Hi! I'm a biologist by training and passion, traveling around working odd jobs between gigs as a naturalist on ships for National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions. For work and fun I am also a freelance photographer/videographer and scientific scuba diver. Overall I'm just a total nature nerd, love traveling, meeting new people and swapping stories. I grew up all over from Northern California to Honduras, Nigeria, England and the south of France. Currently "home" is a loose concept but my worldly possessions are scattered between North Carolina, California, Canberra and Fiji.

Check out my wildlife photos at my website www.MarkhamPhotos.com or on instagram at ipmarkham

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've had a lot of fun hosting random people that I've met traveling and having adventures with folks who started out total strangers but never got organized to get on couch surfing before. Now that I'm traveling around and working short contracts, I wish that I'd gotten organized earlier.

Interests

As I mentioned I'm crazy about natural history. Love scuba diving, wildlife photography, shooting videos, even birdwatching (yes believe it or not). Definitely enjoy grabbing a drink with friends though and just overall meeting new people and hearing their stories.

• wildlife
• photography
• cooking
• drinking
• traveling
• hunting
• surfing
• scuba diving
• biology
• freelancing
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

I listen to all sorts of stuff (latin music especially) depending on mood and what I'm doing but generally actively try to get my hands on indie-folk singer-song writer stuff (e.g. The Head and the Heart, The Oh Hello's, Josh Ritter, Radical Face, Blind Pilot, Vance Joy +). Love podcasts too like RadioLab and Freakonomics

Favorite books: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, most things Steinbeck, The Poisonwood Bible, all sorts of stuff (hard to narrow down)

Movies: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (and most Wes Anderson films), Finding Nemo, Pan's Labyrinth

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Hmmm...I did some fieldwork in central Africa in Gabon and came across groups of completely wild chimps and a massive silver back gorilla.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Hmmm: I take a new facebook profile pic for you probably (especially if we do something fun or underwater).

I like cooking and would be happy to make a meal

Tips on places to go in some of the countries I've visited or worked

Good company, fun stories, and can reciprocate with a place to stay in California or Fiji down the road

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Benin, Botswana, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, England, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Gabon, Honduras, Indonesia, Italy, Kiribati, Malaysia, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Niue, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Scotland, South Africa, Tanzania, Tonga, Uganda

Countries I’ve Lived In

England, Fiji, France, Honduras, Nigeria, United States