About me

If you’d ask me to sum up what is important to me, I reply something like: just three things: love, animals and nature. As a guide, I focus on the latter two. I have always been exceptionally interested in animals and nature and some say that I was a biologist long before went to university. I actually also started guiding groups in nature while I was in secondary school. I am now four decades older, but just as enthusiastic as when I started. The main difference is that I have more stories to tell. Way more. 

So that’s me, I am a biologist and I still do field research in support of protected areas. I also work as a scientific illustrator and, not too surprisingly, I specialize in making art for visitors centres, information tables and books about nature. You can see my work online at www.paulveenvliet.art 

Over the years, I had various professions including university teacher and zoo animal keeper. I also worked as a consultant through my own firm. But everything I ever did was connected with animals and nature.

As you might guess from my name, I am Dutch. A little over 20 years ago, I moved to Slovenia and I never looked back. Here, I find all the animals and plants that I knew from books. I also find quiet places in nature, which I consider essential for my mental wellbeing. Don’t get me wrong, I love guiding, but I also need to wind down in places without human sounds. When I mention something like this, it is pretty surprising how many of my guests have similar experiences. 

If you want to learn more about me and my background: feel free to ask when we are out on an excursion in Slovenia!