Then came the news that the rug
was pulled out from under the cheetah documentary. Even so, I still wanted
to go and I had Beth talked into being my assistant (I had first talked
her into going to Africa in 1995, and she too fell in love, well, not so
much with the heat, the bugs and the camping...) so why the heck not start
Women and Wildlands© now? After much palaver, we did! Beth and I and
our guide spent 5 weeks driving 3500 miles around northern Namibia meeting
with women of different ethnic tribes: Beth doing the interviews and myself
photographing. Not only did we gain a wealth of information about the women
we met and their environment, we learned as much about ourselves! As hard
as we tried to not preconceive notions, or carry our culture with us, that's
exactly what we did. From the get-go we quickly realized that what sounded
great in our living room back in Aspen, in reality just wasn't going to
happen like we planned. Oh, the wonder of the real thing! This didn't stop
us though, no sir-ee... we just regrouped, rethought our strategy and then
went to Kenya.
Between the trips to Namibia and Kenya, editing loads
of film, and photographic exhibits, life happened. My business, The Beaded
Path (remember? selling Maasai beadwork, photography and digital imaging?)
wasn't getting where it needed to be. It required major revamping and
I needed help. So, I asked Beth to leave her position of five years as
the Director of Prevention Services at Rape Awareness and Assistance Program
(RAAP), and come work with me. I could hardly believe it when she said
yes!
Born thus was WildImages, a photography and digital imaging
business whose profits were donated to conservation efforts. All I wanted
to do was create and Beth could do the marketing. We could write this
book and travel and save the planet while we were at it. Ha! If it were
only so simple! We've learned a lot, Beth and I, through trial and error,
love and laughter, and from the special (and some peculiar) women and
men we've met along the way.
Now, seven years after that first trip to
Africa, we have put it all together by founding WildiZe Foundation, a
non-profit organization that accentuates the concept of Art for Conservation,
dedicated to the sustainable protection and conservation of wildlife,
habitat and cultures; and increasing awareness and education and the exchange
of ideas towards community based conservation efforts. With the help and
talents of Beth, who is now full time cohort, accomplice and companion
in these efforts (I think she has forgiven me all the sand, dust, bugs
and heat), WildiZe will continue with the Women and Wildlands© project,
connect with like minded organizations and people, stimulate partnerships,
and carry forth our message with tales of adventures while being informative
of the deeper wisdom and understandings we have discovered.
| For more information please take a safari to our website www.wildize.org Once there you can tour the virtual gallery, read more about WildiZe™ philosophy, Mission Statement, and Education Zone. WildiZe™ also offers conservation oriented presentations to schools and meeting groups, and we can assist you in planning a safari. Should you wish to make a tax deductible donation, book a presentation, or a tax deductible purchase of a photograph (of which up to 75% is donated to global conservation organizations), please contact WildiZe™toll free at 877-351-4507 (Aspen) . You may email us at b2wild@rof.net | |||
|
Copyright , all Rights Reserved, Eli
Weiss / WildiZe™. The photographs and text herein may not be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
or otherwise, without prior permission of the copyright owner. |
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2000 WildiZe Foundation™
PO Box 3078 Aspen, Colorado, USA 81612
877.351.4507 toll free phone | 970.923.1695 fax
e-mail: info@wildize.org