ALCHEMY | ALEX ECHO
VIEW FROM THE EYE OF THE RHINO
Donated to the Tusk Trust Foundation by my daughter Jasmine Isabella Echo
My daughter, Jasmine Isabella Echo, is deeply concerned with the well- being of animals and all nature in general. From the tiny caterpillar to our two goldfish and our cat to the mighty African Elephant she has deep respect already at the age of six for all life on this little blue planet. Thank goodness! She and her generation and those to follow are the hope we all have for cleaning up the mess that my generation really didn’t know or understand we were creating. I am very proud of my daughter and her clean and pure insights into the better health of our planet. It was at her request that this painting and donation be made to the Tusk Foundation, and I was only too happy to oblige. She helps light my path. Since its formation in 1990 Tusk has raised over £20m for a wide range of projects across Africa, which not only work to protect wildlife, particularly endangered species, but also help to alleviate poverty through sustainable development and education amongst rural communities who live alongside wildlife. Africa’s elephant population stood at 1.3 million in 1979 and crashed to 600,000 in 1989. Today the population is estimated to be as low as 400,000. The black rhino population in Africa stands at approximately 4,800 with the white rhino numbers totalling just over 20,000. HRH The Duke of Cambridge became Royal Patron of Tusk in December 2005 since when he has been an active supporter of the Charity’s work. In 2010 the Prince undertook a joint overseas tour with his brother Prince Harry to see for himself some of the Tusk sponsored projects in Botswana. The Duke has spoken out on a number of occasions against the illegal wildlife trade. Last month the charity held the inaugural Tusk Conservation Awards at The Royal Society where the Duke presented the first ever Prince William Award For Conservation to Clive Stockil from Zimbabwe. In July 2011, in response to increased donor interest and support, Tusk formally launched its United States presence with a US Patrons’ Circle event in Los Angeles, attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, during their official visit to the United States. In 2012, Tusk opened its first overseas office in New York, firmly establishing its commitment to its American donors.
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