My Writing Life: Awareness, Reflection, Inspiration: Anita Silvey

Showing posts with label Anita Silvey. Show all posts

Friday, February 25, 2022

Unforgotten by Anita Silvey

“When you realize the value of all life you dwell less on what is past and concentrate more on the preservation of the future.”- Dian Fossey’s last journal entry.

Using the word “gorilla” as an insult is an act of ignorance, and it is the result of deeply ingrained prejudices. In fact, gorillas are peaceful beings who care about their most vulnerable. They form lifelong relationships, mourn the loss of their loved ones and have a sense of humor. Their diets are mostly vegetarian, though they sometimes eat insects to add protein.

Gorillas are not violent; they only become aggressive when the safety of their families is in jeopardy.

Unforgotten by Anita Silvey is a children’s book, but I recommend it to people of all ages. It is a fascinating exploration of Dian Fossey’s life story and her legacy, with amazing facts about gorillas and the quest to protect them.

Originally from California, Dian Fossey worked as an occupational therapist in a children’s hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, where she is still remembered for her kindness and her care of children with polio.

After a life-transforming African safari for which she used up all her savings as well as the money of a loan she obtained for this purpose, she was determined to return to Africa to spend time with gorillas. With the support and training of Dr. Louis Leakey, the anthropologist who also mentored Jane Goodall and Birute Galdikas, Dian moved to a 7- by -10 foot tent (2-by-3-m) amid the forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the year 1967. She was about to turn thirty-five years old. Due to political conflicts and persecutions in DRC, she would later settle in Rwanda to continue her work.

Dian Fossey was the first person to hold hands with a wild gorilla. His name was Peanuts.

Dian was on a mission to research the lives of gorillas. Every evening, she would return to her tent and typewrite her observations. Yet Dian’s research went beyond the scope of scientific findings, for she fell in love with these gentle creatures and did everything she could to save their lives.

Thanks to Dian Fossey’s work, mountain gorillas still exist today, but they are critically endangered.

Due to traps set by poachers, gorillas can get injured or killed in the forests. Habitat loss and climate change also threaten their survival. Colossal patches of land are destroyed to make way for roads, crops and livestock. Even National Parks are compromised by illegal woodcutting. Last but not least, wars and political instability in Congo are a threat to their safety. (Thankfully, the political situation in Rwanda is stable).

Dian Fossey’s stay in Africa was disrupted by civil wars, poachers and traumatizing experiences, but she fought till the end to save these peaceful giants. Unfortunately, she was murdered by poachers in 1985, but there is a team that continues to work to protect gorillas; these people are endowed with the spirit of resilience she infused into her endeavors to rescue gorillas.

Trackers in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda search and destroy poaching traps. Anita Silvey’s book explains the fascinating details on how the trackers are working together to support gorilla families. These trackers work for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund; they also study gorillas closely and educate people on how they can help.

Tracker Alfonsine Nakure, for example, is working on the front lines of this mission to support gorillas. Special skills and knowledge are needed to accomplish their goals.

Unforgotten shares the same captivating style of Untamed, which I reviewed not long ago. Reading “Unforgotten” was akin to embarking on an adventure of exploration. I could not stop turning the pages to find out what would happen next. Starting with Dian’s childhood, Silvey immerses us in the social and economic context to help us understand her better.

Unfortunately, gorillas are not the only endangered apes. Bonobos, chimpanzees and orangutans endure the same ordeal. Anita Silvey’s books are an invitation to help make a difference.

Unforgotten is published by National Geographic Kids. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is located in Rwanda. You can learn more about Dian Fossey’s Gorilla Fund here.

I will be reading Dian Fossey’s book Gorillas in the Mist, and I will write about it in a future blog post.

Enjoy this breathtaking video to learn more:

I am outraged by Vladimir Putin's actions. My heart and prayers are with the Ukrainian people and with those who protest the invasion and killing of people in Ukraine.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Sunday, January 9, 2022

Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall

“Knowledge is the only sword that can cut through harm being done in ignorance.” Sara Dykman, author of Bicycling with Butterflies.

Jane Goodall was the first person to discover that chimpanzees make tools and use them; when she later wrote about their emotions, personalities and intelligence, she was criticized. Just like humans, chimps have emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, frustration and grief.

Thanks to her childhood teacher-- her family dog, Rusty—Jane Goodall had learned at a very early age that animals have individual personalities.

Jane Goodall loved animals since she was little. She spent hours watching them and learning about them. Her connection with animals was deep.

One day in winter, when she was lying sick in bed, a British robin came to her windowsill; to encourage his visits, she left crumbs every day for the robin. In the spring the robin returned with a mate, and the birds made a nest in a bookshelf in her bedroom.

Anita Silvey wrote Untamed for children, but it turned out to be a mesmerizing read for people of all ages. In an engaging conversational style she provides details about Jane Goodall’s life story, anecdotes, facts, maps and delightful photos. It is a book that can be shared and celebrated with an entire family, because it connects generations of people through experiences from the past, which are linked to historical events.

Untamed also contains an uplifting foreword by Jane Goodall, opening the minds of children to new perspectives and hopeful horizons.

Jane empowers children to make a difference in the world.

Anita Silvey’s book recounts how and why Jane Goodall traveled to Africa in her twenties, and how she got in touch with the mentor who would support her work through her years in Africa. His name was Louis Leakey.

When Jane first settled in Gombe, Africa, to explore the lives of the chimps, her mother was with her. In a secluded place in a forest, away from people, where they had to dig a hole for a latrine, Jane found the magical site she had dreamed of in her childhood. Jane’s description of the place was idyllic; she wrote to her family about it:

“It is so beautiful, with the crystal clear blue lake, the tiny white pebbles on the beach, the sparkling ice cold mountain stream, the palm nut trees, the comical baboons.”

Anita Silvey explains the risks, dangers, and discoveries of Jane's adventures, making the book intriguing and unique. Untamed also details how the study of animals has evolved over the years, including amazing information about the challenges Jane encountered back then.

“She devoted more hours to observation and recording than anyone in the area of chimpanzee research. And she did so through illnesses such as malaria, horrible weather, and rough living conditions.”

I did not know that chimps draw and paint, but some of them do. This is a photo of chimp Congo. He began to draw when he was two years old, and two years later he completed more than 200 abstract compositions.

Jane Goodall continues to work tirelessly to protect forests, prairies, oceans and the lives of animals and people. She also inspires children and people of all ages to do the same.