We are a small production company based in deepest Northamptonshire, dedicated to creating the best natural history apps. We believe that technology has the ability to enhance our experience in the field and complements current reference books. With our apps you can take your entire library in your pocket with you, wherever you go.
NatureGuides runs its business with a ‘more than profit’ philosophy, donating a percentage of our profits back into conservation organisations.
Max Whitby began his career as a film-maker at the BBC where he produced and directed numerous documentaries, particularly for the flagship science series Horizon. He became involved in the BBC’s pioneering activities in interactive media, heading a collaboration with Apple in California that led to a management buy-out of the BBC’s Interactive Television Unit. Following the eventual stock-market flotation of this venture, he spent five years at Imperial College, carrying out research that led to a PhD in Chemistry. Max has co-founded several other notable digital businesses including BirdGuides (“better birding through technology”) and Touch Press (the publishing company behind the ground-breaking iPad app The Elements downloaded over a million times). For the past 20 years his passion has been filming wildlife, building-up the NatureGuides video library that now covers over 800 European bird species as well as all the butterflies, dragonflies and bumblebees in Britain and Ireland. Since 2018 Max has been busy photographing the night sky using remote telescopes in Spain, Chile and at home in Northumberland. He is the recipient of two BAFTA awards.
Brought up in Galloway, Fiona Barclay has been interested in birds and the natural world all her life. In 2006, Fiona took over the reins at BirdGuides, and bolstered the company's digital presence, creating a community of birders, citizen scientists and photographers. She also encouraged a lasting partnership between the BTO and BirdGuides, sharing data and opportunities between the organisations. Fiona was one of the recipients of the inaugural Dilys Breese awards for communication of BTO activities to a wide audience. Fiona remains managing director of the rebranded digital business NatureGuides Ltd, which continues to publish field-guide apps and to develop an outstanding film library covering every bird, bumblebee, butterfly and dragonfly in Britain (and indeed much of Europe). Fiona was also a producer at Touch Press, a company born out of the expertise at BirdGuides, which has an outstanding international reputation as a creator of high quality iPad apps.
Proud to be working with:
