Richard was born and grew up near Portsmouth on the south coast of England. An avid birder from an early age, he soon developed an interest in other areas of natural history, although birds remain his primary interest.

Despite being told that bird watching was not a 'proper’ job, he always wanted to turn his hobby into a career. After graduating from Plymouth with a degree in Biological Sciences he started work researching the impact of oil and gas exploration on seabird populations, initially in European waters and then in waters around the Falkland Islands, where he lived for three years. He then moved to Ascension Island where he worked on an ambitious project to restore seabird populations on the island. He has also worked on conservation projects in the Caribbean and the Seychelles.

Richard joined Lindblad Expeditions in 2003 and has since worked year-round for the company.