One year ago, I launched the Pure Spaces Education website. After being made redundant from a conservation education job in 2020, developing and self-publishing this website gave me a chance to learn something new (putting a website together from scratch). It also gave me a platform to curate all the learnings and resources I had gathered over my 20 year career into a hub for Wellbeing – both for us as individuals as well as the wellbeing of Nature.
When I launched the website this time last year, I had no idea what would come of it. I did know I would have to work hard at adding content to further enrich this learning hub while working a day job to pay the bills. Many, many social media posts plus 22 blog posts and a new Projects page later here we are!
I am proud of what I accomplished in 2021. And I am grateful for a couple of wonderful collaborations that have resulted in the development of some great wildlife conservation education content. This is just the beginning and I am excited to see what comes of these projects.
And now begins a new year for Pure Spaces. A year of adventure and some boots-on-the-ground conservation work!
2022 is about starting the journey of progressing Pure Spaces from passion project to purposeful career. So no more day job for me. Throwing this Big Dream out to the universe, immersing myself in volunteer work in my happy place and then….
There’s this great quote from Arianna Huffington on my vision wall at the moment:
Life is a dance between Making it happen and Letting it happen.
Let me share the part of the Pure Spaces “dance” that is working towards making it happen.
In May I will be winging my way back to South Africa to crew on the Rise of the Matriarch expedition. This expedition for wildlife and community is another brilliant Journey with Purpose from the Blue Sky Society Trust. I have blogged about this inspiring organisation before. You can read that HERE.
I am thrilled and excited to be a part of this expedition highlighting the work of an incredible Conservation Collective. Again, I have blogged about what I mean by a Conservation Collective previously. To play my small part in this collective, I have been fundraising to contribute some extra support for the beneficiaries of the Rise of the Matriarch expedition. This fundraiser is called Pelo Tales and involves selling my amateur art. There are still 9 unique canvases on offer which I can courier to you if you live in New Zealand. Please take a look to find out more about this project close to my heart HERE. I would be so appreciative of any support for this fundraiser.
After the conclusion of the Rise of the Matriarch expedition, I will be taking up a 3 month volunteer internship with GVI focused on wildlife conservation. It is 15 years since I last took part in an on-base GVI project and I am so looking forward to being in my happy place again!
If you are interested in knowing more about the awesome work of GVI, I recommend hearing it from the GVI community first-hand. Their first virtual open day for 2022 is scheduled for 19 February. Register HERE.
So that is what I can Make happen…. Anticipating with excitement what presents that I can Let happen.
Part of the anticipation of the adventure ahead has been to reflect on that first Pure Spaces blog post from a year ago. What I wrote then still rings true for me. My Story continues to unfold with Hope, Passion and Courage.
A word of encouragement to end off this first post for 2022:
Find your Hope and Passion for the day ahead, or the week ahead, or the month ahead or whatever you can manage. Pursue your Hope and Passion with Courage and Kindness and in your own way you can change the world.
Download this helpful resource from Action For Happiness to start you on your way.