This August, the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve is proud to host 3 conservation-minded programs as part of its exhibition Environmental Impact: Stress, Hope and Transformation. Environmental Impact is a small group show which focuses on the role of Ohio artists as activists, and features the work of Keith Berr, Palli Davene Davis, Lisa Kenion, Maggie Denk-Leigh, Gary & Laura Dumm, Barbara Gillette, Tatiana Athena Gracyk, Marty Huehner, Stuart Pearl and Gwen Waight.

African Safari 101: Supporting Wildlife Conservation through Ecotourism with Alex Shaland will be held on Wednesday, August 14^th, 6-7:30pm. This program is based on Alex Shaland’s new book Suburbanites on Safari which he wrote and richly illustrated with photographs of his adventures. Shaland, an internationally published travel author and photographer, believes that encouraging ecotourism and inviting people to come to Africa with their cameras, cash, and credit cards, is one of the most effective ways to protect the animals of this magnificent continent.

In an entertaining and informative slide presentation, Alex Shaland talks about his first-hand experience of meeting the wild animals of Africa face to face. Having gone on safaris in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Nepal, and Madagascar, Shaland shares both practical information and fascinating stories. In addition to tips and tricks for planning a safari trip, the lecture answers such frequently-asked questions as “How does it feel to be only a few feet away from a pride of lions devouring their kill, a herd of suspicious elephants, an intimidating Cape buffalo, or an unpredictable rhinoceros?”

The program is FREE and open to the public courtesy of a matching grant by Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  Click HERE to register on Eventbrite or call 216.723.9020 to reserve your spot! Join the conversation on Facebook and share!

Copies of Suburbanites on Safari will be available for sale during the presentation.

More about the speaker:

Alex Shaland started his writing career in the 1990s, contributing articles and book chapters for several Penton

Publishing periodicals and other publications. In addition to his own writing, he collaborated as an editor and photographer with his wife, Irene Shaland, in producing several books and articles published in numerous magazines in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and East Africa.

Shaland’s photographs have appeared in over 20 publications and online sources including Holiday Magazine (France/U.K.), The Boston Forward, Tikkun, ZEEK, Diarna Digital Heritage Mapping, Hackwriters (U.K.), IMAGE Magazine, ROMAR Travel, Design World Magazine and other journals printed in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Korea, and Kenya. An award-winning photographer, Shaland had several solo photography shows and participated in group exhibitions organized in New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Ohio.

This book is Shaland’s first work devoted exclusively to Africa and African wildlife that, in addition to being informative and entertaining, aspires to support the effort to preserve and protect the animals with whom we humans share this planet. Alex and Irene, reside in Lyndhurst, Ohio.