My family is from Kenya, and a love of wildlife in all of it's forms was passed down to me. David Sheldrick is well-known in East Africa for the work he began in the 1940s, transforming some of the land into one of Kenya's National Parks. His conservation efforts were unparalleled for his time and his love of wildlife helped change attitudes. He founded The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a haven for elephants, rhinos and many other animals.
Since then, so much has changed and yet, there is still so much important work to be done. Lately I've been trying to learn how to rewire my thinking by focussing on the positives in life, but it's silly (and ignorant) to ignore the important work that needs to be done. Today, threats to the environmental stability of Kenya includes elephant and rhino poaching (for ivory and horn), snaring of animals for large scale trade (some countries will pay big bucks for that rare, game meat), and illegal logging of forested areas (which is another issue all together). But The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is doing its part and more, and one program in particular - their incredible foster program is an example of that. I hope through these types of small efforts, we can raise some awareness. The Last White Rhino is now gone, and I think we have it in our power to create a shift in animal conservation in our lifetime. So, to celebrate the arrival of summer, I’ve decided to donate all proceeds from the sale of the bracelet pictured above towards DSWT. It was handmade using carved birch wood, and features one hand-stamped and sterling silver fair trade elephant charm. I’ve been an elephant foster for a few years now. I love it and hope you’ll join me in helping these beautiful elephants find their way back to the wild. The fundraiser will run until August 1. Thanks for your support! 🐘❤️
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Have you heard of the company péla? It’s the first compostable phone case, made using biodegradable plant-based materials to help keep less plastic out of our oceans. I have always been a lover of the ocean and have never owned a phone case, so when my phone got smashed beyond repair, this was my chance to justify the purchase of a product I've never needed before. Signe, a good friend of mine who is an eco-blogger introduced me to the company. I loved their mission: trying their best to preserve the planet for our children and beyond. They don't claim to be perfect in their efforts but they are always pushing themselves to believe in better, to be better and to do better every single day. That is a philosophy I respect.  I feel so good knowing that companies like this exist. And I LOVE that a Canadian company is leading the way towards positive change, with a truly sustainable, innovative eco-friendly product that can really make a difference. It's beyond ironic that this plant-based material is going to protect my technology.
Can you believe that 1 million seabirds are killed annually by ocean plastic? Or that 93% of Americans aged 6 and up test positive for BPA. Too many more scary statistics. The earth is what we all have in common, and we must do our part to take care of it.  Wouldn't it be amazing to get home and find a surprise parcel filled with things you love at your doorstep, or a hand-written letter waiting in your mailbox? Warm, unexpected, friendly gestures melt my heart. I'm sure there are lots of people out there who still make time to do things like this for others, but it seems more and more rare.
Life is busy. We keep ourselves distracted by aiming for more, planning for more and even spending more. More, more, more! It's a culture of consumption. That's one of the reasons I tried to create a shop that is filled with goods that are handmade with intention. But is there a way to balance a slower, more mindful lifestyle while hustling to be a girl boss and a teacher, and still make time for random acts of kindness? Sure there is! Time is no infinite resource (unless we're talking about it in a grander scale, relative to the Universe). Becoming aware of how we spend our time is a start. For example, I wasn't on social media until recently so it takes me a little longer to learn/understand it, but the hours I spend each day online can be saved. I don't have to use as much time thinking about daily posts or Instagram stories to build an authentic brand. People who care will be there. What does it matter how many followers you have, if you're not truly connected to them? All that time spent thinking about the online world suddenly becomes extra time. Maybe the online world is a giant, black hole where time may actually be infinite - it's always there regardless of where you are. Maybe we can find little reserves of time in our day that can be redirected in more meaningful ways that make us a little nicer to ourselves and the people around us. Like a tree that spreads it's branches in all directions, we can create goals and make plans that are not based solely on ourselves, and our roots of kindness will grow farther. We can make our own work more meaningful, and bring joy to others too. I'm trying to reinforce this in my own life these days. So here's our homework: do something really nice for someone this week. Follow the ideas in the picture above (taken from The Little Book of Lykke: the Danish search for the world's happiest people), or think of something different. Do something for someone who isn't expecting it. Just cause. Here begins my new personal project to start random acts of kindness. I hope you'll join me on these warm and fuzzy adventures. |
