Travel doesn’t just involve a change in location; it is more reflective and can have lasting impacts. It is impossible to travel without being changed in some way; new experiences, different people and unfamiliar places all contribute to making us who we are. My first trip to Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana changed my life forever, from the warm welcome from the staff, the incredible up close sightings, the underground photographic hides and being sprayed by a cheeky elephant bull to the sun downers we enjoyed on the top of Mamamgwa Hill by the famous Rhodes baobab – the one moment of the trip where I had the true realisation that travelling combined with wildlife photography can change your entire perspective on life as a whole.
After every travel experience there is a chance for a positive impact that I can contribute on the destination, either while there through cultural interchanges or opportunities to actively contribute to conservation, or when I return back home as an ambassador for my new favourite place on Earth, which in my case is Mashatu Game Reserve. I find myself returning again and again, each time with more purpose than before – my last visit included being part of an incredible initiative called Children in the Wilderness where we created a network of learning sanctuaries which included a focus on conservation and photography (in my case). This was my first step towards becoming more actively involved in nature conservation while simultaneously teaching children a valuable skill such as photography.
Transformation is not merely change for change’s sake – it is the kind of improvement that only travel can truly effect.
Photography provides a voice for our Earth and all its creatures. Photographs speak louder than any number of words in a report sitting unread on a desk.
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