidental Tour Guide

After receiving an undergraduate degree in zoology and botany from the University of Texas and a master's degree in government from Harvard, Victor taught college political science before finding the career that would allow him to rely on the hobby he started at age 8.

"My Mississippi grandmother always told me that you should do something you love," he says. Victor left the academic life behind and followed his heart outdoors.

Initially, he took individuals out on birding treks, placing a small ad in a birding magazine to find business. Then an acquaintance asked Victor to lead a trip in Galveston as a part of the 1975 convention of the National Audubon Society. Victor suggested a pre- and post-convention trip to the Yucatan. Both trips succeeded beyond expectations, motivating Victor to start a tour company specializing in birding, a rarity at the time.

"When I first began doing this, I thought this work would be a great way to be outdoors and see birds," he says. "But it turned out that, additionally, it was a great way to meet wonderful and amazing people."

Some of those he's met along the way include writer George Plimpton, naturalist Peter Matthiessen, and Roger Tory Peterson, the famous birder and illustrator whose books have helped millions identify birds.

"Roger was like a second father to me," he says fondly. "He called me one of his adopted sons."

In the Company of Birds

Today Victor Emanuel Nature Tours employs 12 full-time and 20 parttime leaders. The company offers year-round avian expeditions around the world. Before offering a tour, Victor scouts the proposed area, riding the route and checking distances. In addition to making decisions about accommodations and length of stay at each site, Victor fine-tunes the best locations for optimum birding.

"Putting a tour together is sort of like baking a cake-a little bit of this and a little bit of that," Victor explains. "In the end you hope that the tour will come out as this wonderful experience for people."

Last year, Victor added family tours to his line-up. "Our first family trip, to the Galapagos Islands, was a great experience," he says. "I love working with children because they are excited about everything."

About 17 years ago Victor initiated the first birding camp for young people, ages 11 to 17. "I wanted to repay the mentors that I had," he says, "so I thought that mentoring kids would be a great way to do it."

A Curious Life

At the end of today's successful birding session (more than 35 species for this one outing), Victor takes a moment to relax before joining the group to go over the sightings. He reflects on his work and his future.

"I talk about cutting back, but then I get tempted to do another tour. Besides, I enjoy it so much," Victor says. "I am very lucky that I retain a childlike curiosity about nature and an uninhibited spirit. When you have that sense of wonder and wanting to learn more, the whole idea of being bored is not possible." SARA ASKEW JONES

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation May 2002
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