"It is my hope that what you see today you will treasure in your heart, forever"

Last night, my friends and I went to see the new movie Earth (based on the Discovery channel series, Planet Earth) and it was really good, and of course, it was amazing to see the beauty of our planet on the big screen.  So today, as I was driving around without any guests on board, thinking about my semester as a safari driver, it really hit me how lucky I have been this semester.  

I get to spend every day showing people how amazing our world is.  For most people, this is the closest thing that they will ever come to seeing these beautiful animals in their natural habitat.  I get to teach 300-500 people A DAY about these amazing creatures, and how important it is to protect and care for them.  And I get to do this in a place that for all intents and purposes is the real thing.  Yes, it is obvious that we aren't actually in Africa, but why does that matter?  If we were in a normal zoo, the story we are telling would not be relevant.  

Because we aren't only telling the story of these animals and how they live their lives, but we are also telling the story of how easily the balance can be tipped, and how these lives can be destroyed.  And that is why I take so much pride in the job that I do, because each and every day I get to give that gift to all of my guests.  I get to teach them that there are things that humans are doing to harm these animals and the wild places that are their homes, but I also get to teach them that there are things they can do to help.

Yes, I am a realist and I understand that every single person who gets off of my truck is not going to suddenly become an environmentalist.  However, I truly hope and believe that someone who goes on safari will have a better appreciation of the world around them, and may start to think about ways that they can help to make the world a better place.

This is why it bothers me so much when a parent destroys the magic for their children.  When they point out the things that make our reserve a zoo, and not the wild.  When they tell their kids, "it's ok, the poachers aren't real." Because, in fact, the poachers are real.  The poachers that we chase down and the baby elephant that we save 10 times a day are representations.  Poaching is a real and dangerous threat to these animals in their natural habitats.  So the poachers are real, and there are things we can do to stop them. 

Conservation is something that has always been important to me.  Even from when I was very young, I have always cared about our world and making it better.  I truly hope that in the time I have spent at safaris, I have inspired at least one person to feel the same way.  The world as we know it and need it to survive exists in a delicate balance.  If that balance is broken, the world will cease to exist.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has" --Margaret Mead