Angus AWT#1

When we talk about carbon offsetting, we usually picture something tangible, a tree planted in the ground, a hectare restored, a number added to a spreadsheet. Those things matter. But over the last 20 years, I’ve come to believe there is another kind of offsetting that is harder to measure and perhaps far more powerful: Planting the seed of nature conservation in a person. On our ventures in Africa, people don’t just see wildlife and take photographs, they immerse themselves in the...

For a short period of my life I was lucky to know the great man Dr Ian Player who dedicated his life to the wild, wilderness and nature. Since those days I have always looked for the symbolism in nature he talked so much about. Every time I see a hyena they symbolise for me the importance of balance, community, communication and cooperation. My spotted hyena sightings have been few and far between over the last 20 odd years of travelling to Africa, but this is one of the animals that has...

As someone who leads trips with both young people and adults, I’ve spent a lot of time around fires. Not just the practical kind, like the ones used for cooking, but the quiet social evening fires that mark the end of a long day. Campfires in the bush or at camp somewhere. Fires where nothing is scheduled and nothing is expected. Over the years, I’ve come to realise that some of the most powerful moments on our trips don’t happen during the headline experiences. They happen sitting, staring...