Lori Robinson's Blog, page 7

George Schaller Doesn’t Deal in Hope

George Schaller is a conservation nomad. He has saved more species in more countries than any other wildlife conservationist I can think of.  I was honored to sit down with George and bring you some of his wisdom, practical advice, and inspiration (not hope!). Read on for highlights of my time with the legendary George Schaller.

 

Starting in 1956 when he joined Olaus Murie to study and protect an area that would become the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, George Schaller’s career has resulted in protection for snow leopards, jaguars, giant pandas, tigers, mountain gorillas, and Tibetan antelope.

George Schaller in the field in Tibet.

Unusual for a field biologist, he has always believed that without emotion you can’t understand the animals you are observing. “You have to look at them with empathy and intuition to try to get into their world,” he says. Schaller always named his research subjects (similar to what Jane Goodall would later do with chimpanzees) rather than assigning them numbers like he and his colleagues were taught to do.

 

“Things don’t look so good when you look at the fact that over 90 percent of land vertebrates are domestic livestock and people. Wildlife is rather outnumbered. I can give endless statistics about all the bad that is happening, but I focus on where I can have an impact. I pick areas where I can do some good,” says Schaller. “I don’t deal in hope. I deal in action to accomplish something. I don’t sit around hoping.”

 

Happy Birthday George Schaller!

 

Yesterday, May 26, George turned 85. Although he sees himself now more as an “ecological missionary,” preaching the gospel of conservation, he is still traveling the globe saving wildlife and wild places. And he thinks all of us can and should be, taking action. “Get involved. Whether it’s in a local cause, writing to your politicians, or studying the sciences, we all have a role to play in saving the planet. All we need to do is do something!”

 

For more on George Schaller, read Wild Lives, Leading Conservationists on the Animals and Planet They Love.

 

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“Our Wild World” Inspirational Interview

Are you depressed about the state of the planet and its wildlife? In this inspirational interview on the radio show Our Wild World,  Eli Weiss and Lori Robinson offer practical antidotes for feelings of ecological despair.

By shifting our perception, and embracing nature, the way forward is (literally) right beneath our feet. We are an intricate part of the amazing web of life. We are part of the biodiversity. We are not just the problem, but also the means to solutions.

When we focus our bodies, hearts, and minds, in Natures deep sense of ‘Home’, we are given the inspiration and ability to heal ourselves and the planet.

“If somethings not gone, that means it can still be saved.” Thomas Lovejoy from the book, Wild Lives.

Want more inspirational quotes and interviews from some of the world’s leading conservationists? Both of my books, Saving Wild,  foreword by Jane Goodall, and Wild Lives, foreword by Carl Safina offer heaps of hope, practical solutions, and advice. You can find them on Amazon.

**Elephant photo courtesy of Laura Voit.

 

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“Our Wild World” interview

Are you depressed about the state of the planet and its wildlife? In this conversation on the radio show Our Wild World,  Eli Weiss and Lori Robinson offer practical antidotes for despair, and demonstrate that by embracing our connection to nature we can find all the answers we need to do the work necessary for saving the planet.

**Elephant photo courtesy of Laura Voit.

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Lewa, A Model for Conservation Success

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy occupies a relatively small 62,000 acres in northern Kenya but its role as a conservation innovator extends far beyond its borders.

The Conservancy and surrounding areas contain some of the last pristine biodiverse wilderness in Kenya, most of which is in community-owned land. Therein lies the conservation challenge, as well as Lewa’s success through combining wildlife protection, community development, and sustainable tourism.

 

I began leading safaris to Lewa a few years ago and, because of its uniqueness to other parks, I have since made it a must visit destination on all of my Kenya itineraries.

 

On my last visit I sat down with Lewa’s co-founder, Ian Craig, whose story is one of twenty in my book, Wild Lives. Here are some highlights from my interview.

What a pleasure to be able to spend time with Ian Craig in Lewa for my book, Wild Lives.

“Lewa was envisioned to act as an anchor that demonstrates and facilitates community-centric-conservation,” says Ian.  For example, Lewa released black rhino into the nearby Sera Community. Although native to that area, the black rhino had not been seen there in over 30 years. Sera made history as the first community in Kenya to be responsible for managing a viable black rhino population. “This model of conservation offers a viable way of life for communities that share their land with wildlife by empowering them through community programs,” says Ian.

 

Expanding on the Lewa model, Ian started the Northern Rangelands Trust. It promotes the collective management of ecosystems for improved human livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and enhanced rangeland management to over 2 million hectares.

Ian Craig working with Community leaders. Photo courtesy of Juliet King.

This is all great news for the area’s wildlife, which includes the endangered black and white rhino, reticulated giraffe, hirola, Grevy’s zebra and the shy sitatunga antelope. They are not only protected in these rangelands, but can migrate with less conflict.

Photo of Hirola courtesy Kenneth Coe

The elephant underpass is another example of Lewa/NRT’s innovative projects. A one of a kind in Kenya, the underpass links the forest ecosystem of Mount Kenya with the savannah ecosystems of Lewa and Samburu. Previously this historic migration route was blocked by human development. Now elephants and other wildlife use the underpass to cross the busy highway that stretches from Meru to Nanyuki.

 

Ian Craig was born in Kenya. To learn more about how Ian is shaping Kenya, and how Kenya shaped Ian, check out his adventure-filled life story in Wild Lives, Leading Conservationists on the Animals and the Planet They Love. 

 

To join me on safari and experience Lewa first hand, send me an email to lorisavingwild.com.

 

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Earth Day, Every Day

When is Earth Day? This year it falls on April 22. It is a day to celebrate, praise and notice Mother Earth. A day to remember all she is, all she does, and all she gives. A reminder that without Mother Earth, none of us would be alive.

For Earth Day, and every day for that matter, go outside. Take some deep breaths. Soak up the sunlight. Taste the air on your tongue, feel the wind kiss your cheeks, let your bare feet meet the dirt, grass, and sand.

Go for a walk. Look, listen and smell the world around you. Engage all of your senses and notice what you often don’t. Notice the breathtaking display of flowers and bushes, grasses and trees – everywhere. Breathe in their scents. Notice the chirps, buzz and clicks of birds, insects, and squirrels. What are they saying?  Notice the colors – every shade of every color, everywhere. 

Say outloud, hello natural world, I see you. 

And then try to comprehend the miraculous biodiversity of life. Try to imagine all that Mother Nature is, all that Mother Nature has and all that Mother Nature does for us. Really try to understand—reach and bend and stretch until your heart and mind are gaping.

Then celebrate her.

Kiss the trees. Dance in a meadow. Sing with the birds. Play in the dirt. Join the animals and the birds and the angels, the silent song of the flowers and trees in praise of her.

And honor her with a commitment to action.

Pick up litter, plant a garden, feed the birds, remove a fence, let a weed grow, let a raccoon share your patio, save a spider.  

Let her know you are grateful…. So grateful.

Wish Mother Earth a happy Earth Day and make a promise that when people ask when is Earth Day, you will answer, “Every day!”

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The Seabird’s Cry ( Book Review)

When the author of The Seabird’s Cry was eight years old his father took him to visit a cluster of isolated, wild islands called the Shiants in North West Scotland. It was there that Adam Nicolson’s fascination with seabirds began.

“I think of them [the seabirds] strung and beaded around the cliffs….as the living skin of our ocean shores. They are the florid, rowdy summer clothing of what would otherwise be barren rock. I love the seabirds, partly because…. they [are] happy to display their beauty in the most demanding moment life can offer,” writes Nicolson.

350 species of Seabirds

Of the 11,000-odd species of birds, 350 have taken to the sea. Each chapter in The Seabird’s Cry is devoted to one group of ten different types of seabird, revealing intimate details of their lives. “The whole seabird is the vehicle of intelligence, its memory, its eye, it’s coloring, its aggression, its fear, its beauty.”

I am embarrassed to admit that before reading The Seabird’s Cry I lumped seabirds, along with land birds, into one large category: Birds. After reading this book, I know better.  All birds are individuals within their species of similar characteristics. But because of the difference in their environments seabirds are dissimilar to land birds.

Seabirds vs. land birds

Nicolson does a great job of individuating the seabirds – the puffins are unique from the shearwaters, the gulls unique from the albatrosses. “For all their differences, a certain way of life unites them, different from most [land] birds: not living a year or two but, in the very oldest albatrosses, up to eighty or ninety years; not raising chicks the season after they are born, but slow to mature, waiting many years before laying an egg; not hoping against hope with eight or nine eggs in each clutch, but often raising a single chick, long incubated in the egg, long fed in the nest; rarely moving on from one partner to the next but often faithful for many years, each parent relying on the other to raise the next generation.

“These [seabirds] life-histories are shared, significantly, only by the vultures, which must also look for rare concentrations of prey in the wide and hostile sterilities of the world, not at sea but in the desert.

These are the edge-choosers, creatures whose lives have stepped beyond the ordinary into environments of such difficulty that they can respond only with a slow, cumulative mastery, which amounts in the end to genius.

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Understanding seabirds help us to know all animals a little more intimately.  Nicolson reminds us, “Unless we accept the multiplicity… with which every creature perceives the world in ways that are unique to it, we will inevitably end up ranking everything on a single scale, and that scale will be measured by our own human standards.

“Intelligence in animals … does not consist merely of tool-making, adapting bread as fish bait or curling leaves to extract ants from a hole.

“If you are stuck in that anthropocentric vision of nature,” writes Nicolson, “you will inevitably think that the more like humans any animal seems to be and the more linguistic and even technological skills they seem to have, the cleverer they are.

“We have no monopoly on intelligence. We would not know how to exist in a form that is not our own.”

These birds are the harbingers of the state of the oceans. Unfortunately, like most other non-human animals their numbers are in decline, by some measures showing a drop in seabird populations of 2/3rds over the past 60 years. In the chapter about shearwaters, I found his explanation about why some birds eat plastic sad but illuminating.

The stories and facts in The Seabird’s Cry were taken from scientists who have spent days and months living on cliffs studying these birds, and from available new technology small enough to attach to birds to understand their flight patterns, their relations to other birds, and their breeding habits.

Some of the experiments, especially those performed decades ago, made me cringe. But it is this new knowledge described in The Seabird’s Cry that will put me in a state of awe the next time I greet a flock of seabirds while walking along the ocean’s edge.

For other nature focused books I love, check out my favorites book shelf.

 

 

 

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Best Camera and Binoculars for a Safari

The two most frequently asked questions I get from my safari clients before their African safari are: What is the best camera to bring on a safari? And, should I bring binoculars?

I am not a techy person so I answer my clients by telling them what I use, and what I have seen hundreds of clients use over the years. In this post I am sharing with you the same information I give to all my safari clients. I hope it is helpful to your search for the best camera and binoculars for a safari.

 

CHOOSING A CAMERA FOR YOUR SAFARI

What camera to bring seems to be one of the top decisions for safari goers. It makes sense. You may go to Africa once in your lifetime, and from what you have seen from other peoples African photos or in magazines and animal planet shows the wildlife in Africa gives you many opportunities to capture amazing photos.

That is all true.

You’ll be surprised to know that not everyone takes a camera when they go on safari. One of my clients, who has been on two of my safaris, forgoes a camera. She says she likes to just be with the animal in the present moment without worrying about getting the best photo.

I do recommend that people get out from behind their cameras at least some of the time. It is a different feeling when you are sitting with the animal rather than trying to capture a memory for later.

I doubt many people would want to come to Africa without a camera. Even the woman I mentioned above asked the group to share a few of their favorite photos with her via email once everyone got back home.

It’s hard to not want to capture everything on camera so you don’t forget it. A lot happens on safari. That being said, there are so many options for cameras. Some people do just bring their smartphones and rely on using that as their camera. But again, not many people do that.

The two most popular cameras that people bring are DSLR’s . They are great if you want to bring different lenses. These cameras are generally for people who are more serious about photography. There is a relatively new kind of camera called a mirrorless. The advantage is that they are lighter than the DSLR and still allow you to have different lenses. This is what I use and I am very happy with it.

There is a newer model since I bought mine. Here is the link.

Another option is to buy the smallest all-in-one camera with the largest magnification available. These are great cameras. They are lightweight, not expensive, and take great shots. Canon makes this great one.

 

BEST BINOCULARS FOR A SAFARI

My father is a world-class birder. I have never bought a pair of binoculars because he gives me his hand me downs. One pair has been with me on 7 safaris. It’s a basic Nikon.

I spend more time behind my binoculars then I do behind my camera. To get a great camera shot the angle and lighting and behavior of the animal has to be just right. But no matter what the animal is doing, or how bad the lighting, I am always fascinated by just being with the animal. And binoculars enhance that experience.

There are often an extra pair of binoculars in the safari truck, but not always. And if there is a pair, they aren’t necessarily of good quality so I do recommend bringing your own. If you have a decent pair, then just bring those. Most of the time on safari you will be close enough to the animals to watch them without binoculars. If you do use your binoculars you will be scoping out the blood on the lions mane, or the flies around the hyenas mouth, or the toenails of the elephants.

If you don’t own a decent pair, here is one that many birders own and love: The Nikon Monarch

Keep in mind that driving around in the safari trucks kicks up a lot of dust. So you will want to have protective bags and covers for your camera, lens and binoculars.

For the perfect hat to take on your safari check out my post here.

*Featured image of elephants by safari client Laura Voit.

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Best NGOs For Wildlife, Part 2

As promised, here is part 2 of my list of the best 40 NGOs working to save wildlife and wild lands all over the world. There are many organizations doing great work saving wild, but I have chosen those NGOs for wildlife that I am familiar with, or that I believe deserve more attention for the wonderful work they are doing.

Want to help but you have no extra money for donations this year? Do this-

It won’t cost you an extra cent.

Use our Amazon Link everytime you shop and a portion of your purchase will go to Saving Wild’s favorite wildlife NGOs.

Every time you shop at Amazon, use this link:

 

 

For Part 1 of the best NGOs for wildlife that won’t waste your money,  go here.

 

Here is Part 2:

 

 

SAVING OCEAN SPECIES

 

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project (Dolphins)

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project (not to be confused with other organizations with a similar name) was founded on Earthday 1970 with the aim to stop dolphin slaughter and exploitation around the world after ‘Flipper’ committed suicide in his arms. Ric O’Barry has pioneered the re-adaptation & release of captive dolphins into the wild.

 

Oceana

The world’s oceans are in trouble, and this organization works with companies and legislators to bring about more sustainable practices for the long-term health of the ocean and its creatures.

 

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.

 

 

 

SAVING SPECIFIC SPECIES

Painted Dog Conservation (African Wild Dog)

Painted dogs, or african wild dogs, are among Africa’s most endangered species with only 3,000 – 5,000 left. Zimbabwe is home to one of the last strongholds of the species and PDC works to educate the local communities about the importance and beauty of this iconic species.

**SavingWild.com has partnered with PDC to sponsor school children to go through their Wild School program.

 

  North American Bear Center   (Black Bears)

All eight bear species around the world are listed as vulnerable, threatened or endangered. The Bear Center is dedicated to replacing misconceptions with education and scientific facts to conserve bear habitat, stop poaching for bear body parts, rehabilitate injured and orphaned bears back to the wild, and implement methods to reduce conflict between humans and bears.

 

The Cougar Fund (Mountain Lions)

The Cougar Fund protects the cougar – also known as a mountain lion, puma, and panther – and other carnivores throughout the Americas by educating children and adults on their value, and by monitoring state policies and advocating for management based on sound science, to assure a lasting place for these creatures.

 

Australian Society for Kangaroos

The Australian Society for Kangaroos works to educate the public about the iconic, cultural, spiritual and economical value of all species of kangaroos and wallabies who are victims of the world’s largest land-based wildlife massacre.

 

National Audubon Society (Birds)

Audubon’s mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.

 

Free the Bears (Asian Bears used for Bile Farming)

Started by animal advocate and grandmother Mary Hutton after watching a current affairs TV program in Perth about the bile farms with captive Asiatic bears, the mission of this organization is to protect, preserve and enrich the lives of bears throughout the world.

 

 ProjectCoyote

Project Coyote works to change negative attitudes toward coyotes, wolves and other native American carnivores by replacing ignorance and fear with understanding, respect and appreciation.

 

CAN’T DECIDE WHICH NGOs FOR WILDLIFE TO GIVE TO?

NOT SURE WHO TO GIVE TO, LET US DECIDE. DONATE TO SAVING WILD AND WE WILL POOL YOUR MONEY WITH OTHER DONORS AND MY PERSONAL $1,500 GIVING BUDGET TO DISTRIBUTE TO OUR FAVORITE ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE MOST NEED.   

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WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING/POACHING

International Anti-Poaching Foundation 

The IAPF has a structured approach to conservation, employing the relevant tactics and technology to defend wildlife from the ever increasing threat of poaching within protected areas. Anti-poaching however is only a portion of the conservation solution. To be a part of successful projects, the IAPF works alongside partners who specialise in community engagement and development, research and development, wildlife rescue and biodiversity management.

 

Wild Aid   (Illegal Wildlife Trade)

Wild Aid is the only organization focused on reducing the demand for wildlife parts and products, with the strong and simple message: when the buying stops, the killing can too. Their mission is to end illegal wildlife trade.

 

 

 

SAVING WILD PLACES FOR WILDLIFE

  Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Wildlife Corridors)

A joint United States and Canada Initiative, it is recognized as one of the planet’s leading mountain conservation initiatives to preserve and maintain the wildlife, native plants, wilderness and natural processes of the mountainous region from Yellowstone National Park to the Yukon Territory.

 

 Great Plains Conservation

Working in Africa, their mission is to find the right formula of conservation, communities and commerce that would make a lasting, sustainable difference to the world’s iconic wildlife and wildernesses.

Land Trust Alliance

The Alliance brings its more than 1,100 member land trusts together — and increases each one’s success by advocating for the policies and incentives that it takes to save millions of acres every year.

 

 

SAVING ALL AFRICAN WILDLIFE

African Wildlife Conservation Fund

The African Wildlife Conservation Fund promotes the long-term sustainability of healthy wildlife populations via research and educational partnerships with landowners and community members, natural resource managers, conservationists, and governments in Africa.

 

Wildlife Direct

Wildlife Direct is a Kenya and US registered organization founded and chaired by African conservationist Dr. Richard Leakey, who is credited with putting an end to the elephant slaughter in Kenya in the 1980s. Established in 2006 Wildlife Direct provides support to conservationists in Africa directly on the ground via the use of blogs, which enables anybody, anywhere to play a direct and interactive role in the survival of some of the world’s most precious species.

 

Tusk Trust

Based in Britain with twenty-two years experience initiating and funding conservation, community development and environmental education programs across Africa, Tusk has raised over $30 million for a wide range of projects across the African continent. Their annual conservation awards, presented by Prince William, highlight inspirational conservation work in Africa.

 

 

 

SAVING INDIA’S WILDLIFE

Conservation India

A great organization focused on India’s wildlife and wild places by providing reliable information and the tools needed to campaign effectively. They are working to protect elephants, and tigers, as well as fighting against plastic litter.

 

 

Note: Charity Navigator provides an important service to donors interested in U.S. charities, but it is unable to capture the entire picture of the work and structure of some international wildlife organizations. Charity Navigator itself states: “We do not recommend using our ratings as the only factor in deciding whether to support a particular organization.”

 

I hope you are finding these lists of the best NGOs for wildlife helpful when choosing where you can be most effective with your giving. If you missed part 1 check it out now. 

Love,

Lori

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Best 40 Wildlife Organizations that Won’t Waste Your $$$

 

Here is Part 1 of the list of my current favorite 40 wildlife organizations to donate to. I update this post throughout the year so check back whenever you are deciding where to give your wildlife donations.

 

SAVING ELEPHANTS

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

For orphaned elephants and rhinos it doesn’t get better than this wildlife organization. With an orphanage in Nairobi and a wild release and anti-poaching program in Kenya’s largest national Park, Tsavo, this organization is currently overwhelmed with baby-orphaned elephants as a result of the escalating poaching crisis. Learn more about the remarkable woman who runs this place by reading her wonderful memoir.

 

Save the Elephants

Iain Douglas-Hamilton’s research on wild elephant populations in Northern Kenya has taught the world much about elephant behavior, and migrating patterns. His wildlife organization, ‘Save the Elephants’ is focused on stopping poachers, thwarting traffickers and ending demand for ivory (most recently using educational programs in China where it is desperately needed).

 

 

Performing Animal Welfare Society

PAWS is at the forefront of efforts to rescue and provide appropriate, humane sanctuary for animals who have been the victims of the exotic and performing animal trades. Started by an animal trainer for the movie industry turned animal activist, PAWS focuses on Elephants but has also rescued bears, tigers, monkeys and other animals from the abusive life of entertainment.

 

 

SAVING WILD CATS

Cheetah Conservation Fund

Dr. Markers Cheetah Conservation Fund is a model for other wildlife organizations with her pioneering work engaging communities in Namibia to help her protect cheetah. Find out more about Dr. Marker in an interview she did with SavingWild.com.

 

 

Panthera  

Dedicated to conserving the world’s 36 species of wild cats, Panthera partners with local and international scientific institutions, communities, non-governmental organizations and government agencies to conserve endangered wild cats, including tigers, lions, jaguars, and snow leopards around the world.

 

 

Small Cat Conservation Alliance

The SCCA works with partners and organizations around the world reducing and mitigating threats to the worlds thirty one species of small wild cats.

 

 

 

BEST WILDLIFE  ORGANIZATIONS  SAVING GREAT APES

Save the Chimps  

Established in1997 by Carole Noon and 21 chimpanzees, Save the Chimps has grown to be the worlds largest chimpanzee sanctuary providing permanent care for 300 chimpanzees rescued from research laboratories, the entertainment industry, and the pet trade.

Recommended reading- Opening Doors: Carole Noon and Her Dream to Save the Chimps, by Gary Ferguson.

 

 

Non-Human Rights Project

The only organization working toward actual LEGAL rights for non-human species. Their mission: to change the common law status of at least some nonhuman animals from mere “things,” which lack the capacity to possess any legal right, to “persons,” who possess such fundamental rights as bodily integrity and bodily liberty. What this organization is fighting for, if achieved, will be a game changer for all of us working for animal welfare.

 

 

Great Apes Survival Partnership

GRASP is an innovative and ambitious partnership comprised of great ape range states faced with an immediate challenge: to lift the threat of imminent extinction faced by gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans across their ranges in Equatorial Africa and Southeast Asia.

 

 

Lola ya Bonobos

Lola ya Bonobo is the world’s only organization to provide lifetime care to orphaned bonobos (the least known of the great apes). At the sanctuary the bonobos recover from the physical and psychological trauma suffered from being torn from their mothers, their families, and their natural habitat, The Democratic Republic of Congo, the only country with wild bonobos.

 

Recommende reading:  the delightful memoir, Bonobo Handshake, by Vanessa Woods who spent years working at Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary.

 

 

Ngamba Island  

This 100-acre sanctuary in Uganda rescues orphaned and abused chimps from the bushmeat, entertainment and pet trade industries. Through their ‘adopt a chimp’ program you can support one of the 48 chimps currently living there.

 

Orphaned orangutans appreciating flowers.

Save The Orangutan

Save the Orangutan has launched a Forest Program with the purpose of preserving and restoring the orangutans’ natural habitat. By supporting SOS Borneo, you help ensure that orangutans can continue to roam freely in the treetops of Borneo.

 

 

 

I hope you are finding this list of best wildlife organizations to donate to useful.

Can’t decide who to give to?

Simply use our Amazon Link everytime you shop and a portion of your purchase will go to Saving Wild’s favorite wildlife organizations.

Every time you shop at Amazon, use this link:

 

 

 

 

SAVING WILDLIFE WORLDWIDE

Center for Biological Diversity

Because the loss of biodiversity impoverishes society, the Center for Biological Diversity uses science, law, and creative media to protect the lands, waters, and climate that all species need to survive. An impressive ninety-three percent of their lawsuits have resulted in favorable outcomes for endangered species.

 

14. Animal Defenders International

Animal Defenders International (ADI) was founded in 1990. With offices in Los Angeles, London and Bogota, ADI educates and campaigns across the globe on animals in entertainment and other industries. One of the busiest and most effective organizations I know of but I find their website to be confusing and a turn off to someone looking to get involved. 

 

 

International Fund for Animal Welfare

Whether it’s working to end whaling, poaching, or seal hunts this wildlife organization seems to have no boundaries for its mission to save individual animals, animal populations and habitats all over the world. Founded in1969 and now with projects in more than 40 countries including China, the IFAW provides hands-on assistance to animals in need, whether it’s dogs and cats, wildlife and livestock, or rescuing animals in the wake of disasters.

 

 

Defenders of Wildlife  

Defenders’ approach is direct and straightforward – they “protect and restore imperiled species throughout North America by transforming policies and institutions and promoting innovative solutions” –making a lasting difference for wildlife and its habitats.

 

 

Born Free

Born Free takes ‘front line’ action worldwide, sending emergency teams to rescue vulnerable animals from appalling lives of misery in tiny cages and move them to spacious bush sanctuaries.

 

 

Peta

Peta’s statement that “Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any way,” says it all. Considered by some to be radical in their approach they are on this list because I admire their courage to push the limits for the animal causes they are focused on whether it be criticizing the movie and commercial industry for continuing to use chimps as actors, designing explicit ads for anti-fur campaigns, or releasing undercover photos from factory farms, Peta is great at shedding light on some of the toughest areas of animal abuse.

 

 

Wildlife Conservation Network

WCN saves endangered species in 24 countries around the world by supporting 14 independent wildlife conservationists working with different wildlife species. They also produce an annual fall conference in San Francisco where supporters can meet and hear from WCN’s conservationists and learn about their wildlife organizations.

 

 

South Florida Wildlife Center

Based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in the USA, this Wildlife Center is the countries highest volume wildlife hospital. Each year they treat over 12,000 animals of more than 250 species. An affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States, the center has been protecting South Florida’s biodiversity, transforming wildlife rehabilitation and saving lives for nearly 50 years.  SFWC provides emergency rescue services, diagnostics, surgical and other veterinary treatment, recovery habitats, orphan rearing and expert rehabilitative care. 

 

For part 2 of my favorite 40 Wildlife NGOs use this link.

 

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Dereck and Beverly Joubert- A Love Story

Seconds after meeting conservationist extraordinaire Beverly Joubert for the first time, she holds my hand as if we are BFF’s. I found her to be generous, kind, warm and attentive -someone I would want as a best friend forever.

She is also, surprising because of her petite and feminine characteristics, a woman who has no problem living without things most people call necessities, like electricity and running water, and spending days in the relentless Botswana sun surrounded by animals that could easily kill her, while working alongside her husband Dereck Joubert as National Geographic Explorers in Residence.

One of conservations most hard working and effective couples; Dereck and Beverly Joubert have a wonderful love story. Both South Africans, they met in high school, and fell in love through their mutual love of wild places and wildlife and their desire to protect them.

During the past 30 years they have made 25 films, and written 11 books, six scientific papers, and many articles for National Geographic magazine, all focusing on large predator key stone species. Their body of work has resulted in eight Emmys, a Peabody, the World Ecology Award, and in 2009 they were inducted into the American Academy of Achievement.

Of all the conservationists I have met over the years, Beverly Joubert is perhaps the one I would most like to trade lives with, despite, as you will learn in this interview, the sacrifices and unusually tough circumstances her life’s work requires.

Lori with the Jouberts

 

SAVING WILD’S INTERVIEW WITH BEVERLY JOUBERT

 

How did you decide to devote your life to wildlife conservation?

As a teenager I was troubled by what humans were doing to each other and other creatures and I wanted the world to change. I met Dereck in the late seventies and found a kindred soul. We started making wildlife films in the early eighties and began to understand the extent to which the wilderness areas we were filming were being destroyed. That’s when we realized we were more than wildlife filmmakers. Our role was first and foremost to be conservationists.

 

What sacrifices have you made while becoming some of the worlds best conservation filmmakers?

Sometimes I wonder if Dereck and I appear to be aloof and abnormal because we are often on our own for months at a time filming a project. One film took 7 years to make, and the one about leopards took 5 years. During those times we lose contact with close friends, family, and the outside world.

We also made a decision not to have children. Our films are filled with the passion we would have given to a family, had we created one. It would have been impossible to do both but it has been a worthwhile sacrifice.

When we are in the wilderness we don’t have ‘luxuries’ –  running hot and cold water, clean drinking water, fresh food (which would require a fridge), communication devices, or sophisticated tools to fix the inevitable breakdowns with our vehicle and bush plane. In the bush things like getting 7 hours of sleep a night, staying dry and cool, avoiding insect bites and being able to shower and clean our clothes become the luxuries!

Working in the wilderness we are completely exposed to the elements and are often in remote areas where a quick exit is not an option. A major storm can interrupt our lives and, when we are in a small light aircraft, become life-threatening.

All this makes our lives harder, but without experiencing the hardships we could not truly understand the wilderness, be as connected to it as we are, or become emotionally moved by it. And that makes our films more powerful.

 

Dereck and Beverly Joubert are one of twenty amazing conservations featured in my newest book, Wild Lives.

 

You have said that in the last 50 years Africa has lost 90-95% of its large predators. They are now extinct in 26 of Africa’s 54 countries. How do you stay inspired despite the increasing negative issues we face protecting wildlife and wild places?

Getting to know individual characters like the little leopard we followed for over 5 years for our movie ‘Eye of the Leopard’ inspires us to speak out on behalf of wildlife. We have become ambassadors for animals out of necessity and feel we must protect the last remaining ones in the few countries where they still exist. That, the urgency of the situation and knowing all that could be lost also keeps us inspired to do more.

 

Why should people care about saving wild places and wildlife?

Wildlife and wild places are our greatest natural treasures – priceless and irreplaceable.

We live in a connected world, and with a collective heart and mind we can, and must, end the destruction. We cannot let humanity become like a deadly fungus that exterminates everything for lust and greed. While there is hope, all of us must continue to fight to protect wild places and wild animals.

 

Where do Dereck and Beverly Joubert find hope?

We are optimists at heart. If we weren’t, we couldn’t continue.

 

 

It takes a special kind of person to devote their lives to helping wild places and wildlife. What qualities or characteristics do you two possess that has helped you do this work and be so successful at it?

I think compassion, curiosity and a sense of adventure are all important qualities we possess. 

Being tenacious, never giving up no matter what it takes, has also helped us. Dereck and I are never scared to take on huge issues. As the issues get bigger, so do our ideas, projects and solutions.

We may get disappointed in ourselves or by an outcome but we never let this disappointment slow us down. Rather, it drives us on. We won’t stop until we have done everything in our power to conserve Africa’s wilderness for future generations.

It also helps to be the type of person who has a set of ethics and sticks to them, even when times get tough. If you want to set an example and inspire others to do the same, you must know what you stand for and live and breathe it.

We are both creative, which helps us communicate with our audiences by pushing the boundaries with our films and conservation solutions.

 

From all that you have accomplished, what are you most proud of?

One of our main goals is to turn ex-hunting lands into nature reserves so they will be protected in the future. We have had a number of successes on this front. The Selinda reserve was heavily hunted and poached eight years ago. We shut down hunting there in 2006 and the area is now teeming with wildlife.  

We are equally proud of the close relationships we have been able to develop with wild animals.

 

By giving them total respect, we have been accepted into their world, which is an immense privilege. Our work with Legadema, the little leopard I mentioned earlier changed our lives and turned us into Ambassadors for Cats, resulting in the birth of the Big Cats Initiative with National Geographic.

Hearing from people all over the world that our work has inspired them to be ambassadors for the natural world is equally as rewarding for us.

**For the entire story of Dereck and Beverly Joubert get your copy of Wild Lives. 

 

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