About Wildlife Dreams

Our team have over 100 years’ experience combined, in guiding, photography and conservation. We live our dreams every day, so by sharing our dreams with you you’ll be sure to have a very special time when you’re with us.

Getting that shot or experience isn’t always as easy as you may think, people often see award winning pictures and see so many various images spread across social media, but in nature things happen in their own time. We will show you how knowing your subject and having patience will reap its rewards.

Phil Gould

International wildlife photographer.
Author of 365 Photography Days – the book that started a world craze of a photo a day.
Designed Jessop’s Wildlife Academy for Peter Jones.
Has sold his images all over the world, inspiring others.
Working with Estonia Tourism to save Estonian wildlife.
Worked for Falkland Tourist Board, creating images to promote the islands.
Worked as a Panasonic wildlife ambassador.
Worked in conservation for the RSPB and the Cat Survival Trust.
Published photographer in magazines from all over the world.
#LearnConserve is Phil’s brainchild for saving wildlife through photography.
2019 Nature Club Wildlife Landscape Photography “Photographer of the Year”.

Mati Kose

Photographed wildlife all over Europe.
Internationally published author on wildlife conservation.
Estonian biologist and conservationist.
Master’s degree in Ornithology.
Member of the Biodiversity Action Party.
Sold images all over the world, inspiring others.
Winner of “Bird Photographer of the Year” in 2000.
Works as a wildlife researcher and natural guide in Estonia.
Developed and saved the Luitemaa Nature Reserve in Estonia.
Designed wildlife hides for Wildlife Dreams in conjunction with Phil Gould.
Drone photographer.
Speaks three languages – Estonian, Finnish and English.

Elaine Macaulay

Development Manager.
Background in international human resources management.
Published photographer .
Passionate about conservation in wildlife .
Excellent admin and communication skills.
Favourite country is South Africa.

Surbhi Goel

Wildlife Dreams International tour leader.
Developing tours in Indian, Sri Lanka and Africa especially Kenya.
Specialist wildlife photographer for 12 years.
Speaks two languages – Hindi and English.
Wildlife Dreams bucket list trip to Alaska and Antarctica.
Wildlife photography is not just a passion or a profession for me but a way of life.
Key member of Wildlife Dreams.

Helen Potgieter

Born in South Africa.
Holds Bushveld Mosiac Certificate.
She is most happy in the bush showing you nature’s wonders.
You will be carried away by her enthusiasm and passion for wildlife.
A trained chef whose dream job would be the running of Wildlife Dreams’ Wildlife Lodge.
Speaks three languages – Afrikaans, English, and German.

Marko Poolamets

Photographed wildlife all over Europe.
Internationally published wildlife photographer.
Leads Wildlife Dreams’ personalised tours in Estonia.
International guide for Wildlife Dreams.
Speaks four languages – Estonian, Finnish, German and English.

David Luetchford

I’m self-taught, but after 40 years I have a “vague” idea of what’s going on! I go to South Africa as often as I can and pursue my wildlife dreams here in the UK.
My love affair with wildlife photography started when I lived in South Africa.
My first trip to a game lodge – Londolozi in The Sabi Sands reserve just outside the Kruger National Park.
It was here that I met some brilliant wildlife photographers, including John Varty, Warren Samuels who now works for the BBC and does a lot with David Attenborough. Londolozi was world renowned for its leopards and I cut my photographic teeth shooting in varied situations.
I’m the only Nikon user in the team.
My bucket list- Wildlife Dream trip is to Antarctica. (Which I’m now doing in Nov 23)

Arne Ader

Nature photographer (published over 20,000 nature photographs)
Freelance naturalist – public speaker and writer on nature topics, nature conservation advocate
Creator of the Loodusemees photo archive (about 2,000 Estonian species, tagged with over 8,000 keywords
Author or co-author of nature books and a nature photography handbook
Biologist by education, specialised in animal ecology
Speaks Estonian and English, and reads Russian

Liina Steinberg

Head of Education and Conservation projects in Estonia.
Bachelor’s degree in German, Finnish and teaching.
Master’s degree in interpreting.
Worked as interpreter for EU institutions since 2004.
Worked as German and English teacher.
Hobby photographer.
Founded forest advocacy NGO Save Estonia’s Forests (Päästame Eesti Metsad) in 2020.
Member of the Tallinn Guide Association, former president.
Member of board of the Estonian Nature Tourism Association.
Member of BirdLife Estonia.

Tõnis Tamme

My name is Tõnis, I have studied biology in the University of Tartu and have a wide range of interests in the surrounding nature – the deepest passion I possess is for plants, birds and mammals. I have been working as a nature tour guide for over 4 years now, but the love for the wildlife has already accompanied me since my birth, as I spent most of my childhood summers in the Soomaa National Park, searching for the tracks of the wolves, bears and lynxes. My life mission is to help people reconnect with the wildlife around us, to make people feel fascinated about what nature offers us to experience.

Sigita Matuleviciene

I have been working as a guide and tour leader for more than 10 years. My work region is the Baltic States, with a special interest in Estonia’s nature, history and culture.
I am a licensed guide in Lithuania, as well as in Tartu, Viljandi, Setomaa, Soomaa, and several other smaller places in Estonia. I am also a licensed guide at the Estonian National Museum, the Tartu University History Museum, the Kadriorg Art Museum in Tallinn, and the Tallinn Town Hall. I have the right to accompany my groups and guide myself at Alatskivi Castle, Palmse Manor, and Lahemaa National Park.
I attended several courses and seminars about nature guiding, and I’m falling for this more and more.
I love learning new things, and I am interested in a wide range of topics. I’m constantly learning about guiding, tourism, nature, Estonia, the Baltic States, psychology, history, art, business management, marketing, ethnography, and other related topics.
I enjoy learning languages and discovering different cultures. Usually, I learn a new language every 2-3 years. My working languages are Lithuanian, English, German, French, Spanish, Estonian and Russian. I know Latvian on a conversational level. In the past, I learned Norwegian and Dutch; I’m currently learning Polish and maintaining the languages I know.
I enjoy creating travel itineraries in Estonia for groups and individual guests, and then being their guide and tour leader. I aim to showcase the diversity of Estonia, taking into account guests’ wishes and interests, and curating a blend of culture, history, and nature.
In the cities, I’m a culture guide with a strong interest in the nature around us, as well as in the forests and bogs – a nature guide who also incorporates local cultural history into the story.
I have a master’s degree in Business Informatics; my master’s thesis was about mobile payments (the idea was too scary in Lithuania in 2004 and was implemented much later).