The Operator
Kai Neuhaus
The Person Behind the Biotope
I'm Kai, based in Germany, and I'm building My Private Little Biotope step by step alongside a full-time job.
This project brings together two things that matter deeply to me: the calm of living ecosystems and the discipline it takes to build them responsibly.
My background is rooted in IT, production, and quality management, which is probably why I feel more comfortable with careful systems than quick promises. I tend to build conservatively, verify before I claim, and take responsibility seriously.
Why This Project?
"I am building this project to create a real window into the rainforest: A small piece of paradise for you and me to observe, return to, and find calm in, again and again."
How I Operate
Welfare Before Spectacle
I build the infrastructure first. Animals only enter after the ecosystem has been stable over time and the remaining risks have been reviewed.
Proof of Reality
I prefer measured signals over assumptions. If the system changes, I want to see it, log it, and understand it.
Honesty About the Process
This project is documented as it really unfolds: slowly, sometimes imperfectly, and always within real-life limits. I would rather show an unfinished truth than a polished illusion.
Production Setup
Camera, Audio & Production Setup
I use a compact one-person setup for clear images, reliable sound, and a workflow that can move from desk recordings to close-up biotope details.
A flexible everyday camera for controlled talking-head shots, documentary sequences, and detailed macro work without changing systems.
Fast to deploy for spontaneous updates, behind-the-scenes clips, and vertical footage when the main camera would slow the moment down.
Each microphone has a clear job: focused on-camera sound, hands-free mobile speech, or dependable wired desk recording.
Small enough for a one-person setup, but able to turn handheld movement into calmer, more deliberate shots.
Resolve keeps editing, color, and audio in one place; the Speed Editor makes reviewing footage and building a first cut more direct.
Fitness & Recovery
How I Stay Fit Around Work and MPB
I am in my mid-fifties, so I am not training for another race or chasing constant improvement. I train to stay strong, mobile, and capable alongside a full-time job and MPB.
Two or three days a week, usually in short blocks: kettlebells, heavy clubs, push-ups, pull-ups, and squats. I train at home, without spending time travelling to a gym.
Usually one or two runs a week, sometimes three: either an easy 15-minute loop or a controlled, faster 5-kilometre run.
A deep squat or passive hang may take only 30 seconds. I use small gaps instead of waiting for the perfect training session.
Every Saturday, I take a fixed 12-kilometre walk through the forest. After a poor night's sleep, a walk replaces harder training. Garmin and Oura help me track the pattern.
The volume rises and falls with work, health, and energy. The routine survives because it is flexible, measurable, and built around movements I actually enjoy.