{"id":58892,"title":"Our story","description":"How two months volunteering with African penguins in South Africa led to Kind Penguins, a little wildlife-inspired venture with kindness at its heart.","content":"

From a London office to a life with penguins<\/h2>

How two months volunteering with African penguins in South Africa led to Kind Penguins, a little wildlife-inspired venture with kindness at its heart.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

When I told people I was leaving my office-based job in London to volunteer with penguins in South Africa, I usually got one of two responses.<\/p>

\u201cWow, are you serious?\u201d<\/p>

Or, more often than you might expect, \u201cAre there really penguins in Africa?\u201d<\/p>

Yes to both.<\/p>

What I didn't know, back in 2019, was quite how much those two months would mean to me. Or that, several years later, I'd still be finding ways to bring a little more penguin into my life.<\/p>

\"MeImage: The author about to feed sardines to a hungry African penguin chick.<\/em><\/p>

Swapping the office for the penguin zone<\/h2>

I'd spent 25 years working across environmental and social causes, but somehow never found the time to volunteer on an international conservation project. I\u2019d always wanted to, but there was always something else that needed doing at work.<\/p>

Of course, there always is.<\/p>

With some encouragement from my husband, I finally decided to make the time. In May 2019, I headed to South Africa to volunteer with SANCCOB<\/a>, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, at its seabird rehabilitation centre in Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha.<\/p>

And yes, there really are penguins in Africa.<\/p>

African penguins live along the coasts of South Africa and Namibia. They're wonderfully characterful birds, with distinctive black-and-white markings and a rather extraordinary call that sounds remarkably like a donkey. Hence their other name: the jackass penguin.<\/p>

They're also in serious trouble. Overfishing, changes in food availability, pollution and other human pressures have contributed to a devastating population decline. The African penguin is now classified as Critically Endangered.<\/p>

It's one thing knowing that from a distance. It's quite another spending your days caring for the birds affected.<\/p>

<\/p>

\"SammyImage: Sammy waddles away.<\/em><\/p>

Sardines, penguin poop and extraordinary people<\/h2>

The first thing I remember about arriving at SANCCOB was the smell.<\/p>

Imagine sardines mixed with more penguin poop than you could possibly think reasonable. You get used to it. Mostly.<\/p>

The second thing was the people.<\/p>

Staff and volunteers from different backgrounds, countries and walks of life were working together with one purpose: giving penguins and other seabirds the best possible chance of returning to the wild.<\/p>

I found myself helping with chick-rearing, penguin rehabilitation, intensive care support, preparing fish smoothies and doing an industrial quantity of cleaning and laundry daily.<\/p>

Not quite the London office.<\/p>

There was also Sammy, a particularly memorable penguin who seemed convinced that the best place to sit during feeding time was on my clipboard where I had to note which penguins had eaten that day.<\/p>

What stayed with me most, though, was how naturally everyone looked after each other as well as the birds.<\/p>

There was a name badge and T-shirt waiting for me when I arrived. People patiently showed me how to do things I'd never done before. Everyone mucked in, nobody was too important to clean up, and there was always someone ready to help.<\/p>

It was kindness in its most practical form. Nothing grand or showy. Just people getting on with doing something that mattered.<\/p>

\"AImage: An African penguin waddles across the beach on Robben Island.<\/em><\/p>

Life on Robben Island<\/h2>

In June, I travelled to Robben Island, just off Cape Town, to work alongside the Penguin and Seabird Ranger and an Earthwatch research team.<\/p>

Robben Island is best known for its history as the place where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years imprisoned. It's also home to a breeding colony of African penguins.<\/p>

Our days involved monitoring penguin chicks, recording breeding activity and helping injured birds. We even supported a BBC documentary crew filming a programme about the environmental impact of food production.<\/p>

It was an extraordinary privilege to spend time among wild penguins, learning from people whose dedication to their protection was impossible not to admire.<\/p>

And through the whole adventure, I took photographs. Lots of photographs.<\/p>

At the time, I had no idea quite how important some of those images would become.<\/p>

\"TheImage: Getting ready to weigh another African penguin chick during field work on Robben Island.<\/em><\/p>

How Kind Penguins began<\/h2>

I returned home with plenty of memories, an even greater affection for penguins and a renewed appreciation of what kindness can achieve.<\/p>

Kindness towards wildlife and the planet, certainly. But also kindness towards other people, and towards ourselves. After all, I'd needed a little of that last one to take the time away in the first place.<\/p>

That experience eventually led me to create Kind Penguins.<\/p>

The idea has evolved over the years, but the heart of it hasn't changed.<\/p>

Today, Kind Penguins brings together my love of wildlife photography, penguins and distinctive design. Our collection of penguin T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, mugs, greeting cards and art prints features detailed, vintage-style illustrations based on my own original wildlife photographs<\/strong>.<\/p>

Each design begins with a real penguin, a real photograph and a moment I was fortunate enough to capture.<\/p>

Some are elegant. Some are rather comical. And some seem to have an extraordinary amount of attitude for a bird that can't fly.<\/p>

That's penguins for you.<\/p>

\"TwoImage: Original wildlife photography and the organic cotton t-shirt it becomes.<\/em><\/p>

Wear Kindness.<\/h2>

I wanted Kind Penguins to be about more than putting a nice penguin on a T-shirt. Although, to be fair, that's a pretty good start.<\/p>

I wanted to create things that people genuinely enjoy wearing, using and giving. Things with a story behind them. And things that, in a small way, can help the birds that started all of this.<\/p>

That's why 10% of profits are donated to penguin conservation<\/strong>.<\/p>

SANCCOB, where my journey began, remains especially close to my heart.<\/p>

I'm under no illusion that a penguin mug or hoodie is going to solve the enormous challenges these birds face. But supporting conservation, sharing their stories and encouraging more people to care about them all feel like worthwhile things to do.<\/p>

And perhaps that's what Wear Kindness means to me.<\/p>

A reminder that the things we choose, the people we support and the small actions we take can make a difference.<\/p>

\"AImage: African penguin chicks on the beach.<\/em><\/p>

A little more penguin in your life<\/h2>

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading.<\/p>

I hope you'll enjoy exploring the collection, discovering the photographs behind the illustrations and perhaps finding a penguin that makes you smile.<\/p>

You can explore the shop and discover the designs that have grown out of those two rather remarkable months in South Africa.<\/p>

Here's to happy people, a healthier planet and, of course, more penguins.<\/p>

Darren<\/strong>
Founder & Head Penguin<\/em><\/p>

Wear Kindness.<\/em><\/p>

10% of profits donated to penguin conservation<\/strong><\/p>

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