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26.
April
2016.
SOUTHAMPTON ARTIST’S ART LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE FOR CONSERVATION CHARITY ELEPHANTS

PRESS RELEASE

 

SOUTHAMPTON ARTIST'S ART LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE FOR CONSERVATION CHARITY ELEPHANTS FOR AFRICA

 

Elephants for Africa, the conservation charity based in Botswana, has launched a new website to showcase the charity's work, alongside some stunning new elephant artwork by Southampton-based artist Emma Collicutt Parkin.

The Elephants for Africa website is launched with the release of elephant-themed art designed by mum of two and talented local artist, Emma Collicutt Parkin, who is also an animal-lover.

Dr Kate Evans, the founder of Elephants for Africa, chose Emma's art for the new website, since she knew Emma as a very talented artist at school in Wellington, Somerset in the 1980s, where Kate was the school's budding scientist. Since then both have followed their dreams and made their talents their professions. The two got in last year touch and collaborated on the provision of some elephant art which is now available viawww.elephantsforafrica.orgas a celebration of the launch of the website.

Emma says: "I've donated these prints to Elephants for Africa because I want to support the amazing work this charity is doing to raise awareness and to help keep these incredible animals safe. I hope elephants roam this planet for hundreds of years to come."

 

Kate is delighted with the prints, saying: "Elephants for Africa is extremely grateful to Emma for donating this art and supporting our cause - and we know whomever the lucky owner of these prints is will be over the moon with them."

 

The 10" by 12" frames include ‘Bull Elephant', aportrait of a bull elephant coming out of the undergrowth that was drawn by Emma from a photograph that was taken in Kruger National Park, c1987.  ‘Mother and Baby' is taken from anoriginal pencil drawing of this mother and her baby elephant that was commissioned by a gentleman for his wife, who was expecting their first baby. Emma says: "I was worried she wouldn't be pleased and assume her husband was comparing her to a mummy elephant, but apparently she loved it!" ‘Fairy Elephant' is a delightful painting that Emma says is popular for children's rooms and nurseries.

 

Elephants for Africa was founded by Dr Kate Evans in 2007. Kate started the charity having had a lifelong passion for elephants. In 2002, she set up a long-term research project on elephants in northern Botswana with the support of Randall Moore, the Botswana Government and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, which was the basis of her PhD on adolescent male elephant behaviour.


Kate is a research associate of the
University of Bristol, and a member of theIUCN African Elephant Specialist Group, the Elephant Specialist Advisory Group , theSouth African Wildlife Management Association and the Zoological Society of Southern Africa.

She says: ‘The Elephants for Africa team works so hard to make a case for these magnificent beasts and those in camp have a real commitment to their research and fieldwork. We're delighted to be able to showcase what we do on our new website, which will hopefully alert more people to the conservation, research and educational work we do.

‘Conducting research on African elephants is vital to their conservation, since it helps us to understand their behaviour, resource requirements and responses to changing environmental conditions. 

Elephants for Africa is dedicated to the conservation of elephants and other wildlife in their natural ecosystems.

‘We are very proud of the work we do with the communities in Botswana. Elephants for Africa aims to inspire people to be the conservation leaders of the future.

‘Our education program, a long-term collaboration between Elephants for Africa, Chicago Zoological Society and local stakeholders, seeks to improve the long-term survival of elephants and the quality of life of local communities by creating capacity-building opportunities for local youth leading to increased employment into the wildlife sector. In addition we aim to increase local communities' ability to manage human-elephant conflict and realize the potential of elephants as a crucial natural resource. 

‘Engaging children in their wildlife provides a sustainable approach to change Botswana youths' attitudes about elephants and wildlife. Elephants for Africa is empowering local stakeholders with knowledge of mitigation techniques, enabling communities to work towards decreasing conflict and increasing crop production.

‘Our work with the children also extends to our dedicated EleFun programme. The aim of the Elephants for Africa EleFun activities is to take local children out into their surrounding environment to observe their wildlife and learn key skills for future employment within the environmental sector, such as tracking, observation and identification. We hope to help them make informed decisions about wildlife, introduce them to positive role models in conservation and to broaden their horizons for new opportunities and future careers.'


Emma's art can be viewed here:
http://www.elephantsforafrica.org/how-you-can-help/art-for-sale-2/

-Ends-

For further information on the website, for images, or interviews, please contactclaire@elephantsforafrica.org

Website -www.elephantsforafrica.org

Emma -http://www.emmasart.co.uk/