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on August 9, 2009
Mike Shipman
Posted project update #1Almost Ready to Go
Post CommentThis past week has been a whirlwind of activity. I found out about this opportunity late last week (7/30), the result of a cancellation and a friend calling me up late at night from Alaska to tell me about it (I didn't know about this island, the marine park, or the volunteer position). After a couple days I decided I should do it since the number of times things like this drop into your lap are rather few.
I got my shots and made my plane reservations (such a long, long way from here), now I'm getting gear sorted out, deciding what I have to take, want to take, wish I could take, then paring it down to a max of 2 checked bags (preferrably 1) and 2 carry-ons (camera gear and laptop). What complicates matters is I also need to take some dive gear (mask, snorkel & fins at a minimum) which adds both bulk and weight in addition to my tripod, all going into the checked bag(s). Clothing shouldn't be a problem.
Doing lots of reading up on the area, culture, what to see and do. The reason for the trip is Zanzibar is 99% Muslim and August 22 is the first day of Ramadan. The staff rangers can't snorkel to give the reef tours because inevitably you ingest seawater while snorkelling and during Ramadan a person fasts from dawn to dusk. So, they stay out of the water except for tidal pools during that time.
Lots of history, many places to go see, but I'll only probably have one day per week on the 'main island' of Zanzibar. That's when I'll have internet access (no phone or internet on Chumbe Island) and be able to send mail, do shopping, etc. Chumbe Island is classified as uninhabited even though there's a small eco-tourism resort there (14 guests max) that funds the conservation efforts and education programs. It's quite the operation, mimicking somewhat the coral-rag forest on the island that survives without any groundwater, gathering and storing moisture from the air and during the monsoon. Trees and shrubs grow on a bed of fossilized coral. The resort also collects rainwater, filters and stores it for use. Gray water is recycled, human waste is composted, and no harmful materials are released into the ocean (which would harm the fragile coral reef ecosystem).
Chumbe Island Coral Park is recognized by UNEP, WWF, IUCN and others, is the first marine park in Tanzania, and one of the world's most forward-looking eco-resorts.
I'm looking forward to the experience and hope you can join me.
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on August 9, 2009
Mike Shipman launched a project
Get A Piece of Zanzibar by Mike Shipman
Get A Piece of Zanzibar and vicariously follow me as I spend a month on a tiny tropical African island. Get postcards, photos, and a surprise.
Funding Unsuccessful (08/29/2009) -
on July 21, 2009
Mike Shipman
Posted project update #2Thank you to backers!
Post CommentA big thank you to my backers! I appreciate your support of this project and hope others will come along to help make this project a success. I'm in Florida right now and will be going out to JN Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge to talk with them about how they are involving the community in their Be Outside program, with plans to bring back some of those ideas to Idaho and the programs being initiated there, plus get inspiration for the remaining concept photos on my list.
There's just over a month left for this project. If it's not funded this summer it will be delayed until next year. We do need to take action now to bring more awareness to this growing issue. Thank you!
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on June 2, 2009
Mike Shipman
Posted project update #1Children's experience with nature
Post CommentA fourth grader in San Diego characterizes the trend of young people's relationship to nature in this quote: "I like to play indoors better, 'cause that's where all the electrical outlets are."
Particularly in the west, the outdoor experience is typically related to a vehicle, on an ATV, motorcycle, 4WD truck, boat, jet ski, or snowmobile. Another elementary school student describes her trips outdoors, "My dad had a four-wheel-drive truck and we go out in the desert, not out in nature or anything."
I grew up with a healthy dose of nature. We went camping, I was in Boy Scouts, I became a wildlife biologist, now I'm a photographer (still concentrating on nature). I've had the connection with the natural world and, through education, developed an understanding of the workings of environmental processes and the human relationship (at least for me) to nature. This is where we get our food, our resources, our air and water, our spiritual peace, some or most of our inspiration, our escape.
Even before the appearance of Richard Louv's book, I'd noticed a marked change in how people relate to nature, both in their use of woods, fields, streambeds and deserts and their knowledge and understanding of natural processes and the importance of open spaces, the increased fear of being in the "wilderness" with wild animals, insects, and away from the "safety" of urban streets, buildings and technology. Technology draws us inward (even as we are able to reach farther), creating a real and perceived barrier between us and the outdoors. It's something I've experienced, personally, despite my lifetime of outdoor activities. Even people engaged in bicycling or hiking, camping or just walking in the woods, activities inherently slow-paced and immersive, are often isolated from surroundings by wearing earbuds attached to an MP3 player. Campers longing to "get away" increasingly bring music, satellite TV, cell phones and the internet with them into the woods. Children on long drives are no longer entertained with games of "I Spy", but are kept quiet and ignorant of the scenery rushing past the car window by video games and DVD movies.
The human species doesn't do well in captivity. Cooped up in our homes, it's like being held in a cage at the zoo. We, like all other animals, need the freedom to explore open spaces.
This project seeks to illustrate our self-separation from the outdoors and encourage parents, city leaders, educators, and others to develop programs (reinstate field trips!) in science, art, economics, math, and recreation, to get children outdoors.
I look forward to your support of this project and of the ideas it represents. Thank you.
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on May 31, 2009
Mike Shipman launched a project
Nature Deficit Disorder by Mike Shipman
Children are being lured by technology to static, unimaginative indoor activities that isolate and alienate them from the outdoors.
Funding Unsuccessful (08/29/2009)
Mike Shipman
I'm a freelance commercial, editorial , stock and fine art photographer. I also teach and lead photo workshops and classes. I'm self-taught and have a degree in wildlife biology. I have a holistic view of the world and, as a result, I'm interested in a very broad range of subjects and subject matter in my photography.
