Here is an excerpt from a blog post recently featured on Change.org. In it I share a very special experience from my recent trip to Uganda. The post really epitomizes my work and a moment of bliss for me: living my passion out in the field as a life-long animal lover.  The care and well-being of animals at the heart of that special morning and the post itself reflect the compassion and curiosity that I bring to my research, outreach and advocacy work around the globe.

June 29, 2010:  “It’s 7 a.m. and I am already sweating because I’m hiking through the forest in the tropics of Uganda.  It’s not just the hike or the humidity, but I also have a 50 pound load on my back.  But this is no ordinary load; not a tent and backpack.  Rather, I am carrying Nani, a chimpanzee who lives at Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary.  Together, with some of the caregivers and other chimpanzee residents, we are going on a forest walk this morning.  Along with other activities, this is part of the care and rehabilitation that may someday prepare Nani and the other residents for reintroduction to the wild.  In fact, I’m here in Africa for three months to study chimpanzees, to find out more about how they fare both in the wild and in rescue centers like this one…”