Arjan Dwarshuis, a professional bird guide, writer, and lecturer, holds the current Guinness Book World Record for observing the largest number of bird species in a single year. In 2016, he launched his global “Big Year” and ultimately observed 6,852 of the world’s roughly 10,700 bird species, setting a record that stands to this day. His yearlong adventure raised nearly $50,000 for the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Program.

Arjan also starred in the award-winning documentary Arjan’s Big Year and appears regularly on radio, television, and podcast programs in the Netherlands and beyond. He is a columnist for several magazines about nature, and as the ambassador for the IUCN NL Land Acquisition Fund, he is committed to the protection of birds across the globe.