avatarJillian Amatt - Artistic Voyages

Summary

Two Canadian artists, Jill and Chris, are documenting their experience painting murals in exchange for accommodation at the Entebbe Zoo in Uganda, where they are involved in a wildlife conservation project through art.

Abstract

Jill and Chris, a Canadian duo known as Artistic Voyages, have been living a nomadic lifestyle since 2017. They recently arrived at the Entebbe Zoo in Uganda, where they are engaged in a unique collaboration: painting murals in primary schools across the country to promote wildlife conservation. Their work is part of a long-term project initiated by the zoo's management. The artists are also sharing their week-in-photos, inspired by Dennett's weekly challenge, showcasing their life amidst the zoo's wildlife, including giraffes, colobus monkeys, and elephants. They are staying in a quaint cottage on the zoo's premises and express excitement about their upcoming mural projects and the opportunity to work with an organization recognized for its humane treatment of animals and conservation efforts.

Opinions

  • The authors are enthusiastic about their collaboration with the Entebbe Zoo, describing it as a unique opportunity to combine their passion for art with wildlife conservation.
  • They express a sense of honor and excitement about the potential long-term impact of their mural project in Ugandan primary schools.
  • The artists seem to appreciate the beauty and diversity of the wildlife at the zoo, as evidenced by their detailed descriptions and the inclusion of numerous photographs.
  • They convey a sense of respect and admiration for the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) for its leadership in conservation efforts and humane treatment of animals.
  • The authors encourage readers to join the Medium platform, suggesting that they value the community of writers and readers and see it as a means of support for their work.
  • They are proud of their nomadic lifestyle and the experiences they have gained from living in various countries, particularly their two years on the African continent.

We Are Living In a Zoo!

My Week In Photographs — A weekly challenge by Dennett

Great signs on the grounds of the Entebbe Zoo. Photo Credit: Author

I’ve decided to try and partake in Dennett’s challenge of offering 7 days and 7 photographs, wrapping up the last week in my (our) life.

On March 17th we arrived at the Entebbe Zoo in Uganda. We are artists, and as we travel we paint murals in the countries that we visit, in exchange for accommodation at hostels and hotels. One of the management team here contacted us last fall expressing interest in collaborating with us because he wants to educate kids about wildlife conservation through art.

We didn’t know too much about his plans, but since we had only talked through email, we decided that we should stop in and talk to him in person.

Well, our initial meeting went great. He told us that they are hoping to paint murals in all primary schools in Uganda, and they want us to work with them on that project. It sounds like it will be long-term, and we couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity. While we are here, we have also given them ideas on other projects that we have seen here at the zoo, one of which we are now working on for the next few days.

After reading Anne Bonfert’s “Last Week In Thailand” post, I decided that I would also like to start sharing our week in photos. So here I am, giving you a look at what we have been seeing for the last week! Next week I will be able to show you some photos of the mural that we are painting! Stay tuned:)

The adorable ‘banda’ (cottage) that we are staying in while here at the zoo. Photo Credit: Author

The zoo has these adorable bandas (cottages) on sight for visitors to rent for the night. We are able to stay in one since their tourism is slow and they aren’t being used anyways. They are really cute inside and have a nice canopy bed, a small fridge, a sink and counter area, a desk and, of course, a toilet and shower. We are so honored to be staying here and are being treated very well.

The Crescent Crane or Grey Crowned Crane is Uganda’s National Bird. Photo Credit: Author

There are a few of these cranes here at the zoo. We have heard it called both a Crescent Crane or a Grey Crowned Crane. Either way, it is the national bird of Uganda and it is beautiful!

The adorable colobus monkey is wild in the trees. There is a huge troop of them! Photo Credit: Author

These colobus monkeys travel around the zoo in a large troop. They cause quite the stir when they jump around and you can always tell if they have been in the area by the branches and leaves that are scattered on the ground below where they play. We just love their long white feather duster tails!

This is one of three giraffes that hang out next to our banda in a big field. We love being neighbors with giraffes! Photo Credit: Author

You can imagine our surprise when we woke up the first morning after arriving here and we realized that we have giraffes for neighbors. There are three of them that wander around in this field, and they aren’t scared of us when they come right up to the fence to say hello.

This De Brazzas Monkey is so chill and not scared of humans at all. He is also wild. Photo Credit: Author

This guy is one of a handful of others that are also wild around the zoo. This guy, in particular, though, is very chill and friendly and will just sit on the railings and hang out. We didn’t try to touch him but one of the guys at the zoo said that he probably wouldn’t mind. He is so adorable.

The Ostriches are also our neighbors. They live with the Giraffes. Photo Credit: Author

We have a bunch of Ostriches as neighbors also. They come quite close to the fence to eat the grass. They are fascinating creatures.

This sweet female Elephant is the only one at the zoo. Photo Credit: Author

This female Elephant was actually not in the best mood when we visited her. She was trying to throw things at us with her trunk, but not the tire, just grass, and rocks. We learned that she has recently been moved into this pen because her other pen is being renovated. Later this night she actually escaped and they think she really doesn’t like her new home. Thankfully she didn’t get far. She was brought to the zoo as a very young Elephant as her mom was killed by poachers, so she has never known a different life than the one she has here.

This is what our shadows look like at 1:00 pm at the equator! Photo Credit: Author

This is what shadows look like when it is mid-day on the equator! One would think it is really hot, but it’s not too bad because Uganda sits at a high elevation. The air is fresh and clean and we really love it.

The Entebbe Zoo is owned by UWEC — Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre. They are a leader in Africa through their conservation efforts and are recognized as one of the best zoos in the world because of their humane treatment of the animals.

We are so honoured to be working with an organization that is doing so much good in Uganda through its many efforts.

Thank you for joining me on a walk through our last week here in Uganda. I look forward to sharing more photos with whoever is interested, moving forward.

I have now created a list for all of my weekly wrap-up posts. Click below to read them all!

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Hi there, we are 2 Canadians, Jill and Chris from Artistic Voyages. We have been nomadic since 2017 living in numerous different countries, and experiencing the life and diversity of our planet on the ground and firsthand. We have now been on the African continent for 2 years! Join our adventure by hitting the links below!

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Photography
Travel
Travel Experience
Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife Photography
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