On the Road with RoxAnna: Day Four
May 3, 2017
Senegal
We went on a day trip today to a Reserve where some of the rarest Giant Eland live. An eland is an antelope in case you were wondering. There were many other species of antelope plus some giraffe, zebra and a couple of rhino. One of the most amazing sights were the amount of Baobab trees. They were everywhere. I have only seen artificial ones in zoos, like the very large one at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. They are one of the oldest trees on the planet and many stories surround them. They have withstood the test of time, are incredible in many ways and have had many uses throughout the years.
Many people also withstand the test of time. Many of the faces at these meetings are people who are really legendary in the conservation of species community. Like some folks today who were on our day trip who could tell you all the species of birds we saw and heard. People who have spent hours and hours in the field with native species to protect their survival. People who care enough to dedicate their lives for the wildlife they care about. It really is humbling. It really makes you ask yourself, what more can I be doing.
I don’t think everyone realizes the many sacrifices many make on a daily basis, year after year, to save species on this planet. If they did, we would have a lot more collaborating, a lot more positive encouraging stories to tell and not as many animals on the brink of extinction. Because if we all realized this, we would all do a little bit more. We would all speak up a little louder, conserve a little more and give what we can for the causes we care about. People and animals together must stand the test of time. This will mean collaborating and finding the common ground with those we may not always see eye to eye with. This will mean doing a little bit more when we thing we can’t do any more.
So like the Baobab tree, we want to stand the test of time, we want to be useful, we want to be true. We can be strong and tall in our fight to save animals from extinction. It is up to each one of us no matter where we are in life. From the heart of the African deserts to the deserts of Coachella and everywhere in between, we all play a role. So my question to you today is, what role will you play?
We are stronger together, we are partners on this planet so let’s be awesome for the animals and have no regrets left behind on their behalf.
Be good humans.
RoxAnna