David Attenborough

Gavin has done a wonderful video about David Attenborough for one of his Upschool lessons. I love it. One of my ultimate role models.

Jane Goodall memorial at Taronga Zoo

Gavin and Upschool have partnered with the Jane Goodall Institute so I was invited to her memorial service at Tarronga Zoo. It was very moving and inspirational and the setting was sublime as you can see from the photos.

Jane Goodall is one of my role models. She has done so much to bring attention to the natural world and the need to protect it, especially amongst children. 

Here are some fascinating facts about her ...

• She discovered that chimpanzees use tools.  In 1960, Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee named David Greybeard using a twig to fish termites out of a mound. This shattered the belief that tool-use was uniquely human and forced scientists to redefine what it means to be human.
• She had no formal scientific training when she began her research.  Goodall went to Gombe Stream at 26 without a university degree. Her fresh, unorthodox approach—naming chimps instead of numbering them, observing quietly rather than imposing strict protocols—helped her make groundbreaking discoveries.
• She transformed the study of animal behaviour. Goodall was the first to document chimpanzee warfare, adoption of orphaned infants, and complex emotional lives. Her findings helped shift science away from rigid behaviourism toward a richer understanding of animal minds.
• She was one of the most travelled activists in the world.  Jane Goodall spent more than 300 days a year on the road (even into her 80s), advocating for conservation, animal welfare, and climate action. She said she’s rarely home long enough to unpack a suitcase.
• Her childhood dreams predicted her destiny.  As a girl, she carried a beloved stuffed toy chimpanzee named Jubilee and dreamed of living with wild animals in Africa. She later laughed that everyone thought she’d “go mad” doing so—until she actually did it.

Gavin's amazing course: Write a book to change the world

Gavin has created so many amazing courses on Upschool but the one that has captured my imagination the most is his "Write a book" course where he teaches kids to create a book using Canva. He organised with Canva, the great online design site that Jo loves so much, to give away free Canva subscriptions to every Upschool student. So many sublime, creative books have been created by children throughout the world, available to be viewed and ordered via the Upschool Library . The course has been so successful that Canva even made a very generous offer to buy Upschool! 

 

David Attenborough

I have grown up to David Attenborough's nature documentaries. I remember watching "Life on Earth" and "The Living Planet" as a child and being absolutely mesmerised. David Attenborough played a huge role in instilling in me a wonder and love for nature and wildlife.  He has been such an inspirational figure in my life.

Reasons I love and admire him so much

• His sense of the wonder and sacredness of nature and wildlife.
• The way he makes nature documentaries so captivating and deeply personal.
• A lifelong advocate for preserving the environment and protecting endangered species.
• The way he has introduced so many to the wonders of nature and the importance of conserving it.
• His love of getting out into the world, being filmed on location, getting up, close and personal to nature.
• How he embodies a relentless curiosity about life on Earth, encouraging others to explore and learn.
• His sense of humour and charm.

Some favourite quotes

• An understanding of the natural world is a source of not only great curiosity, but great fulfilment.
• It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.
• Every breath of air we take, every mouthful of food that we take, comes from the natural world. And if we damage the natural world, we damage ourselves.
• People must feel that the natural world is important and valuable and beautiful and wonderful and an amazement and a pleasure.
• We must rewild the world.
• Nature is our biggest ally and greatest inspiration.

Documentaries I was mesmerised by

I love this post from Gavin. So blessed to have such an inspiring friend.

It’s amazing how much you can get done in 12 months when you love the work you do! 

This year I have been lucky enough to travel the whole world. Shooting lessons in Antartica, finding polar bears in the North Pole, searching for sloths in Costa Rica, visiting the largest trees in earth in California and Bangalore and chasing rhinos through the jungle in Chitwan. 

Building schools and libraries in Nepal, climbing Everest for charity, speaking at conferences in Bali, India and Dubai. Opening our third Montessori training centre in Kalanky Nepal with Aand Devkota. 

In reflection, I can’t believe that I have squeezed all this in to one calendar year, but that’s thanks to the amazing team I work alongside each day and the kindness and generosity of the people out there in the world who have welcomed me into their lives. 

This work is designed to make the world better. To leave ripples of change in the universe that will last forever, and in the midst of war and famine, we must work collectively to put good positive energy out there into the world to let our children know that the future is not all bad. 

From darkness to light there is always hope and that hope is you!! 

Watching "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom"

Oh how I cried during this beautiful movie. It provided a wonderful way to release some of the grief I was still holding. 

Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013)

Nelson Mandela passed away today. He is one of my greatest role models. I will always remember him with an immense amount of love.

As a South African, here are some reasons why I love and admire him so much:

• Despite spending 27 years in prison, he emerged without bitterness, embodying forgiveness and reconciliation.
• His innate joyfulness and immense charisma.
• The way he fought tirelessly to dismantle apartheid and ensure equality for all South Africans.
• The way he led South Africa through a peaceful transition to democracy.
• The way his commitment to non-violence and unity inspired a divided nation to come together.
• The fact he gave South Africans the courage to dream of a better, united future.
• His belief in education as a powerful tool for change inspired countless initiatives to empower young South Africans.
• Despite his fame, he remained humble and grounded, always putting others before himself.
  
  

Some favourite quotes

• After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.  
• For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.  
• Forget the past.
• Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.
• You will achieve more in this world through acts of mercy than you will through acts of retribution.
• As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.
• Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.  
• I was not a messiah, but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances.
• I stand here before you not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you, the people.
• I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.
• I am not an optimist, but a great believer of hope.
• No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. Nelson Mandela
• We owe our children – the most vulnerable citizens in any society – a life free from violence and fear.
• What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.
• Action without vision is only passing time, vision without action is merely day dreaming, but vision with action can change the world.
• Your playing small does not serve the world.
• And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.  
• There are few misfortunes in this world that you cannot turn into a personal trimuph if you have the iron will and the neccessary skill.
• Lead from the back - and let others believe they are in front.
• It is wise to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea.
• Nelson Mandela quotes on Wisdom Trove