In The Tracks of Giants - A Trek for Conservation

Tracks of Giants: Biking the Interior, Namibia from The WILD Foundation on Vimeo.

Tracks of Giants is an initiative of the WILD foundation,an epic trek from Namibia's frigid western Skeleton Coast to the eastern shores of the warmer Indian Ocean,"connecting major conservation nodes to promote a greater awareness of conservation, human community and leadership issues specifically relevant to southern Africa." This video profiles the Kaokoland/Damaraland part of the trek - an area very close to my heart, with insights from pioneering local conservationists Margaret Jacobsohn & Garth Owen-Smith, amongst others. The project is being filmed by experienced cameraman & producer Nick Chevallier.

More about the initiative on the WILD site and follow the treks progress on Facebook.

Heat, Dust & Dreams - Every Book Needs a Cover

Himba ochre pots - an essential fashion accessory for any Himba woman, Kaokoland, Namibia. Copyright: Heat Dust and Dreams

Unbeknown to me at the time, this was to become the cover image of the book. At the time I had merely snapped a shot of the ochre pots as a record of these traditional Himba 'make-up' accessories. The striking red ochre is central to the daily routine of all Himba women, who lather this mix of soil and butter fat into their body. The red ochre is derived from a red soil/stone which is typically crushed into powder form with a stone pestle. The pots themselves are made from cow horns, with leather lids and bottoms. Plastic is beginning to replace the cow horn in some communities.

When it came to selecting a cover for the book, I had initially expected an image of a desert-adapted elephant to grace the front dust jacket. Struik/New Holland in-house designer Janice Evans clearly had other ideas - and an eye for a striking image! Complete with the text the image really comes into its own, as you can see below.