{"id":2269,"title":"Our story begins","description":"From a London office, to saving penguins, to a mission to make the world a kinder place.","content":"

\"\"From a London office, to saving penguins, to a mission to make the world a kinder place.<\/strong><\/h2>

When I first told people that I was leaving my office-based job in London to volunteer on penguin conservation in South Africa in early 2019, they almost always responded with one of two questions. \u201cWow, are you serious?\u201d usually came first; the second was \u201cAre there really penguins in Africa?!\u201d. The answer to both was a big yes, but I was yet to realise the impact this would have on me, what it taught me or what I did next.<\/strong><\/p>

Making time for something new<\/strong><\/h3>

I\u2019d worked for 25 years across sectors in a range of environmental and social fields. Somehow, I\u2019d never had the time to volunteer on an international conservation project, despite always wanting to. There was always more to do at work, I\u2019d told myself. That was right, of course. There really is always more to do. But at some point, you need to make<\/em> time for yourself (and potentially for a penguin). It took me a while to realise that and, along with a little encouragement from my amazing husband, I stepped out of my comfort zone and into the penguin zone.<\/p>

\"\"And yes, there are penguins in Africa - the aptly named African penguin in fact. It\u2019s also called the jackass penguin (because of the loud donkey-like braying noise they make) or the black-footed penguin (you can probably guess why). It\u2019s a species that breeds along the coast of Namibia and South Africa, but the population has dropped rapidly and that shows no sign of reversing.<\/p>

Its historic population decline was due to human disturbance and egg collecting; now it\u2019s linked to pollution and food shortages. Commercial fishing is reducing the fish stocks that African penguins depend upon, and climate change is causing the remaining fish populations to move away from where the penguins breed. That\u2019s led the International Union for Conservation of Nature<\/a> (IUCN) to class the African penguin as Endangered. With only around 20-25,000 breeding pairs left in the wild, the future of the species has never been more at risk.<\/p>

Kindness at the conservation frontline<\/strong><\/h3>

I arrived in Port Elizabeth, on the eastern coast of South Africa, in May to volunteer with SANCCOB<\/a>, the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, at their seabird rescue centre (there\u2019s another centre over in Cape Town too and you can visit them both). Apart from the incredible smell (a combination of sardines and more penguin poop than I could ever have imagined \u2013 you get used to it quickly), the first thing I was struck by was the kindness of the people there.<\/p>

The SANCCOB team is made up of a small number of permanent staff, regular local volunteers and a few temporary international volunteers. Everyone was there with a common purpose \u2013 to save penguins and other seabirds. In a regular year (with no oil spills), SANCCOB will treat up to 2,500 seabirds (including around 1,500 African penguins). Their people are leaders in oiled wildlife response, rehabilitation and chick-rearing. They contribute to research, train people to care for injured birds and educate the public on marine conservation.<\/p>

Those working and volunteering at the frontline of penguin and seabird conservation are extraordinary folk, dedicated to getting an endangered species, and all manner of sea life, back on track. They\u2019re righting the wrongs of human activity, past and present, every single day. They\u2019re practicing kindness on an epic, constant and humbling scale.<\/p>

\"\"Kindness through inclusion<\/strong><\/h3>

The kindness I experienced extended beyond commitment to the natural world. It was directed to all of the people involved too - whether a local resident volunteering up to seven days a week or an international visitor swapping a London office to wipe poop from the bottom of an endangered species on the other side of the planet.<\/p>

For me, that started with something as simple as the name badge and t-shirt that already awaited my arrival (instant inclusion and belonging). It was present in the way people supported each other with every kind of task and in the constant flow of refreshments to keep us fuelled. It was there too in being given the opportunity to learn new things every day. My CV now includes chick-rearing, penguin rehabilitation, intensive care support, sardine and fish smoothie preparation, and industrial-scale cleaning and towel laundry (did I mention the penguin poop?). Everyone was welcomed and included; everyone was willing to lend a hand\u2026 or to extend a flipper (particularly for one penguin, Sammy \u2013 always keen to sit on your clipboard as you tried to make notes at feeding time).<\/p>

\"\"That kindness to planet and to people was something I also saw in June when I headed to the west coast to join SANCCOB\u2019s resident Penguin and Seabird Ranger<\/a> and Earthwatch<\/a>, the international environmental charity, on Robben Island for a few weeks. Famously where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of his 27 years behind bars, Robben Island is also home to a population of African penguins. Our work there involved monitoring the health of chicks in the wild, recording breeding success, rescuing injured penguins, and even supporting a BBC film crew making a documentary<\/a> about the environmental impact of the global demand for meat. I couldn't have been more impressed with the research or the work of the resident Ranger and his colleagues - it was dedicated, caring and full of heart.<\/p>

A new penguin-inspired mission<\/strong><\/h3>

Environmental and social causes had always been important to me, professionally and personally, but two months of penguin-filled adventures brought a fresh perspective. The entire experience was fuelled by kindness<\/strong>: kindness to the planet and the incredible diversity of species and habitats it supports; kindness to people in the way they were included, empowered to grow and cared about. And I wouldn\u2019t have been able to lend a hand if I hadn\u2019t been kind to myself and taken the time out to join the penguins.<\/p>

So, coming back and inspired by penguins and the people working with them, I created The Kind Penguins<\/a>. It\u2019s a small project for now - one that puts happy people and a healthy planet at its heart; one that\u2019s centred on helping to build a world where people are kind to each other, to the planet and to themselves.<\/p>

\"\"Teaming up with Teemill, the brains behind sustainable clothing experts Rapanui<\/a>, we produce organic, ethical clothing with designs that celebrate the natural world, inclusion, young people and more. We champion causes we\u2019re passionate about \u2013 from conservation, wildlife and tackling climate change to volunteering, diversity, kindness and, yes, penguins.<\/p>

Our clothing and tote bags are all made using renewable energy, low-waste technology and zero plastic packaging. It's vegan-friendly, GM-free and cruelty-free too.<\/p>

We also launched a sustainable art store<\/a> - using some of of my wildlife<\/a> and penguin<\/a> photography (and popular designs<\/a> from our clothing) to create art prints to bring some cheer to blank walls everywhere. Prints are made from recycled card from well-managed forests using renewable energy and are delivered plastic-free too.<\/p>

In short, we're sustainably sourced and responsibly produced to bring a bit of kindness, hope and optimism to a challenging world. And we aim to raise money for charities, including SANCCOB, too!<\/p>

Our website is www.kindpenguins.com<\/a> and we're on social media too - check us out at @thekindpenguins on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a> and Twitter<\/a> where we\u2019ll be highlighting stories of kindness from around the world as inspiration for others. It would be great to see you there!<\/p>

Top tips for a kinder life<\/strong><\/h3>

It turns out that two months with penguins can teach you a lot and bring fresh perspective to your world. Inspired by penguins and the people who care for them, here are the lessons:<\/p>

  • Be kind to yourself:<\/strong> Make time for yourself, whether that\u2019s a few minutes every day or taking a chunk of time to do something you\u2019ve always wanted to do. Recognise your strengths and what you bring to the world. Be proud of these and use them to bring positive change for yourself and the world around you. Above all, remember that you need to be kind to yourself first if you\u2019re going to be able to be kind to other people and the planet. Kindness inspires kindness.<\/p><\/li><\/ul>

    • Try something new:<\/strong> You never know what you\u2019ll discover about yourself, about the people around you or about the world that you are part of. It can recharge your batteries; it can bring joy to those you\u2019re with, it can teach you new skills, or it can even set you off on a new and exciting path.<\/p><\/li><\/ul>

      • Be kind to people:<\/strong> Whatever you\u2019re doing, make others feel welcome, like they genuinely belong and show them that you care. Life becomes better when we meaningfully include others, when we enable and encourage them to be themselves, and when we look out for each other. Life\u2019s tough and short enough as it is; kindness to others brings joy to all.<\/p><\/li><\/ul>

        • Be kind to the planet:<\/strong> Reconnect with the environment and what\u2019s happening to the planet. Spending time in the natural environment is brilliant for mental health and wellbeing, whether that\u2019s as simple as sitting under a tree in your local park or as adventurous as rescuing a penguin on the other side of the world. The climate and ecological crisis means we all need to make changes. It can seem an impossible challenge we shrug at, or we can all pull together to make change happen. We\u2019ve got one shot at this. Let\u2019s not give it away.<\/p><\/li><\/ul>

          So, now and always, here\u2019s to happy people, a healthy planet and an awesome you.<\/p>

          And here\u2019s to more penguins too (obviously).<\/p>

          Darren, Founder and Head Penguin, The Kind Penguins <\/strong><\/p>

          \"\"
          <\/p>



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