The call of the grutto in early spring is part of our childhood memory. This elegant meadow bird is part of our heritage and our national bird. Meadow birds are bird species that are largely dependent on agricultural grasslands for breeding. Unfortunately they are under pressure due to intensive farming. One reason more to put the grutto in the spotlights. Over the last weeks Willem spent some days photographing them on the meadows from various bird hides across Holland. They arrived in Holland in March from their wintering range in Africa. This year we have a cold spring with often sub minus temperatures in the early mornings, so a sleeping bag and a flasks of hot tea were essentials bird watching equipment. But it was worth the efforts because on early mornings the scenery was stunning with grutto’s in the mist in swampy grassland.

Desert lion in Remembering Lions book

We are proud to be part of the Remembering Lions book with one of our pictures. This is the fourth book in the Remembering Wildlife charity series which raises funds for projects working to protect lions in Africa. Sadly their numbers are declining and only around 20.000 of this iconic species are left. They are mostly threatened by expanding human populations leading to loss of habitat and natural prey, increasingly bringing them into conflict with humans and livestock.

Willem won Remembering Rhinos contest

We are thrilled that Willem is one of the 10 winning photographers of the Remembering Rhinos photo contest. His winning picture of a desert adapted black rhino appears in the Remembering Rhinos book alongside the pictures donated by world’s top wildlife photographers. The book aims to document this beautiful animal for the world and future generations to see and to draw attention to the plight they are facing right now. Rhinos are endangered because they are poached for their horns which is worth more than its weight in gold due to the misguided belief in its ‘magical’ medicinal properties. All proceeds of the book will be used to protect rhinos in Africa and Asia. Willem took his winning picture in Damaraland, Namibia in 2014.

Coexistence wins first prize

We feel happy and honored being awarded a first prize in the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 competition. Tanja’s picture won the category “Man and Nature” and is titled “Coexistence”. It shows a family group of elephants which is moving towards the pink horizon, while a Maasai herdsman is bringing in the cattle for the night. The car tracks show our presence as tourists. We witnessed this peaceful sunset in Amboseli, Kenya. People and wildlife compete for access to water, food and space. The only way to maintain the balance of this ecosystem is coexistence, where Maasai cattle has access to water, elephants are allowed to roam freely and ecotourism supports the local communities.

Tata&Squack’s second adventure is a story about wild elephants, the largest mammals that walk the surface of the earth. While making this book we realised just how threatened elephants are and that chances are small they will be part of our children’s future. With this book we would like to create awareness of the wild elephants in a child friendly way and help these magnificent animals. To survive elephants need our voice and especially our children’s voices. In the book Tata&Squack learn from Noor, the grandmother of their elephant friend Harry, that his mother was killed by poachers when he was just a baby. “One dawn, after a night of heavy rain, Harry and his mother disappeared. I feared the worst, because the savannah has become a hunting ground for poachers. In the end Harry was found by researchers. He was standing alone on the sodden plain next to his mother’s tusk-less body, his ear bleeding. He was waiting for her to wake up from her long sleep.” Find out how Harry was rescued. More information about the book Tata&Squack Mission Elephant on our website.

Früher wurde die afrikanische Savanne bevölkert von hunderttausenden Elefanten. Heutzutage werden sie vom Aussterben bedroht. Warum? Weil sie gejagt werden im Auftrag von Händlern, die großes Geld damit verdienen. In Asien sind die Stoßzähne der Elefanten Gold wert. Sie werden verarbeitet zu Statuen oder Medikamenten deren Wirksamkeit nur im Aberglaube der Menschen existiert. Alle 15 Minuten wird ein Elefant getötet. Die Elefanten brauchen unsere Hilfe! Wir alle können Helfen! Verschenken sie eine Elefanten Patenschaft zu Weihnachten, oder unterstützen sie eine Organisation, die Elefanten hilft. Heike Henderson-Altenstein organisierte einen Stand für die Elefanten auf dem Adventsmarkt in Rissen bei Hamburg. Sie führte interessante Gespräche mit Menschen, die das Thema in Schulklassen oder anders aufgreifen möchten. Neugierig? Machen Sie mit, helfen Sie den Elefanten! Mehr Info gibt es auf unserer Webseite.