I meet so many people, as I travel around the world, who are utterly dismayed at what is happening to our environment, to our health, and to wildlife. The media is continually publishing, among a great deal of mother-shocking news, stories of deadly pollution, devastated landscapes, loss of species, shrinking water supplies—and all the rest. In the face of such horrific information—which unfortunately is true—people tend to feel helpless and often hopeless. I am continually asked how I can maintain optimism in the face of all the bad news, and if I really do have any hope for our future.
The best way I know to counteract despair is to do everything in our power to make a difference, even in the smallest way, every day. To take some action to do something about at least some of the bad things that are going on. Fortunately, a growing number of people are doing just that. They are inspiring in their commitment, and they give one hope in our species.
I want to talk about some of the individuals, mostly those whom I know personally, who are using their particular skills, along with their commitment, to do their bit. Certain of them, as a result of their sometimes heroic efforts to save endangered species or habitats, stand out as inspirational leaders and many of them are profiled on this website and in our book. But there are countless others, members of the “general public,” who also play a vital role. They often get no credit, their names, outside the area where they live, unknown. And because their actions—demonstrating against some destructive plan of industry or government or writing letters to the relevant authorities—are not always successful, the true significance of the role they play is often underestimated. Yet in the long run, these are the people who truly matter. They donate their money, skills, or time—and they help shape attitudes.
Only When We Understand Shall We Care
It is when people know the facts, truly understand the nature and plight of a particular animal species or habitat, that they may become sufficiently concerned to help to conserve it. There have been thousands and thousands of campaigns launched to raise awareness about all manner of wildlife issues. Some are much easier to get off the ground than others. It is not difficult for the general public to fall in love with the cute image of a sea otter, but they are less likely to become enamored with the toothy grin of a crocodile. The sea otters of the world serve as flagship species, and help ongoing efforts to conserve the marine environment; the crocodiles are best served by efforts to garner support for the magical wilderness of the Everglades.
Photographers who have spent their lives documenting the mysteries of animal behavior, and writers who have captured it with words, have added to the gradually growing appreciation for wildlife—and awareness of the perils threatening so many species. The era of wildlife documentaries began with the footage of Armand and Michaela Dennis in Kenya, and have since been developed by countless TV networks. BBC TV and Anglia TV in the UK, and the National Geographic Channel and Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet in America, have brought the wonders of nature into the living rooms of millions of people around the world. It was the film footage and still photographs shot by my late husband, Hugo van Lawick, for National Geographic that first introduced the chimpanzees of Gombe to people everywhere. The British ETV network has distributed environmental films throughout much of the developing world. And Sir David Attenborough’s BBC documentary films, especially the last two series The Blue Planet and Planet Earth, have opened the minds and hearts of millions around the world, giving them a new perspective, often changing the way they feel about animals and nature.
Swiss photographer Karl Ammaan risks imprisonment as he travels into the territories of the powerful logging companies in Africa to expose the scale of the bushmeat trade—the commercial hunting of wild animals for food. Mike Pandey, one of the dedicated filmmakers of India, made a real impact on the attitudes of people toward vultures with his award-winning Broken Wings. And his film documenting the wholesale slaughter of the giant and peaceful whale sharks off the coast of India opened the hearts and stirred the compassion of the villagers in the area, and was instrumental in bringing the cruel killings to an end. “If we want to preserve, we need to understand the effects of our actions on the environment,” Mike told me—and these effects are illustrated compellingly in his films. And some incredibly powerful and moving images have been shared with the general public in the form of short pieces of film commissioned by different NGOs—such as those that documented the culling of African elephants, the slaughter of baby fur seals in Canada, the horrifying and brutal Japanese dolphin hunts, and many more.
Only When We Care Shall We Help
As a result of this growing awareness and understanding, thousands of people now care about the living beings with whom we share—or should share—the planet, and many of them are willing to roll up their sleeves and play their part in helping. In Kingdom of the Plantswe have described, for example, the role played by local Australians in saving and protecting wild orchids.
Time and again members of the general public, by standing up to those who put immediate profit above long-term planetary sustainability, thwart the plans of those who would trample over our wilderness heritage and our children’s future. At the very least they cause delays as they fight authorities—and more and more people become aware of the issue.
It is desperately important to involve and train local people in developing countries. Carl Jones relied on locals in Mauritius to help with the restoration of endangered endemic plants—such as a species of hibiscus of which only two were left. Carl trained his local team to propagate this plant in a nursery, and by the end of the project they had successfully grown some three thousand. And he persuaded a group of young locals to roll up their sleeves and revegetate a whole hill on the small offshore island of Grande Mountain. One reason why there was no hunting of chimpanzees in Gombe was because, from the mid-1970s on, an enthusiastic team of Tanzanian field staff told everyone in their villagers about the different chimpanzees, their personalities, and their human-like behavior.
Indeed, all over the globe it is the attitude of the local people to some conservation initiative that makes all the difference to its success or failure. There are the farmers, hunters, fishermen, foresters, and so on who feel that new conservation regulations or legislation will threaten their livelihood. Ranchers are often against the reintroduction of wolves in the area because they are afraid for their livestock. Landowners may fight against the listing of a species as endangered because, if it is found on their land, they will not have the freedom to develop that land. Often these are legitimate concerns, and the job of the conservation lobby is to address them in a sympathetic and not confrontational way. We should (and typically do) pay compensation for any sheep or calf killed (or allegedly killed) by wolves. Come to some kind of agreement—such as a conservation easement or a Safe Harbor agreement.
Getting Out into Nature: Seeing with Our Own Eyes
Without doubt there is a connection between the increasing popularity of wildlife documentaries and the increasing number of visitors who flock to nature reserves and national parks. I always remember my first visit to Yellowstone National Park with wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen. I was so impressed by the number of people, from different parts of the United States, who were there on vacation because they cared passionately about wild creatures. It was bitterly cold toward evening, but there they were, with anoraks and binoculars and spotting scopes, checking on the grizzlies and the reintroduced gray wolves. They told us they were there early every morning and late every evening, when there was the best chance of sighting the animals. Every day of their holidays. Most of them were not biologists—just people who cared, who wanted to experience the wonder of nature for themselves. These are the people who will teach their children to respect life. Several of them approached Tom to thank him for his spectacular photographs and for his books, which, they said, had done much to awaken their interest in the wilderness.
Tourists in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming – waiting to catch a glimpse of wolves or grizzles (credit: © Thomas D. Mangelsen).
Responsible ecotourism is helping protect habitats in many parts of the world. The local people benefit, for it creates job opportunities and a market for locally made souvenirs. And governments are more likely to conserve animals and their habitats if they realize this has an economic value. It is widely known that the mountain gorillas of Rwanda owe their survival to tourism: During the civil war neither government troops nor the rebel militia killed gorillas because, it seems, they knew, or their leaders knew, that before the conflict gorilla tourism was the second highest foreign exchange earner in the nation. Other animals were killed for food, but each side was hoping to make money from the gorillas once they had won the war!
Admittedly, tourism is something of a double-edged sword—since too many visitors may destroy the very environment and disturb the very animals that they have traveled so far to see. But without question, being with an elephant or a bear or a gorilla or a whale in the wild can be a life-changing experience. So many people have told me that they have never felt the same after being in the presence of these animals. Especially if they could look into their eyes. After a deep experience of this sort, they are more likely to donate money to conservation efforts or help in some other way.
