At Wend we truly believe that adventure should be synonymous with activism; if we don’t work to protect where we play how will we be able to keep returning to those places? We support people that climb to the tops of mountains, sail to the edges of the world, and cycle across foreign lands, but what ties all of those adventurous spirits together is their passion for living sustainable lifestyles that respect nature and cultures. Daniel Fox has the same mind set, and we’re happy to bring him on board as our latest Wend Ambassador.
On December 25, 2008 Fox set out on a journey that represents just as much his passion for activism as his passion for adventure. He named his expedition the Wild Image Project, and in two years he hopes to document and raise awareness of the fragile and complex beauty of our planet. Starting in Argentina, his expedition takes place mainly by kayak in several phases: Buenos Aires to the Falklands, Japan to the Aleutians, and the Sub Antarctic Islands. He travels alone with his camera, capturing the wildlife and landscapes that many of us will never see up close.
We caught up with Fox and asked him a few questions to help us better understand his motivations behind his expedition and the purpose of his project.
Wend: What is your definition of the Wild Image Project?
Daniel Fox: The Wild Image Project is about our connection to Nature. This connection is crucial for our sanity, for our survival. Richard Louv, author of the book The Last Child in the Woods wrote about how our children were so Nature-handicapped and how it affected them. Nowadays, you watch television and you have a sense that Nature is this endless tragedy, full of dangers. Everything is scripted and edited, There is an innocence that has been lost. An innocence that is part of Nature and that needs to be rediscovered. Once you have been touched my Nature, you see the world different. But in a matter to be touched, you need to spend time in Nature. You need to value the time spent in Nature. You need to see that a walk in the wood, or a weekend in the mountain is more interesting and more exciting that staying indoor. Parents need to let their children venture themselves in Nature.
I want people to rediscover Nature. I want people to see its Beauty once again. I want people to understand the importance and necessity of our relationship with Nature. Our survival depends on it. Planet Earth will survive. We don’t need to worry about her. What we need to worry is us. We need her more than she needs us.
W: The Wild Image Project is a 2 year expedition, including a 350-mile open water crossing, what has been harder, physically or mentally preparing? Why?
DF: The Wild Image Project is more like a lifetime project. It has been far from easy I can assure you. And already I had to reassess everything. At this present moment I will have to see if the crossing is possible. Often you have to remember why you do what you do. There is no need to continue if you can’t justify why you are there. Is this trip about endurance? The journey of a man against the elements. Is it about defying death and proving the survival skills or our species?
In my case, this trip is about the connection with Nature and photography. I discovered quite quickly that I had too much equipment and was way too heavy for the original route intended. I was barely covering any distance during the day. The Argentinean coast is constantly windy and not really hospitable. You have miles and miles of exposed beaches and endless sand dunes. You are always exposed and it is rare you can take cover. Doing this trip solo, I must carry everything. Since the objective is photography, I carry equipment that usually you don’t have during normal trips. The laptop, solar panel, batteries, protective cases, etc. They are all essential, but also voluminous and heavy.
W: How has your outdoor experience influenced your activism?
DF: It has been really important. I spent my childhood in summer camps. My fondest memories being a child are spending my days on the shore of Gulf of St-Lawrence, looking for critters. I could spend hours, time didn’t matter. My two biggest heros growing up where Jacques Cousteau and Sir David Attenborough. I watched their documentaries like a fanatic. For some teens, it was music, for me, it was Nature. I remember when Cousteau died, I had my first hero denial, I simply could not believe that he was gone. You don’t know when you are young the effect of that time spent in Nature will have later on. It affects everything. The way you eat, the way you see things, the way you live. It is so important that families understand, or remember the importance of that time for a children. They need to create and nurture that connection.
W: Along those lines, your expedition has been called a “convergence of art, adventure and activism,” at what point did you realize that you could put the three of those together would be powerful to inspire change?
DF: Today, more than ever, it is such an exciting moment, a turning point in our relationship with Nature. I am so glad of what is happening… Today, there is a convergence of awareness, will and technology where people understand that we need to find a middle ground, where living in harmony with Nature doesn’t mean going back to the caveman age.
I strongly believe in in the power of design and images. I studied communication and marketing and you really understand how everyday, all around the world, the lives of billions are affected by colors, images, and words. For so long, being green meant being ugly. No one saw the value of design in the green movement. Or maybe they did but it was awful. Or course no one wanted to look like a scarecrow and live a wooden shack. Nowadays, you can look good, eat well, and have a beautiful place and be nature friendly. People care about things like that.
There is a lot of work left to do though, but it is important to acknowledge the progress made. With ibrido, a website I create a couple of years ago, I wanted to show the world that our planet was not doomed. That there was tremendous work done by so many people. Change does not happen over night. It takes time and energy. With the media focusing on the negative, it is hard for people to keep a positive view of the future.
W: In this day and age, even though many of us would like to, not everyone can take off on a 2 year, human powered adventure to document the majesty of the outdoor world. What is your advice for those wanting to incorporate a lifestyle that is more harmonious with nature into their everyday lives?
DF: If I can only inspire people to engage with Nature, even just a little bit, then my mission is accomplished. You can’t expect everyone to leave their work and embark on a journey that has no stability and where future income is a notion left somewhere in Lalaland! In fact it is really not the goal. If I can only plant that seed of awareness, then I feel like I have accomplished something. The other day I received an email from someone who thanked me for reminding her of the beauty of the world we live in. That is what I like to hear. If everyone was like me, the world would not work. The system would be broken. The system is good, it needs to work. People need the system, but they also need to be reminded that Life is not the System, there need to be a balance between the two. As an outsider, I can do that, I can bring to people that balance.
You can not also force people to change. The only thing you can do is give them the tools and information they need to make the right decisions. I can’t tell people what to do. The only thing I can do is to touch them, inspire them and hope they will see what I see.
W: As a longtime advocate for awareness and social change, what is your outlook on the future of our environment? Are you optimistic or pessimistic?
DF: Optimistic with a capital “O”. Everything is relative. We like to believe it is the end of the world cause it gives us a sense of urgency. It is true, our world is changing, right before our eyes. It is true we might lose a lot, but losing is part of living, part of learning. You often don’t value something until you lose it…
You can’t tell people for 50 years that the sea will rise, and that we will run out of oil, and nothing happens. No one really care when people speak like that. No one cares either when you brag high and loud that we have five years to change, otherwise the entire planet is doomed. What do you expect to accomplish by saying such things? You have to inspire people by giving them hope. You have to inspire businesses and governments by showing them living in harmony with Nature is profitable. It is all about hope and feasibility.
W: Thanks Daniel!
Make sure to check out what The Wild Image Project is up to over on iWend.
