WOOP WOOP THE
CONSERVATION
ISSUE 01
CONVERSATION
FOREST EDITION
‘The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.’ -Chinese Proverb
WOOP WOOP ‘A place far away, unfamiliar, and difficult to get to’ Front Cover Wildlife SOS Leopard, Western Ghats, India Inside Front Cover Ingrid Weyland Topographies Of Fragility Back Cover Ingrid Weyland Topographies Of Fragility Contact Us For general enquiries, sales, or partnerships: info@woopwoopmagazine.co.uk If you would like to be a contributor: info@woopwoopmagazine.co.uk Press/media enquiries: press@woopwoopmagazine.co.uk Follow Us woopwoopmagazine.co.uk insta: woopwoopmagazine tw: woopwoopmagz fb: woopwoopmagazine link: woop-woop-magazine
Issue 01
First Published May 2023 ISSN 2756-035X
The Conservation Conversation
INTRODUCTION Woop Woop is a visually led, conservation focused periodical positioned within the lifestyle magazine genre; appealing to all without the need for a PhD to understand. We want to inspire and inform on interesting topics whilst communicating the reality of the ‘Conservation Conversation’. Our aim is to highlight the many and varied conservation projects globally that intertwine so intrinsically with the personal narratives of those whose passion is integral to their existence. Conservation is not about sound bites, click-bait, sixty second thoughts, fifteen minutes of fame or political gains; it is about the necessity for real action, real change and real mindfulness before it is too late. It is a subject so vast, so interconnected and sometimes polarized and Woop Woop is a medium for all voices to be heard. Global temperatures are rising, and biodiversity is free-falling at an alarming rate. Times are changing at a rapid pace, and it is imperative that we adapt with urgency.
MISSION STATEMENT
With an ethos to engage, enthuse and educate, we reach out to anyone and everyone; From sole individuals with personal ideals to the seasoned photojournalist wanting to share their eyes, from established organisations at the forefront of breeding programs to boots-on-the-ground NGOs fighting against the flow, from volunteer led projects operating on a shoe-string to multi-national corporates giving back - Everyone gets a voice. We hope to play a part in helping our readers to learn and understand the complexities of conservation, as well as to realise that we can all play a part in the discourse and, indeed, we must all play our part. We can take humans to the moon yet seem unable to sort out the planet we already inhabit. Kind of crazy really. Have we a chance? We hope so. Join us, let’s have the ‘Conservation Conversation’. Woop Woop Published in the UK by Wilderlust Media Group Ltd All rights reserved © Wilderlust Media Group Ltd No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the cases of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. Wilderlust Media Group Ltd reserves the right to accept or reject any article or material to edit this material prior to publication. Disclaimer Legal Notice Wilderlust Media Group Ltd takes constant care to ensure that content is accurate on the date of publication. The articles published reflect the opinions of the respective author(s) and interviewee(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the magazine, the publisher and editorial team. The published material, adverts, editorials, images and all other content is published in good faith and with consent. Wilderlust Media Group Ltd cannot guarantee and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by this publication and for errors and for the accuracy of claims made by the contributors and advertisers. In this publication you might find links to websites, third party content and advertising. In reading this publication, you acknowledge that and agree that Wilderlust Media Group Ltd cannot be held responsible and shall not be liable for the content of other companies, advertisements and other resources. Wilderlust Media Group Ltd reserves the right to amend or update any information in this publication without notice. All rights reserved and nothing can be partially or in whole reprinted or reproduced without written consent. In reading this publication, you agree to all terms and conditions listed above. If you have any questions about this policy, you may contact us.
Sustainability Credits At Wilderlust Media Group Ltd we constantly review many aspects of the production process as we believe that everyone should play a in part in looking after our planet for future generations. Our publications are printed by Stephens & George Ltd, an awardwinning environmentally friendly printer based in Wales, UK. Copies are produced using vegetable-based inks combined with the latest “chemical free” plate and Heidelberg press technology.
All papers are sourced from well-managed, sustainable forests and their vast supply chain holds many environmental accreditations. In addition to this, they hold a Climate Change Agreement along with ISO14001, ISO9001, FSC, PEFC and offer Carbon Balancing via The World Land Trust. They achieved an E2B Silver award for energy improvements along with an E2B Gold award for recycling and the majority of all their waste is recycled.
FORESTS
The lungs of the earth. Providing oxygen, clean air, water, food and shelter for humans and animals all over the planet and a significant carbon store, whilst helping to regulate the climate and harbour biodiversity. Forests all over the world are under threat. The image here is ‘Big Lonely Doug’ a Coast Douglas-fir, surrounded by old-growth clear cut, believed to have been seeded sometime around one thousand years ago. It has become a symbol of nature conservation in Canada as one of the last ‘Great Trees’. [*Image courtesy of Ecoflix/Peter von Puttkamer]
Each year, millions of acres of forest are lost to deforestation through logging, mining and agriculture. Deforestation has a devastating impact on the environment. It contributes to climate change, water pollution, air pollution, water shortages and the loss of habitat for plants and animals - a loss of crucial biodiversity. Deforestation not only displaces animals and people but also the communities who rely on forests for their livelihoods; it can also lead to the spread of disease. Action is needed and needed now to protect all forests. We can do this by reducing our consumption of wood products, supporting sustainable forest management, planting trees and getting involved in and supporting conservation efforts. There are 8 billion people on the planet and conservation has to be approached holistically and factor in this human element. Woop Woop are privileged to showcase some of the many projects from around the world. In Issue 01 we explore the Western Ghats, India and the efforts to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, (Wildlife SOS). We learn about the destruction of Old Growth at the Battle of Fairy Creek, Canada in The Last Stand, (Peter von Puttkamer/Ecoflix), and understand how The Guardians of Dja project embraces stakeholders in Cameroon, (Born Free Foundation). We visit Ethiopia and learn how agro-forestry is at the heart of stakeholder education, (Forests of the World), whilst in Colombia, we learn how empowerment of women is key to creating and nurturing long lasting legacies, (Women for Conservation & Isabella Cortes Lara).
Averis), Inevitable, (Oliver Sommer), and Printmaking, (Jane Duke). We learn about the personal passions and projects in Trees For Life, (Dundreggan Rewilding Centre), Woodland and Wildlife, (Sally Hall), Brambles, (Alison Ensor), Forest Bathing, (Jan Cafearo), Rainforests, (Jacob Rheams), Foxes, (Chris Chalk), Monkeys, (Gilberto Guerra) and Sloths, (Sloth Conservation Foundation). We are fascinated by Dark Skies, (Kielder Observatory) and the myth of Gog and Magog, (Penny Billington/ Gareth Edwards)
We visit Poland and some of the last Primeval Forest left in Europe, (Oliwier Myka), Mangroves across the Tropics, (Alan Watson Featherstone), the Alpine Forests of the world, (Chelsea Whittingham), along with Temperate Rainforest on opposite sides of the planet.
The Hot Poets showcase their prose with Tiny Forests, (Ceri Baker), Mother of the Forest, (Zena Edwards), and Mapping Funga, (Jay Farley), beautifully illustrated by some incredible talents, (Abigail Chesters & Nayia Balatsou).
We are informed about government policy, (Julie James MS), explore the life of Director/Adventurer, (Peter von Puttkamer), talk skateboarding, stunts and veganism (Matt Pritchard Dirty Vegan), and get an insight into the inspiration of Ecoflix, (David Casselman, CEO).
We travel from Yellowstone to South Africa, in Epic Nature, (Judy Lehmberg), go on the journey of an eco-preneur in Wildya, (Oliver Dauert) and experience the beauty of Las Abubillas, (Gertjan de Zoete).
With incredible imagery and artistry in Topographies of Fragility, (Ingrid Weyland), A Deeper Connection, (Cody Schultz), Temperate Rainforests, (Mark Darragh/Ben
We hope you enjoy this issue, are left informed and with a better understanding of what the planet is facing. The Woop Woop Team
CONTENTS
LEOPARDS 5
FOREST BATHING
WESTERN GHATS | INDIA
SHROPSHIRE | ENGLAND | UNITED KINGDOM
THE LAST STAND
15
EXTREMADURA 129
VANCOUVER ISLAND | BRITISH COLUMBIA | CANADA
GUARDIANS OF DJA
127
SPAIN
21
ALPINE FOREST
135
CAMEROON | AFRICA
EUROPE | INDIA | SOUTH AMERICA
WOODLAND AND WILDLIFE 27
BRAMBLES 139
WALES -&- ENGLAND | UNITED KINGDOM
GLOUCESTERSHIRE | ENGLAND | UNITED KINGDOM
JULIE JAMES MS
31
MANGROVES 143
WALES | UNITED KINGDOM
TOPOGRAPHIES OF FRAGILITY
ASIA | SOUTH AMERICA | AUSTRALIA | INDIA
39
ORANGUTANS 149
ARGENTINA | SOUTH AMERICA
ENGLAND | UNITED KINGDOM
PETER VON PUTTKAMER 45
TINY FORESTS
LOS ANGELES | CALIFORNIA | NORTH AMERICA
HOT POETS | UNITED KINGDOM
FOXES 51
MOTHER OF THE FOREST
PEMBROKESHIRE | WALES | UNITED KINGDOM
HOT POETS | UNITED KINGDOM
A DEEPER CONNECTION 53
MAPPING FUNGA
PENNSYLVANIA | NORTH AMERICA
HOT POETS | UNITED KINGDOM
GOG AND MAGOG
61
TEMPERATE RAINFOREST (UK)
SOMERSET | ENGLAND | UNITED KINGDOM
PRIMEVAL FOREST
155 157 159
UNITED KINGDOM -&- IRELAND
65
MONKEYS 165
BIALOWIEZA | POLAND
PERU | SOUTH AMERICA
SLOTHS 71
FORESTS OF THE WORLD
COSTA RICA | CENTRAL AMERICA
DENMARK | CENTRAL AMERICA | SOUTH AMERICA | EAST AFRICA
TREES FOR LIFE
153
77
169
RAINFOREST 177
SCOTLAND | UNITED KINGDOM
COSTA RICA | CENTRAL AMERICA
PRINTMAKING 83
WOMEN FOR CONSERVATION 181
YORK | ENGLAND | UNITED KINGDOM
COLOMBIA | SOUTH AMERICA
EPIC NATURE
87
DAVID CASSELMAN
191
AFRICA -&- NORTH AMERICA
LOS ANGELES | CALIFORNIA | NORTH AMERICA
WILDYA 95
WATCH 200
BIARRITZ | FRANCE
DIRTY VEGAN
READ 201
101
EAT 202
CARDIFF | WALES | UNITED KINGDOM
TEMPERATE RAINFOREST (AUS)
DRINK 203
109
AUSTRALIA
DARK SKIES
LISTEN 204
117
WEAR 205
NORTHUMBERLAND | ENGLAND | UNITED KINGDOM
VISIT 206
INEVITABLE 121
CONTRIBUTORS 207
MADAGASCAR
3
4
LEOPARDS WESTERN GHATS | INDIA
Gliding through sugarcane fields in a seamless stride, looking for prey, leopards are on a perpetual prowl to survive in a rapidly urbanising world that takes up more and more of the forest cover that they call home. Leopards are becoming an increasingly common sight in villages and towns of Maharashtra, a state in western India with the third-highest population of the Indian leopard. With rapid encroachment of human settlements such as villages and fields into forested areas, incidents of human-leopard conflict in Maharashtra have seen a dramatic rise in the last two decades. In particular, problems related to leopards that have entered fields and human habitation have arisen, with the animals wandering out of the shrinking forests as they find their territory and food source depleted. According to a media report, in 2016, the district of Ahmednagar alone recorded a total of thirty leopard deaths in a span of merely nine months. Out of these thirty, twelve leopards died in accidents.
The Adaptive Cats Not long ago, many parts of Maharashtra were once densely populated by leopards. These magnificent wild cats once roamed the state’s jungles and forests free and wide. The home they always knew, dense with wilderness, has now been invaded by vast fields of sugarcane. Villages and towns have sprung up and leopards, being territorial, continue to walk in the same space that used to be their ancestral land. The place they were familiar with and was imprinted in them by their previous generation is suddenly replaced by crowded streets and sugarcane fields. These situations often lead to human-leopard conflict, where the leopard is seen as a threat. To house and care for leopards that were injured or rescued in such situations, a rescue facility was built in Junnar, Maharashtra in 2002. The centre was expanded in 2007 when the state government partnered with wildlife conservation NGO Wildlife SOS to improve the existing facility which is now known as the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre (MLRC). The MLRC is nestled in the heart of the Western Ghats, one of the four biodiversity hotspots found in India. This primordial tropical rainforest dates back to antiquity and has stood the test of time. The Western Ghats is mostly known for its high endemism of amphibian and plant species. A mindblowing 87% of all frogs found here are endemic. It also hosts a number of endemic plant species such as the endangered Hopea ponga, the critically endangered White dammar, the vulnerable Malabar nutmeg and the Wild jack, to name a few. The Indian leopard, however, is one of the earliest inhabitants of the Western Ghats. But just as it is with a majority of pristine rainforests across the world, the Western Ghats also could not escape from the malady of forest loss. Added to the daily struggles of survival, human callousness has forced leopards to face more man-made adversities.
5
14
THE LAST STAND VANCOUVER ISLAND | BRITISH COLUMBIA | CANADA
2021. Fairy Creek, south Vancouver Island. Protesters had gathered. Throughout that year and into 2022, the protests, described as “one of the largest acts of civil disobedience in Canadian history”, escalated and culminated in over 1,000 protesters being arrested in early February of 2021. The reason for the protest: Old growth logging. Peter von Puttkamer, Head of Creative Content and Originals at Ecoflix, was there to film events. We spoke to Peter about capturing this pivotal moment.
The Last Stand, a powerful and inspiring documentary on ‘old growth forests’ that has received plaudits from far and wide. How and why did you come to make this film? Ecoflix CEO and founder, David Casselman came to me with this assignment, “Battle for the Trees” in Fairy Creek, British Columbia. I was excited and looking forward to telling this story. Being able to return to Vancouver Island, where I had previously worked with the Huu-Ay-aht First Nations Tribe, I knew first hand what impact the documentary would have, particularly when paired with a powerful movement led by determined and peaceful people. Fairy Creek would become a fifteen-month long protest to protect the remaining 3% of British Columbia’s Old Growth Forests - The Last Stand is a plea to the powers that be on the planet; the governments and corporations of the world must stop the destruction of our precious ancient forests. It is a reminder to the average citizen, that we each have our part to play in protecting our forests by deciding the governments we elect, the food we eat and the financial institutions we choose to work with.
To be in a position as part of the Ecoflix family and able to share these stories with the world makes me proud. Moments like those at Fairy Creek and films like ‘The Last Stand can inspire and make change happen.
15
20
GUARDIANS OF DJA CAMEROON | AFRICA
Great apes bear a remarkable resemblance to humans in their expressions, inquisitiveness and intelligence, and serve as a reminder that we, as humans, are not separate from the natural world. Yet great apes around the globe are in decline, and urgently need conservation effort. It would be an unforgiveable tragedy to lose our closest cousins to extinction. The Dja Biosphere Reserve (DBR) is home to two species of great ape – Central chimpanzees and Western Lowland gorillas. Populations of both species are declining: Central chimpanzees are classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature with an estimated 140,000 left globally. The situation is even more dire for Western Lowland Gorillas, which are Critically Endangered with an estimated global population of just 100,000. So, what exactly has caused this? There is no single cause for any species population decline. Both gorillas and chimpanzees are vulnerable to a multitude of interconnected threats. Populations have been decimated by bushmeat hunting (both for consumption and sale) and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade (both on the national and international stages). Great apes are a slow reproducing species, becoming sexually mature at a relatively advanced age, having long weaning time and therefore interbirth intervals. As a result they can only have a limited number of young in their lifetime. In addition, the over-consumptive use of the forest, as human populations expand and the pressures on the ecosystem accumulate, is leading to widespread habitat degradation. The Guardians of Dja programme, run by the Born Free Foundation and implemented by the Cameroon association ‘Association pour le Protection de Grands Singes’ (APGS), aims to conserve great apes. This work takes place in the DBR, an important refuge and priority landscape for the conservation of both chimpanzees and gorillas. Through a combination of skills training for sustainable trade, community sensitisation and education, wildlife law enforcement, and forest restoration, the programme aims not just to protect the remaining populations, but see positive increases in their abundance, by promoting positive coexistence between great apes and people. The Dja Biosphere Reserve, East Region, Cameroon, is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, comprising 2 million hectares (20,000km2) of forest. The area has a range of land management types including forestry management units, community forests, and approximately 40 villages home to around 50,000 people. The DBR contains a core region called the Dja Faunal Reserve (DFR), which is approximately 526,000 ha (5,260km2) and is the largest protected area in Cameroon. The DFR is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
21
38
TOPOGRAPHIES OF FRAGILITY ARGENTINA | SOUTH AMERICA
I’m a graphic designer, and art has always been a part of my life from the very beginning. I was always interested in photography but, in Argentina at that time, it was not available as a university degree course. However, once I had established my design studio, it felt quite natural that I would start to take courses in photography. Initially, I was mostly a portrait photographer, where nature was always present in one way or another. I was lucky enough to be able to travel, from the south of Argentina to Greenland’s ice sheet, in search of landscapes with a particular mood and beauty, unspoiled landscapes, almost surreal, where the immensity reveals itself, and where I have lived experiences of intimate connection. For me, it’s about the physical experience of immersion in nature, photographing scenery like this is a profound experience and requires a sort of meditative concentration. When I arrive in a new place and before I start shooting, I take time to connect with the environment, becoming familiar with its sounds, scents, atmosphere… I understood later in life that these landscapes had always been my “safe havens”; nature is my refuge, a place where I can restore my energy, where I feel “grounded”, and reborn. The driving force behind my work is a desire to highlight the relationship between humanity and the environment. Humans fail to take care of the planet, but nature can also be violent in return. There is a link in this conflict, there is a cause and effect. It was after my third trip to Iceland that I was overwhelmed by the changes I saw since my first visit in 2015. It had become a tourist hotspot, and I noticed people failing to stick to local regulations, not respecting boundaries, and it started to show on the landscape. Furthermore, having heard that there was not much time left for us humans to be able to witness the magnificence of gigantic icebergs, I set my mind to travelling to Greenland, which I did in 2019. Icebergs come in different shapes and sizes and are categorized accordingly into different types. They can be tabular, domed, or pinnacled, and there was a massive one that reflected light in different ways throughout its textured surface. These icebergs reminded me of crumpled paper. The word “paper” entered my mind, photography and its materiality. This exact moment determined my urgency to inspire change, and I sensed that just showing beautiful landscapes was not enough, I wanted to find a way to convey both beauty and decay at the same time, to remind us of what we stand to lose to climate change. In this ongoing series, I alter and perform violent gestures on a landscape chosen from my archive of images from my travels. The resultant crumpled images, are then laid on top of the same untouched vista and rephotographed, drawing a parallel between my crumpled image and the way we humans treat nature as though it’s something disposable, to be discarded. This operation on the printed photographic paper allows me to reflect on the permanent and irreversible traces of my actions, in a poetic allusion to our relationship with our planet. It’s amazing to witness how paper resists at first, it fights back, it does not want to be destroyed, but at last, it has to give in. There is something very powerful in the fact that my own hands “perform” this damage on my own printed photographs of places of natural beauty.
39
44
PETER VON PUTTKAMER LOS ANGELES | CALIFORNIA | NORTH AMERICA
Peter von Puttkamer, renowned director, producer, writer, photographer, editor, Emmy judge, adventurist, naturalist, civil rights activist, international award winner and more recently Head of Content and Originals at Ecoflix, the pioneering not-for-profit media platform, developed to change how the world perceives conservation and promote conservation projects from across the globe. We had the pleasure of asking Peter about his background and current role, along with some of the projects he has been involved with and future aspirations. Growing up in Vancouver BC, Peter started making films in high school using Super 8mm cameras; he would use films instead of written word for his schoolwork and in his teenage years exhibited his art in major galleries. His family worked closely with First Nation peoples and set up the first aboriginal tourism resort outside Vancouver. Through this, speaking with Chiefs and Shamans, he developed a fascination with the culture of native peoples and having graduated with a BA in Film & TV from University of British Columbia, the beginning of his cross cultural work with First Nations was a summer job with Health Canada; travelling frequently to rural and remote communities to create social, cultural and health documentaries. This led to a full time position creating films and a series of ground breaking ;National Posters ‘ which used positive culturally sensitive imagery to promote native culture messages and reduce alcohol and drug use across Canada. The slogans and images he created were adopted by the federal Government and used in prevention programs across the country. This led to forming Gryphon Productions with Sheera, his wife, and he produced films, working with troubled youth, bringing in First Nation role models to instil positive life choices in the young native people of Canada. Through this he partnered with Phil Lucas, a Choctaw Native American filmmaker, as Director of Photography and Creative Editor, on a film, ‘The Honour Of All - The Story of Alkali Lake’, that became the most successful film of it’s kind in North America and subsequently the world. With community members in their own words it inspired indigenous people globally to turn their communities away form drug and alcohol misuse and help restore their culture. Peter has collaborated with many native leaders on similar socially impacting films such as Heart of the People and The Spirit of the Mask for leading broadcasters such as Discovery Channel and Animal Planet and viewed across the world. Working with such names as Wade Davis, Chris Bruyere, Joyce Poole and Dr Niall McCann; Gryphon Productions is a leader in factual programming and has worked with BBC, CBC, National Geographic, Sony Pictures and more, winning more than 80 international awards.
45
52
A DEEPER CONNECTION PENNSYLVANIA | NORTH AMERICA
We are not strengthened by our connection to nature, but weakened by our separation from it. - Clemens G. Arvay, biologist In that fateful year of 2020, which will be ill-forgot, the world found itself turned upside down. People’s lifestyles quickly shifted as they were laid off from work or, perhaps worse to some degree, working from home, staring at a computer screen for hours on end. Parents quickly were forced to take on the role of teacher, realizing the difficulties the certified educators of elementary, middle, and high school levels had to face daily. Those still working were faced with what felt like an endless number of Zoom meetings as the companies navigated this unpredictable future. Students were left with much the same, attempting to learn at the same time their teachers or professors desperately tried to figure out how to shift their curriculum into an online format. Those who were inept with technology had no choice but to learn it, lest they went without any income. Those who contracted the virus found themselves cramped in overflowing hospitals and are likely dealing with lifelong consequences, regardless of what form it took. As everything began coming to a head, those stuck at home started looking for some form of escape. An escape from the screen that haunted their dreams; a way out of the Zoom meetings and the endless battles of whose turn it was to work at the kitchen table versus the couch. Some divulged into books or video games, others in DIY, arts and crafts; others, still, tried their hand at teaching themselves an instrument, to the detriment of their roommates. For others, escape took the form of nature, of the great outdoors. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, more than “53 percent of Americans ages 6 and over participated in outdoor recreation at least once,” with “7.1 million more Americans participat[ing] in outdoor recreation in 2020 than in [2019]”[^Outdoor Industry Association article. *[2021 Outdoor Participation Trends Report] (https://outdoorindustry. org/resource/2021-outdoor-participation-trends-report/)*] To think that a pandemic would lead more people than ever before to head outside, to experience what they may have never experienced, is astounding. And it makes perfect sense.
THE DOWNSIDES OF LONELINESS It turns out that feeling lonely causes your cortisol levels to absolutely soar. In fact, it’s about as stressful as experiencing a physical attack, such as from another human being or an animal. Practically everything becomes more fatal when you are alone - cancer, heart disease, respiratory problems, you name it. [^*[Social Isolation, Loneliness Increase Risk of Fatal Heart Attacks and Strokes], (https:// www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/social-isolation-loneliness-increase-risk-of-fatal-heartattacks-and-strokes/)*] This is largely due to how the human species is hardwired. We need connections; we need tribes, like a bee needs a hive. And when we don’t maintain those connections, we find ourselves in a state of constant stress. When we don’t have someone to watch our backs, to look out for us, we are almost always on edge. Rather than being able to relax and sleep through the night, our brains work overtime; every slight bump in the night jolts us awake as we worry for our safety. As Johann Hari mentions in his book, *Lost Connections, * “Lonely people are scanning for threats because they unconsciously know that nobody is looking out for them, so no one will help them if they are hurt”. Don’t believe me? Look back at the murder of Kitty Genovese [^*[Murder of Kitty Genovese] https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese)*] in New York City back in 1964. It’s estimated that nearly forty different people either saw or heard her as she was brutally attacked and raped - yet not a single soul contacted the authorities or attempted to help. So, if we don’t have true confidants to assist us in times of need, it’s no wonder we feel we cannot trust those around us to do it in their place. 53
86
EPIC NATURE AFRICA -&- NORTH AMERICA
Have you ever wondered how differently we would treat other animals if we understood what they were thinking and saying? If a woodpecker flew up to you and asked you to not cut down that dead tree in your garden because it is a great habitat for woodpecker food, I’ll bet you would listen. Or if a goldfinch asked you to stop mowing your grass so it would have thistle seeds to eat, you might consider ditching your lawn mower. I’ve spent most of my life trying to convince people we need to do a better job of listening to others, other species that is. I’ve been listening and talking to animals my whole life. I don’t claim to understand everything they say but I am certain of one thing: As the human population increases and we continue to use more and more resources it is imperative we understand the destruction of both their habitat and ours. As Baba Dioum, a Senegalese forestry engineer, said at the 1968 International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources conference: “In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.” From almost since I learned to talk, I’ve been in love with everything wild and have spent the majority of my 70 years on Earth trying to teach others to understand and love other species. But I very accidentally fell into the teaching business. Without much concern for how I would actually earn a living I started college with a major in marine biology because I wanted to pet dolphins for a living. Yes, I do know how ridiculous that sounds but somehow it seemed logical to me then. I got a degree in wildlife science knowing I might not have a lot of job prospects, but I would at least have a well-educated hobby. When I graduated from Texas A&M with a BS in wildlife science one person in our large class had a job in wildlife and he was the nephew of the Texas governor. The rest of us were either unemployed or underemployed. I fell into the latter category. I was a lab tech in the civil engineering department at A&M helping to write a textbook on how to cleanup oil spills for their new oil spill cleanup program. The October after my graduation someone in A&M’s biology department called the civil engineering department and said I should apply for a high school biology teaching job at Spring High School on the north side of Houston. I still have no idea who that was, how they knew me, or where I worked, but that phone call changed my life. I had never ever thought about teaching, and I had zero experience, but I had taken a bunch of biology and chemistry classes and the school was desperate. A biology teacher was quitting because her husband was being transferred to a new job in Ohio. The science department chair said she didn’t want to teach me biology, but she was willing to teach me how to teach. We ended up carpooling together and she taught me, mostly by example, how to gain students’ respect and thus maintain discipline. Once I got my feet on the ground, I realized how much I loved teaching and am eternally grateful to that unknown person in A&M’s biology department. After teaching at Spring High School for two years I got an opportunity to teach biology in a South African high school in Johannesburg. 87
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DIRTY VEGAN CARDIFF | WALES | UNITED KINGDOM
Professional skateboarder, TV personality, extreme athlete, and vegan. Matt Pritchard has certainly led a life less ordinary. “Skateboarding was the vehicle that got me to where I am today.” He started skateboarding around the age of fifteen, having had to save up his milk money to buy his first board. His journey started from there, skating all around his hometown of Cardiff. This led to turning professional with sponsorship, and riding for ‘Panic’ in a team. His skateboarding was doing the talking, long before his character started to emerge. What would later be his ‘Sanchez-esque’ personality, would soon takeover on the board and the spectators would be there for his performing as much as his skateboarding. “It literally went from there.” He started capturing his skateboarding on camera, messing around, and becoming friends with Dainton, Joycey and Pancho; This led to the making of the “Pritchard versus Dainton” video (May 2001). MTV picked up on the video and “Dirty Sanchez” was born [The first series aired in 2003, broadcast in over sixty-four countries to over 400 million people and became the most popular MTV UK series of all time]. “That was quite a few years of madness.” After the first show came out, the team thought they would never be back on TV, that the world would think of them as “nutters.” But the show went mental, and they were invited to do “Jobs for the Boyos”, “European Invasion” and “Behind the Seven Sins,” as well as spin-offs, “MTV Wrecked” and “Sanchez get High,” (travelling around the world and taking legal highs). There was also a film “Dirty Sanchez: The Movie.” “Like anything good that happens, it finishes in the end.” And that is what happened. Matt knew that it was slowly coming to an end and had saved some money before returning to Cardiff. He had an idea to open a tattoo and barber shop. “I had never run a business before and literally went in blind, if it works, it works, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t!” Sleep When You’re Dead (SWYD) was born, in the High Street Arcade, Cardiff, where he had first bought his skateboards. SWYD has now been in business for nine years, not bad for a first timer! During this time Matt had also started competing in triathlons, with his first Ironman event in 2011. Anything he takes up, Matt likes to take as far as he can, and he has now competed in six full and 40 half-Ironman competitions. He has also faced many challenges on his journey to become an extreme athlete. “And then I started my cooking journey.” Turning vegan in 2015 and struggling with the change from being a big meat-eater, Matt turned to YouTube to find inspiration for vegan meals. But he found these all “boring,” and, sensing an opportunity, he collaborated with two others and started a YouTube cooking channel. “So, we did it. Put it together. It started to become really successful, and the BBC came knocking.” Dirty Vegan was born! 101
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TEMPERATE RAINFOREST AUSTRALIA
With 70% of its landmass being classified as arid or semi-arid, Australia is the driest continent other than Antarctica, which fits the stereotype that many people have of the country as one of endless beaches and deserts. Despite this, Australia is one of the most diverse and biologically rich regions on the planet and has the highest proportion of endemic plants and animals. For instance, 85% of Australia’s plant species, 88% of its reptile species, and 84% of its mammal species are thought to be unique to Australia. This is a result of Australia’s long geographic isolation, wide variety of climatic zones, and varied topography. The temperate regions of south-east Australia include some of the tallest forests on earth and some of the oldest areas of temperate rainforest, remnants of the great forests that covered the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Most of the cool temperate rainforest in Australia is dominated by Southern Beech, or Nothofagus. Nothofagus is a well-known and widely distributed Gondwana relict plant group. Members of the genus are also found in New Zealand, Patagonia in southern South America, New Caledonia, and New Guinea. The northernmost occurrences of cool-temperate rainforest in Australia are found primarily in elevated areas along the Great Dividing Range. In northern New South Wales and Queensland, Antarctic beech (Nothofagus moorei) is the dominant species. In the majority of the southern areas of cool temperate rainforest in Victoria and Tasmania, Myrtle Beech (Nothofagus cunninghamii) dominates the forests. There are exceptions. In southern New South Wales, cool temperate rainforest is mainly composed of Eastern Leatherwood (Eucryphia moorei), a plant that also has relatives in the Valdivian temperate forests of Chile and Argentina. The largest tract of cool temperate rainforest on the Australian mainland is found in East Gippsland, Victoria. The forest here is unique, with Southern Sassafras (Atherosperma moschatum) dominating. Plants related to southern sassafras are found from New Guinea to southern Chile. Conifers, which include members of the Araucaria and Podocarp genera, are another important group of Gondwana relict flora found in Australia’s temperate forests. Tasmania is particularly rich in coniferous species, with several endemics, including the Huon Pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii) and King William Pine (Athrotaxis selaginoides). Another notable feature of Australia’s temperate forest is the occurrence of mixed forests, with emergent Eucalyptus trees forming a canopy over an understory of rainforest. These mixed forests have a high level of biodiversity and provide a unique habitat for many threatened species of animals and plants. In essence, these forests capture a transitional form between tall eucalyptus forests and temperate rainforests. In the absence of fire over a period of 350–500 years, mixed forest will transition to pure rainforest. When moderate to severe fires burn mixed forest, the highly fire-sensitive rainforest species are wiped out, and the forest transitions to more fire-resistant Eucalyptus-dominated forest. Along the Great Dividing Range in the central highlands and Gippsland regions of Victoria, together with the Otway Ranges and parts of Tasmania, stand some of the tallest forests on earth.
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MANGROVES ASIA | SOUTH AMERICA | AUSTRALIA | INDIA
Mangrove forests are a specialised ecosystem of trees and other plants that occur in the intertidal zones of sheltered coastlines, river estuaries and deltas in the tropical regions of the world. They are best known perhaps for the characteristic stilt-rooted trees of the genus, Rhizophora, but the different tree species that comprise a mangrove forest have a range of unique adaptations and special features that enable them to thrive in the challenging ecological conditions of their habitat. A variety of plants and many wildlife species have also adapted to live in mangrove forests, making these ecosystems both biologically rich and interesting from an ecological perspective. Consisting of a fringe of woody vegetation on the border of the land and sea, mangroves are an interface between terrestrial and marine environments and provide many vital ecological functions and services, including the protection of coastlines from the impacts of storms and acting as a nursery for many fish, crustaceans and other marine species. Although they are generally confined to the tropics (i.e. Between latitudes 23°30′N and 23°30′S), they do extend to higher latitudes, where conditions are suitable in terms of water temperatures, reaching 31°N at Yakushima Island in Japan and 32°N in Bermuda, and 38°S in both Victoria, Australia, and the North Island of New Zealand. The cold ocean currents on the west coasts of South America and Southwest Africa preclude the growth of any mangroves there. Southeast Asia, with its vast number of islands and extensive coastlines, has the largest area of mangroves in the world. It also has the largest diversity of mangrove species and is considered to be the epicentre from which mangroves evolved and dispersed. Mangrove forests consist of approximately 100 species of trees and shrubs, and at first appearance they can seem to be impenetrable, because of the tangled and overlapping stilt roots of some species. This adaptation helps the trees withstand tidal surges, times of fast water flow in river estuaries and storms. They also trap and accumulate sand and mud, thereby facilitating the development and expansion of soils that benefit other species as well. This forms part of the dynamic balance of terrestrial and marine habitats intersection in the tropics. While stilt roots are perhaps the most obvious distinguishing feature of mangroves, there are several other specialised root systems exhibited by various species. Some mangrove trees, such as the piñuelo mangrove (Pelliciera rhizophorae) of northwestern South America, have buttress roots or flared bases to their trunks, which provide stability when they are surrounded by moving water. A number of different mangrove tree species have surface roots, which grow on top of their substrate (such as anaerobic muds, which are lacking in oxygen). When the roots are exposed to the air at low tide, they are able to absorb oxygen that the tree needs to survive. Other mangrove trees possess specialised breathing roots known as pneumatophores, which are needlelike in shape and grow vertically upwards out of their substrate - these provide oxygen to the main (cable) roots, which are often buried in anaerobic mud. Another adaptation of some mangrove species is the ability to excrete salt through their foliage. This enables the trees to cope with the high levels of salinity in their intertidal habitat, and salt crystals can sometimes be seen on their leaves. Most mangrove tree species have leaves that are tough and leathery and some contain tannins. These characteristics combine to make the leaves unpalatable to most herbivores.
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WOMEN FOR CONSERVATION COLOMBIA | SOUTH AMERICA
Fundación ProAves (ProAves Foundation) was started in 1998, by a group of conservationists, with the dream of saving the Yellow-eared Parrot in Colombia from extinction. Thanks to its success in conserving the Parrot, ProAves was legally established in 2001 in Jardín, Antioquia, and broadened its focus to study and conserve other International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) globally threatened species, especially birds and amphibians throughout Colombia, for means of research, strategic conservation actions and work with the community. Currently, ProAves protects many endangered species of flora and fauna nationally. In 2004, Women for Conservation (W4C) was founded by Sara Ines Lara as a pilot program of the ProAves Foundation. W4C is now an independent non-profit organization, working around the reserves which are managed by ProAves. W4C partners with rural Colombian women to inspire community conservation projects. The organization focuses its programs in biodiversity hotspots for endangered wildlife, to amplify their mission of saving species from extinction through grassroots community engagement. By investing in the local community, they seek to expand their grassroots capacity, making conservation projects more sustainable while providing employment opportunities that reduce environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. The organization recognizes that empowering women has a deep and long-lasting impact on protecting the environment. Women are powerful agents of change in community centered conservation, and they have been key to helping W4C’s conservation work gain acceptance from the larger community. Healthy habitats require healthy communities, which is why W4C provides community programs in environmental education, family planning, and sustainable livelihood training. These opportunities empower families to transition from livelihoods depending on unsustainable environmental practices, towards creating a sustainable economy in harmony with nature. By focusing their programs on women and children, the organisation is investing in the next generation of conservationists while helping families improve their quality of life. By empowering women with environmental opportunities, W4C breaks down harmful gender barriers and instead celebrate women as key agents of change in community-centered conservation. W4C has projects across Colombia, surrounding the ProAves reserves El Jaguar and Águila Arpía (in the Amazon); Tangaras ProAves Reserve, El Pangan ProAves Reserve (El Paujil), Gorrion de Andivia, Loro Carirrosada, Loro Coroniazul, The Andean Parrot ProAves Reserve (Loro Orejiamarillo), El Dorado ProAves Reserve (Periquito de Santa Marta), Ranita Dorado, Ranita Terribilis, The Cerulean Warbler (Reinita Cielo Azul), The Titi ProAves Reserve (Titi Cabeciblanco) among others. A collective of compassionate people that want to see a better future for themselves and the generations to come. “Personally, I am motivated by family planning because I can see how my life has been changed by the possibility to choose when I am ready to assume the responsibility of becoming a mother. It is important for women to have the opportunity to love their Inner child, have time to play and explore the world without having to be responsible for another life while still being a child themselves. In my experience, my life would have been vastly different, and personally I don’t think I’d be here, it’s a parallel universe where I would not have had the time to focus on my education or have the financial stability to do so. For my mother is having the opportunity to heal trauma by helping other women face difficulties, as well as create a network that feels close to home.”
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DAVID CASSELMAN LOS ANGELES | CALIFORNIA | NORTH AMERICA
Sorry Mr Casselman, go on. I was just going to say I was excited…David is fine; I was on the road, and I got blocked by a bunch of traffic and I had to turn around, go in another direction. That’s why, it was nip and tuck. Does it matter if the dogs are barking in the background? I’ve got the same issue with my dog in the background. Not a problem. Okay. Good. How many dogs do you have, Mr. Casselman? Right now, two…David please. We rescue and so we go through everything from usually two to up to about five; and several have died sequentially over the period of last couple years, we’re down to two and it’s hard, they’re getting old. It’s tough; rescue dogs are a breed unto themselves. It’s hard to explain but they’re so grateful to have a wonderful home and they’re so wonderful to be around, but they’re always naughty. David Casselman. Animal lover. Esteemed lawyer. Conservationist. CEO. Philanthropist. In no particular order. We spoke to Mr Casselman in Spring 2023. David, firstly, can we not only congratulate you but applaud you for creating Ecoflix? Well, thank you. It’s such a pioneering and ground-breaking concept; it’s kind of blown us away a little. Me too. It scares me…I don’t know half the time whether I’m scared by the fact that it’s blowing me away or something else is going on. Perhaps we could start by asking you to give our readers a little background; who you are, your career and where you came from? Like many people, I think my life could be described in many different ways. You know, if you looked at me from a family perspective, I’m the youngest of three children, and that says something about you, being the oldest, being the youngest, being the middle, and as in the current press being the heir versus the spare. I mean, these all have significance, and they shape you in some ways. So, I think being the youngest in a family of three was a factor in how I looked at the world. I ended up becoming a lawyer, didn’t expect to do that. My father was a lawyer, and everyone expected me to become a lawyer, I didn’t expect me to be one; my goal was to do something other than what was expected of me. I ended up going down that path for reasons that are not probably worth your time, but I ended up loving it and didn’t expect that at all. I was a trial lawyer for 42 years and along that journey I discovered something else about myself that I didn’t realize which was, I think I’m a big fan of the underdog. I don’t mean it literally as in dogs, but it turned out that way. I found that I really loved being able to help others that couldn’t help themselves, and I didn’t have a whole lot of patience for people who could help themselves and weren’t even trying. I quickly found out that as much as I needed people, and there were many people and still are in my life, that are so important, I fundamentally didn’t like people. I was so disappointed, all the time, and it felt like there were people taking up space that didn’t deserve to be called human and I never found that to be true of animals. This wasn’t like a momentary observation; it’s accumulated over many years. I’ve never met a dog that, if he was going to bite you, didn’t tell you in several different ways: Stay away! Go! Don’t come near me! Whether it’s growling, or trying to avoid you, or putting its head down or tears. Same with horses; horses give you very clear signals when they don’t want to be troubled. They never lie to you. 191
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THE LAST STAND Using the flashpoint of British Columbia’s “Battle for the Trees” at Fairy Creek, The Last Stand examines the importance of keeping intact forest ecosystems: in North America, the Amazon and around the world. Written, directed & edited by Peter von Puttkamer and narrated by esteemed actor/environmental advocate Peter Coyote, the film includes appearances by experts incl. Author/Nat Geo Explorer/Ethnobotanist Wade Davis and Amazon Watch’s Exec. Director Leila SalazarLopez. They, and other forest defenders & experts, speak about the impact trees/plants have on our atmosphere, including carbon sequestration and providing oxygen for us to breathe. The Last Stand reveals the urgent need to stop the destruction of our last remaining ancient forests. Issues examined include the need to protect habitat while balancing economies & jobs, and the rights of First Nations’ people. It also looks at solutions: both from cutting edge Silicon Valley companies, to the actions average citizens can take to help save forests and the planet. *Ecoflix NFP streaming platform | Subscription required | Free to education SAVING THE DANCING BEARS For over 400 years, in India, the Sloth Bear was targeted for human exploitation…first for the emperors, then as roadside entertainment for villagers and tourists who paid to watch the bears jump with a rope through their nose, conditioned after years of abuse. Given the ongoing legacy of cruelty, two individuals decided to stop this practice, rescue the bears still in captivity, and create a sanctuary where they can heal and live in safety for the rest of their lives. Wildlife SOS was created by Kartick Satyanarayan and Geeta Seshamani to save bears in distress, provide long-term care for the rescued animals and once and for all stop this barbaric practice on the sub-continent of India. Remarkably, their journey not only saves bears, but is actually a social engineering project in which the male villagers who once trained the bears are taught new jobs, the women are elevated through important roles in their society and children are schooled in safe environments. *Ecoflix NFP streaming platform | Subscription required | Free to education
It’s Up to Us A Children’s
TERRA CARTA For Nature, People & Planet
ITS UP TO US It’s Up To Us is based on the Terra Carta, a roadmap to sustainability issued by His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, Former Prince of Wales and his Sustainable Markets Initiative in 2021. More than 400 corporations have already signed on, agreeing to put the health of nature, people & planet at the A rare opportunity exists for a print partner to join HRH The Prince heart of their activities.
Overview
of Wales (heir to the British throne) and world history author Christopher Lloyd as well as Ecoflix – the first not for profit
streaming platform dedicated to saving animals and the planet.
Through the magicTogether of beautiful join narrator Leona Lewis, author Christopher they are launching aanimation, stunning new children’s book about climate change. Lloyd and a group Ecoflix of –33 prominent illustrators from around the world in this moving the first not-for-profit streaming platform dedicated to animals and the planet also launching during COP26 - will be exploration of thesaving wonders of nature, the threats our planet faces and what we people producing the animation and filming various milestones of the book’s successes. can do to build a brighter future for all. Ecoflix can also produce a complementary TV series that will
premiere on the channel - showcasing the print partner’s ‘behind the
scenes’ of printing and distributing the book sustainably. “Children have a unique curiosity for Nature and for this amazing planet we call home.”
ECOFLIX PRESENTS AN ECOFLIX MEDIA LIMITED PRODUCTION PRODUCER AND VOICED DIRECTED WRITTEN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER DAVID CASSELMAN BY LEONA LEWIS BY JASON JAMESON BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD @ECOFLIXOFFICIAL #ITSUPTOUS A SUBSIDIARY OF THE ECOFLIX FOUNDATION UK (REGISTERED CHARITY 1200441)
His Majesty King Charles III in his introduction to It’s Up to Us: A Children’s Terra Carta for Nature, People and Planet. *Ecoflix NFP streaming platform | Subscription required | Free to education
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GOD IS AN OCTOPUS - Loss, Love and a Calling to Nature In July 2019, Ben Goldsmith lost his fifteen-year-old daughter, Iris, in an accident on their family farm in Somerset. Iris’s death left her family reeling. Grasping for answers, Ben threw himself into searching for some ongoing trace of his beloved child, exploring ideas that until then had seemed too abstract to mean much to him. Missing his daughter terribly and struggling to imagine how he would face the rest of his life in the shadow of this loss, Ben found solace in nature, the object of a lifelong fascination. As Ben set about rewilding his farm, nature became a vital source of meaning and hope. This book is the story of a year of soul-searching that followed a terrible loss. In an instant, Ben’s world had turned dark. Yet, unbelievably to him, the seasons kept on turning, and as he immersed himself in the dramatic restoration of nature in the place where it happened, he found healing. In God is an Octopus, Ben tells a powerful, immersive and inspiring story of finding comfort and strength in nature after suffering loss and despair. *Author: Ben Goldsmith | Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing BRINGING BACK THE BEAVER Bringing Back the Beaver is farmer-turned-ecologist Derek Gow’s inspirational and often riotously funny firsthand account of how the movement to rewild the British landscape with beavers has become the single most dramatic and subversive nature conservation act of the modern era. Since the early 1990s - in the face of outright opposition from government, landowning elites, and even some conservation professionals - Gow has imported, quarantined, and assisted the re-establishment of beavers in waterways across England and Scotland. In addition to detailing the ups and downs of rewilding beavers, Bringing Back the Beaver makes a passionate case as to why the return of one of nature’s great problem solvers will be critical as part of a sustainable fix for flooding and future drought, whilst ensuring the creation of essential lifescapes that enable the broadest possible spectrum of Britain’s wildlife to thrive. *Author: Derek Gow | Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing THE BOOK OF WILDING The enormity of climate change and biodiversity loss can leave us feeling overwhelmed. How can an individual ever make a difference? Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell know first hand how spectacularly nature can bounce back if you give it the chance. And what comes is not just wildlife in super-abundance, but solutions to the other environmental crises we face. The Book of Wilding is a handbook for how we can all help restore nature. It is ambitious, visionary and pragmatic. The book has grown out of Isabella and Charlie’s mission to help rewild Britain, Europe and the rest of the world by sharing knowledge from their pioneering project at Knepp in Sussex. It is inspired by the requests they receive from people wanting to learn how to rewild everything from unprofitable farms, landed estates and rivers, to ponds, allotments, churchyards, urban parks, gardens, window boxes and public spaces. The Book of Wilding has the answers. *Authors: Isabella Tree & Charlie Burrell | Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
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MATT PRITCHARD: DIRTY VEGAN Dirty Vegan has developed a range of products that not only taste amazing but are really good for you and actively promote a healthy gut meaning the more you eat the better you will feel! In developing their products, they found that many vegan products out there might be plant based but contain additives and ‘nasties’. The range of burgers, meatballs and sausage are made from fermented vegetables and are flavoured with Matt’s signature spices. These products are not just for Vegans they suit anyone looking for great tasting healthy meals. Dirty Vegan food contains no additives or saturated fats. They are made from the pure goodness of veg and contain some of the highest levels of protein in vegan food. “Becoming vegan has transformed my life. The energy I get from my diet gives me the determination to take up extreme physical challenges that in turn give me huge satisfaction and an incredible sense of well-being.” *[Image/words: www.thedirtyvegan.co.uk] Heura Foods Heura® Foods was founded in 2017, in a co-working office in the centre of Barcelona, in the heart of the Mediterranean. It was created as a social mission-turned-business which would empower people to change the current food system to a more sustainable, healthy, and nutritious one. In addition to offering 100% plant-based products, we are 100% Mediterranean. What do we mean? Our products live and breathe Mediterranean heritage and cuisine – we use high-quality ingredients like olive oil, which have a clean label, high nutritional values, and an incredible taste. Why Heura®? Heura is a type of plant which spreads rapidly, filling the world with life, nature, and colour. That’s what we were looking for when we created the brand. Our first customer was a small, local business in the Poblesec neighbourhood of Barcelona. Now, our products are sold in more than 10 countries and we are still growing at a dizzying pace. And this is just the beginning! We are here to revolutionise the current food system with lots of plant-based meat and fish. *[Image/words: www.heurafoods.com] Hodmedods Nick Saltmarsh, Josiah Meldrum and William Hudson founded Hodmedod in 2012 to work with British farms to source a range of top quality ingredients and delicious foods. They’re particularly interested in searching out less well-known foods, like the fava bean – grown in Britain since the Iron Age but now almost forgotten – and black badger peas. Hodmedod was founded following the successful Great British Beans trial project to stimulate and assess demand for indigenous pulses; for the trial project they bought a tonne of British-grown split fava beans, packed them up at the kitchen table, and distributed them through community groups and local shops. Each pack contained a postcard with a short questionnaire on the back to collect feedback on the beans. The response to the beans was overwhelmingly positive, inspiring us to establish Hodmedod to continue and develop supply of British-grown fava beans and other products. *[Image/words: www.hodmedods.co.uk]
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FAUNA BREWING A beer company dedicated to funding wildlife conservation for endangered species. Although crazy about beer, conservation and environmentalism are the core of who they are. “We believe it is essential that we come together and combat the greatest threat to our generation – the climate crisis and species decline.” Ensuring that your funds go to the right causes, they have carefully hand-selected three incredible partners who are making a real difference to the conservation scene. The Cheetah Conservation Fund Painted Dog Conservation African Pangolin Working Group
*[Image/words: www.faunabrewing.com] KARMA DRINKS Karma Drinks believe that something as frivolous as a fizzy drink can be a force for good. They believe that what you drink should not only taste good, but be good for the planet, good for the people who grow the ingredients and good for you. Their mission is to be the world’s most ethical soft drink and they have established The Karma Foundation. 1% of revenue from every Karma Drink goes to their Cola nut growers and their communities in Sierra Leone. The Foundation guarantees the funds raised help drive economic and social independence, which is how they live up to their name on the label. Call it Karma.
*[Image/words: www.karmadrinks.co.uk] BLACK ISLE BREWERY CO Since its inception in 1998, Black Isle Brewery Co has consistently produced world class beers. However, the driving force behind what they do has always amounted to something much bigger, wanting to demonstrate that this can be done using naturally grown barley and hops, supporting organic farmers and growers who also care for the environment. In the beginning, this wasn’t easy. A scarcity of organic hop growers placed limitations on beer styles and increased production costs. In the retail and hospitality sectors, awareness of organics and what it meant was also limited. Today, whilst the cost of organic ingredients is still high (sometimes up to three times as much as non-organic), there is far greater awareness of the importance of looking after our environment and the crucial role that organic methods play within that process. On the brewery farm, they have worked to increase biodiversity, planting over 7000 native broadleaf trees, reinstating hedgerows, digging new ponds and creating wetlands. *[Image/words: www.blackislebrewery.com]
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LISTEN THE WILD PODCAST The Wild with Chris Morgan explores how nature survives and thrives alongside (and often despite) humans. Taking listeners across the Pacific Northwest and around the world, host Chris Morgan explores wildlife and the complex web of ecosystems they inhabit. He also tells the stories of people working in and protecting the wild around us. Chris Morgan is a British-American ecologist, conservationist, filmmaker, TV host and podcaster (PBS, BBC, Nat Geo, NPR). His stories from 6 continents have reached hundreds of millions of people worldwide as part of his mission to connect listeners to nature and to help conserve our beautiful planet. The Wild is a production of KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio in partnership with Chris Morgan Wildlife. It is produced by Matt Martin and Lucy Soucek and edited by Jim Gates. It is hosted, produced and written by Chris Morgan. Fact checking by Apryle Craig. The theme music is by Michael Parker. The logo artwork was designed by Teo Popescu. *[Image/words: www.thewildpod.org] THRESHOLD PODCAST With a mission to deepen understanding of human relationships with each other and the natural world and a vision for a more informed, attentive and compassionate world - Threshold deploy the ancient technology of the world’s best meaningmaking device - The story. As old as humanity itself, remaining the number one way we process information, expand our worldviews and deepen connections to others. Capable of conveying information, eliciting empathy and inspiring new ideas among every person on the planet. Threshold take listeners on journeys, where they can learn without feeling preached to, empathize with people they didn’t expect to like, and imagine things they didn’t think were possible.
*[Image/words: www.thresholdpodcast.org] THE WILDLAND PODCAST Join Knepp ecologist, Penny Green, and experience some of the wildlife wonders encountered, the secrets uncovered and the remarkable people who are part of the Knepp Wildland project. The land at Knepp is not conducive to modern intensive farming. A moment of epiphany came in 2001 when Knepp received Countryside Stewardship funding to restore the Repton Park in the middle of the Estate. The park restoration provided a chance to look at the land in an entirely different way and suggested the possibility of rolling out nature conservation across the whole Estate. The kind of conservation Charlie [the owner] had in mind was a ‘process-led’, non-goal-orientated project where, as far as possible, nature takes the driving seat – an approach that has come to be known as ‘rewilding’. It is now a leading light in the conservation movement, an experiment that has produced astonishing wildlife successes in a relatively short space of time and offers solutions for some of our most pressing problems – like soil restoration, flood mitigation, water and air purification, pollinating insects and carbon sequestration. *[Image/words: www.knepp.co.uk/wildland-podcast]
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WEAR I WAS A SARI A Mumbai-meets-Milan label making business more beautiful. I was a Sari stand up for women and the planet. Their local team of women transform saris into conversation pieces ready for a meeting in Manhattan, a bash in Barcelona or a Balinese retreat. Supported by Gucci since 2018 through Gucci Equilibrium, a platform to promote the brand’s sustainable and ethical goals. Together they set up a special embroidery training program in traditional techniques for female artisans. As a result, they launched a premium line of I was a Sari products. Their latest collection was designed in Gucci’s studio in Rome, working with their designers, as part of Gucci Changemakers volunteering program. More creative collaborations are in the pipeline. *[Image/words: www.iwasasari.com] THIS IS UNFOLDED This Is Unfolded makes clothes without waste, ensuring your clothes are much better for the planet and the people who make them. All their clothes are designed by leading designers and the 20,000+ Unfolded Community. Together, this allows them to create around 20 products you’ll love every couple of months instead of hundreds you won’t. Your clothes are produced after they start taking orders to match supply against demand and remove the huge amounts of waste created by traditional brands. Their clothes are delivered direct to you from their sustainable factories - further removing waste and costs. This is Unfolded is better for the planet and saves a lot of money in the process - The money saved is used for: Lower prices for you. Higher wages for garment workers. Children funded to learn to read and write. *[Image/words: www.thisisunfolded.com] ECORIGHT Ecoright chooses the materials they work with carefully by ensuring that they’re the best possible alternatives for our planet. Their focus is on natural, organic and recycled fabrics. They are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. The materials they use include organic cotton, recycled plastic, juton, 100% biodegradable polymers, organic and azo-free inks & dyes and recycled packaging. They use sustainable processes such as solar energy, rainwater harvesting, minimal shipping by air, and a zero tolerance for plastic. Their ethical manufacturing means paying fair wages and not overworking, no discrimination based on gender, caste, creed, age or religion, have the highest levels of safety, interest free loans for education of worker’s children, the power to change, and all expenses paid vacations. *[Image/words: www.ecoright.com]
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VISIT
THE SCULPTURE PARK Britain’s most eclectic & atmospheric sculpture park showcasing one of the world’s finest and most extensive collections of 20th century, modern and contemporary sculpture for sale. With over 300 renowned and emerging artists showcasing over 650 modern and contemporary sculptures primarily situated outdoors, over a two-mile woodland trail. There is also a smaller indoor gallery on-site at the park with more works available to view. Taking advantage of the natural contours of the rolling Surrey Hills has resulted in the perfect haven for the display of sculpture. With paths meandering through mixed heathland and woodland in a natural valley enhanced by three lakes fed by two natural springs, the park is one of Surrey’s hidden gems.
*[Image/words: www.thesculpturepark.com] CENTRE FOR ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY CAT is an educational charity dedicated to researching and communicating positive solutions for environmental change. Speaking to government and campaigners about policies that would help create a zero carbon Britain; training students in all aspects of sustainability; helping schoolchildren to understand the importance of action on climate change; and giving advice to householders on what they can do in their own homes. Being immersed in nature while learning how to care for it is the perfect pairing for a memorable day out. Explore a world of green living at the UK’s leading eco centre on one of our many new visitor experiences or short residential courses. CAT has 50 years experience providing education on everything from renewable energy and environmentally friendly building, to ecology, woodland management, organic gardening and more.
*[Image/words: www.cat.org.uk] DUNDREGGAN REWILDING CENTRE The Dundreggan Rewilding Centre is one of restoration and regeneration, made possible by their donors and funders incredible generosity and support. Thanks to their contributions, a gateway has been created to the flagship rewilding estate and tree nursery, where tens of thousands of trees are grown each year, including rare and hard-to-grow species. Located just eight miles from Loch Ness, the estate has been rewilded by Trees for Life since 2008, recovering from centuries of damage caused by sheep, goats and deer grazing. By allowing the forest to regenerate naturally, they have expanded important fragments of Scotland’s Caledonian Forest, providing a habitat for over 4,000 species of plants and animals, including golden eagles and black grouse. Visitors to Dundreggan can now explore ancient pinewood and unique juniper forest, discover centuries of Gaelic history, and connect with a landscape undergoing transformation through rewilding. The Rewilding Centre provides a space for a larger, more diverse audience to enjoy the wonders of nature and the heritage of the Scottish Highlands. *[Image/words: www.visitdundreggan.co.uk]
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CONTRIBUTORS
Wildlife SOS Ecoflix Born Free Foundation Sally Hall Julie James MS Ingrid Weyland Peter von Puttkamer Chris Chalk Cody Schultz Penny Billington Gareth Edwards Oliwier Myka Sloth Conservation Foundation
wildlifesos.org ecoflix.com bornfree.org.uk bargoedburials.co.uk gov.wales/julie-james-ms ingridweyland.com gryphonproductions.com chrischalkart.com codyschultz.com pennybillington.com @gtedwards_studio wildlifeguide.pl slothconservation.org
Trees for Life Jane Duke Judy Lehmberg Oliver Dauert Matt Pritchard Mark Darragh Kielder Observatory Oliver Sommer Jan Cafearo Gertjan de Zeotoe Chelsea Whittingham Alison Ensor Alan Watson Featherstone Paignton Zoo Ceri Baker Zena Edwards Jay Farley Nayia Balatsou
treesforlife.org.uk janeduke.com @JudyLehmbergEpicNature wildya.earth @pritchardswyd markdarraghphotography.com kielderobservatory.org oliversommerphotography.com feelgood-forest-bathing.com extremadura-spain.co.uk linkedin.com/in/chelseawhittingham permaculture-alison.co.uk alanwatsonfeatherstone.com paigntonzoo.org.uk @ceribakerwords @zena_e_poetics @jayfarleypoet @nayia.the.bee
Abigail Chesters Ben Averis La Isla de Los Monos Jacob Rheams Forests of the World Isabella Cortes Lara David Casselman
@abilynne.Illustration benaverisart.co.uk laisladelosmonos.org jacobrheamsphotography.co.uk forestsoftheworld.org womenforconservation.org ecoflix.com/ecoflix_team/david-b-casselman
With Thanks and Gratitude Woop Woop would like to thank all contributors to the publication without whom there would be no magazine. All content has been provided by these incredible individuals, charities, NGOs and organisations. A percentage of profits will go to the cover feature organisation for each issue. The eventual aim is to become Not-For-Profit and align ourselves with the ethos of those we want to help. In supporting this magazine you are helping us to help them. 207
Forests Forever
January
A unique perpetual calendar, good for every year, which features 366 stunning photographs of trees and forests from all over the world, combined with inspiring quotes about Nature and trees.
Great white egret (Casmerodius albus) amongst the stilt roots of red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) at low tide, La Tovara wetland, Nayarit, México.
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A forest is a living thing like a human body ... each part dependent on all the other parts. A forest needs its birds, its beavers ... all its animals and plants. The forest gives shelter to the birds, but they repay the debt with the insects they eat, the droppings they leave, the seeds they carry off to plant elsewhere.” – Louis L’Amour
Photographed & produced to a high quality standard by Alan Watson Featherstone (founder of Trees for Life)
Baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) at sunset, Mahango Game Reserve, Caprivi Region, Namibia.
Features include:
* Photograph & quote for each day of the year, with trees & forests from over 45 countries
July
* Includes tropical forests, endangered trees,
mangroves, desert trees, Caledonian Forest
from well-known people touched by * Quotes trees – John Muir, Wangari Maathai,
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Rachel Carson, Rabindranath Tagore etc.
For me, trees have always been the most penetrating preachers. I revere them when they live in tribes and families, in forests and groves. And even more I revere them when they stand alone.” – Hermann Hesse
* 120 x 145 mm, spiral bound, with a slip case
October
Be inspired with a beautiful photograph of trees and a profound quote about Nature for every day of the year – a perfect gift for anyone who loves trees & forests!
Price: £19.95
(includes P & P in the UK)
Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and downy birches (Betula pubescens) in autumn in the Caledonian Forest, Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, Scotland.
Order online from: alanwatsonfeatherstone.com/shop/ alanwatsonfeatherstone.com/product/forests-forever-perpetual-calendar/
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Loiter in the winding streets of the Caledonian Forest. Be bold – hug a pine tree, embrace it without embarrassment, and take from the red roughness something of its antiquity, its rugged beauty and its resilience. In exchange, leave behind your promise of protection.” – Cameron McNeish
Get paid to save the world! Find your dream job at last - one that really makes a difference. Whether you want to work on energy or education, finance or food waste, pollution or policy, we’ve got you covered.
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JobsWithPorpoise.com No greenwashing. No recruiters. No unpaid internships. Would you like to align with Woop Woop Magazine and advertise to an enlightened audience? - Get in touch: info@woopwoopmagazine.co.uk
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The Wilders
Nature to the rescue...One adventure at a time! A new concept in fun learning, with six loveable characters who go on adventures, meet new animal friends and explore new habitats to teach children about nature and conservation.
Book 1: Skyra Finds The Tribe Available now
w w w. w i l d e r s t r i b e . c o m | j o i n @ w i l d e r s t r i b e . c o m
THE
C O N S E R VAT I O N
C O N V E R SAT I O N
UK: £11.00
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