We traveled to Paraguay in August, 2025 for my nephew's wedding and I hired Oscar after reading many reviews just like this one. Due to scheduling changes right before our trip,  I needed to shorten my tour from 8 days to 6. Without hesitation,  Oscar was able to rearrange everything,  which I now know was a lot of work. I also didn't know that we were about to have the trip of a lifetime!

I am a wetland ecologist and avian conservation biologist and was interested in experiencing and learning the different bioregions and conservation issues that birds and other wildlife are facing in Paraguay. I also wanted to see and hear as many birds and animals that were new to me, which was almost all of them. Oscar more than satisfied my interests.

Every day was filled with one adventure after the next, from early morning,  day time and evening hikes,  to staging at watering holes and lagoons to observe wildlife, and late night owling. Somehow we managed to stop for wonderful meals and had plenty of good laughs and rest!

This trip far exceeded my expectations. Oscar shared his lifetime of knowledge of the ecology and distinctions of habitat for the many birds and other wildlife he introduced us to. His bird and wildlife identification and tracking skills are exceptional.

We learned about the struggle in finding a balance between economic growth for the country and conservation of intact large tracks of native land important to rare and endemic species. Oscar's work reaches much further than serving bird and wildlife enthusiasts.  He and his assistant,  Marcos Saldivar, another extraordinary birder, are committed community scientists,  aiding the larger comprehension of annual life cycles of birds in this region.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to experience the Chaco and hope to return for another fulfilling trip with Oscar some day.

Heidi M. Hoven

(435) 640-1468

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