Frank Gaude, originally from Germany, has been living in Cape Town since 1997, when he moved there to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Cape Town.
From childhood, Frank has been fascinated by nature. A particular focus of this fascination has been the orchid family, as well as many other monocotyledonous plant families. Another strong interest of his is the world’s herpetofauna.
In his spare time, Frank travels to destinations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East to observe and photograph animals such as rare snake species and elusive chameleons. Hiking is another of his passions, and long walks combined with sightings of endemic monocots—such as orchids, irises, and lilies—are, for Frank, the perfect pastime.
After completing his studies in the humanities (Social Anthropology), it seemed only natural for Frank to turn his passions into his profession. He began introducing visitors to the natural beauty of South Africa and has now been working as a full-time tourist guide for around 25 years.
Frank conducted his first orchid tour for Greenwings together with Yiannis Christofides in January 2020. Since then, he has looked forward to every nature trip in South Africa, where he can apply his extensive knowledge of locations and flowering seasons to show visitors a glimpse of the country’s remarkable biodiversity. These tours focus on three major hotspots of floristic endemism: the Cape Fynbos, Namaqualand, and the Drakensberg.
Where possible, encounters with reptiles and amphibians are also included in these itineraries, and many visitors have discovered—or deepened—their interest in herpetology along the way.
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