A special opportunity to see Unfair Game: The Politics of Poaching, a short documentary film about the impact of African game reserves and tourism on indigenous people, and meet with Emmy-nominated filmmaker John Antonelli.

Can wildlife conservation efforts go too far?  How about summary execution of suspected poachers without any judicial process?  Through the inspiring stories of two activists, Unfair Game explores the disastrous results when wildlife takes priority over indigenous people’s rights to land, due process, and life. The film also shows the positive potential when native people and animals are both valued and respected.

For those who can’t make it to Africa this summer, Open Heart Safari is pleased to present… 

 

In our third year of bringing folk to the animal wildness of Africa, Open Heart Safari is now bringing the animal wildness of Africa home to Oakland/Berkeley, CA.

Mark your calendar for our spring events:

Sunday, March 30, 2-4pm: In Like a Lion.  Led by Laura Paradise, this workshop uses movement, drawing, and other expressive arts to connect with your animal energies, and experience the pulse and spirit of Africa.

Thursday, April 10, 7:30-9pm: Engaging Difference in Southern Africa.  Marc Tognotti, Program Officer of Tikva Grassroots Empowerment Fund, speaks about his recent travels in Zimbabwe and Zambia to meet with community groups and conservation activists, and lessons learned.

Thursday, April 24, 7-9pm: Unfair Game: The Politics of Poaching.  Viewing and discussion of short documentary exploring the ongoing conflict between white conservationists and indigenous people in Africa.

Sunday, May 18, all day: Open Heart Safari – Pt. Reyes.  Open your heart to the wildlife in our own backyard on a daytrip to beautiful Pt. Reyes National Seashore in Marin.  We’ll be featuring Open Heart practices to deepen your experience of the land, animals, and yourself.

For more information, email tom@openheartsafari.com, or check back for postings about individual events.

Male sable antelope, Kafue N. Park

I think the sable antelope may be the most beautiful of the many species of African antelope we’ve seen.  They’re seldom seen–they’re quite shy, and not so common.  We saw two good-size herds.

The photo again is courtesy of trip participant Jean Bruno.

Male leopard, S. Luangwa Nat'l Park

Male lion, S. Luangwa

Lioness, Kafue Nat'l Park, by river bank

These photos were taken by Jean Bruno, one of our Open Heart Safari participants this year, who heard about it from her friend, whose husband and daughter came last year.  I’m sure the only reason her photos are so much better than mine is that she has a shiny new camera.  

More pics and stories to come soon (I hope).

Why Zambia, you ask? South Luangwa National Park, not to mention that Zambia is the home of the walking safari and some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Who wouldn’t want to track a lion on foot knowing that the guide is keeping you at a safe distance? And what about seeing the belly print of a crocodile (so much better than seeing the croc up close and all too personal?!). 

Take a look at this link for a preview of our where we’ll be starting our bush trekking. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Luangwa_National_Park

We are still looking for a few kindred spirits to share a truly special journey with us this July 17-31.  (Optional Botswana extension: July 31-Aug. 2.)

THIS IS NO ORDINARY SAFARI. We experience remote natural areas. We spend time in rural and urban communities. We meet with community groups and conservation activists. We learn about how national parks affect local people and how community folk are getting involved in wildlife conservation. We do yoga and meditation, just enough to take care of our bodies and be present for the amazing landscape, animals and people. We deepen our experience through regular group sharing circles. And we have fun! 

We choose Zambia for our safari, because it offers amazing wildlife without the crowds, as well as welcoming people, superior wildlife guides, and walking safaris. (Not to mention spectacular Victoria Falls.)

One of our travelers from last year was asked her impressions by a woman considering joining our next trip.  Her response was so enthusiastic that I felt compelled to share it more widely:

I have so many good things to say about the Open Heart Safari with Tom – I’m not quite sure where to start!

Zambia is referred to as the “Real Africa” and I can see why. It’s a lovely country, and very safe. I really liked the chance to meet with local people. The itinerary was a great mix of spending time with wildlife in beautiful national parks, and then spending time with local people in various settings. We got to stay overnight in a local village which was really incredible. A local guide took us around the village & we got to play with kids & see their school & meet a traditional medicine woman/healer, and eat a typical meal & sleep in a sweet little hut. Speaking of eating & sleeping – aside from one or 2 especially “authentic” meals (eating with your hands!), the rest of our meals were at the lodges where we stayed, and the food was incredible. I’m a vegetarian & my dad’s a meat eater & we both were really happy with all the food choices. I think I even gained a few pounds (which seems hard to believe in Africa!). The food & the lodging were both over & above what I expected. The place we stayed the longest was called Flat Dog’s & it was wonderful. Big comfortable beds with nice linens, hot showers, laundry, very clean & safe, really customer-service oriented staff, a swimming pool, etc. We also stayed at a lodge that was WAY out in the boonies & was such a unique experience. My dad & I had our own little house/bungalow (which they call “chalets” there), with a bathroom that was mostly open-air. Clean & nicely decorated, but really felt like we were out in the wilderness. One morning we woke up & there was elephant dung near our front porch 🙂 At that place we had 3-course meals, which was quite a surprise given how remote it was.

One of the biggest highlights of the trip was the relationships we developed with Tom & Laura & the other participant, David. From the first evening when we sat down to meet & chat, Tom really opened up & shared a lot & it opened the way for the rest of us to be really honest & upfront & really share a lot. And from there, the daily contemplative practices & sharing & yoga & drawing all really helped connect us. It’s such a crazy experience to see a wild leopard just a few feet from your jeep – it was so magnificent & moving, I almost cried. And spending a day in a slum in the capitol & seeing the way they lived & really feeling like we made a contribution & connecting with local people there – that was also very moving. It’s hard to know what to do with feelings like that – it’s so much more intense than my daily life here. So having a close group that I could process that stuff with & talk it over & share how we each experienced things & how we were feeling made a HUGE difference in my time there. I felt like I had a good amount of one on one time with my dad, and also appreciated the group dynamic. We are all still in contact & have even visited each other from across the country since the trip. 

Oh & Victoria Falls was great! My dad was especially excited about that part & he wasn’t disappointed. It was quite a sight! And we got to spend a whole day there & took a really cool trip to a little island right at the edge of the falls where we got to go right up close, and had a very high-end breakfast overlooking the falls. Very nice.