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TAKING OUR LEAD FROM THE WILD / EUROPE CONVERSATION TOUR / APRIL 2023
21 EVENTS / 21 DAYS / 16 VENUES
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April 2023
A hugely successful conversation tour to Netherlands and Germany has come to an end. What a privilege to participate in a meaningful conversations in so many special places with so many amazing people. The tour, in brief, was a rolling conversation about change, about integrating living patterns and principles into our mechanically-minded society and industry systems. A challenging and daunting task indeed. Where do I start? How do I collaborate? How can I do enough? Is it possible? For me, there is perhaps only one simple answer to unravel these critical and relevant questions: ONE CONVERSATION AT A TIME. But only if the conversation emerges from the heart, and from a space of deep ecological humility. If we take the lead from the wild ... Many thanks to friends, old and new, for your support, hospitality and trust! To discover more about the tour click HERE |
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TAKING OUR LEAD FROM THE WILD
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The TAKING OUR LEAD FROM THE WILD conversation tour continues deeper into the jungles of The Netherlands! This stop: Holtingerveld nature preserve in Drenthe / 19 April. In proud association with the remarkable Marcel Kampman and the Happyplaces Project. Along with excellent fellow wilderness guide Ritzo ten Cate 🙏 Glorious unplugged moments reflecting on what nature and wild space represent to us. And ultimately what they mean to the well being of the human spirit. The weather gods smiled at us for a day in the sun, sharing stories of animal tracks, edible plants and indigenous wisdom. Did you know that we can discover more about creating sustainable abundance from a resource by watching how deer feed? So often, the great answers we search for can be found in the most subtle of places... Many thanks, once again, to Marcel for waving your magic event-wand. It was a sincere privilege! |
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GUIDE TRAINING AT ONGUMA, NORTHERN NAMIBIA20 March 2023 It's a privilege to be asked to run a walking guide course on behalf of the local guides at Onguma game Reserve, alongside Etosha in northern Namibia. 10 days of walking, tracking and stalking ... with liberal doses of storytelling! The dry dusty dramatic landscapes produced phenomenal wildlife encounters with numerous lion inter-actions, elephant tracking and sightings of oryx, springbok, cheetah and the diminutive Damaraland dik-dik. very humbled to connect with the local guides and discover more bout Onguma. The teacher is always the student perhaps. |
THE JOURNEY HAS BEGUN: EUROPE CONVERSATION TOUR, APRIL 20234 April 23 After a 24hour delay I find myself on my way to Freiburg Germany for the first of many impact conversations and presentations.... The content? The significance of taking our lead from the wild ... this when addressing the question of leadership in the modern world. Nature space provides us with our most fundamental aspirations: not that of profit, power or position … but that of stillness and connection. Many thanks to so many friends, supporters and colleagues for co-creating some wonderful events. All will be revealed ... stay tuned for dispatches from beyond the frontier. |
IMPACT CONVERSATION; UNIVERSITY OF FREIBURG, GERMANY5 April 23 Alan's speaking tour to Europe kicked off with a presentation with members of the English Department student council at the uni. Learning institutions are so vitally important in the paradigm of change and disrupting our flawed consumptive systems. But what good is a system change if it is not accompanied by a change in consciousness? The student council is essentially an interface between innovative and meaningful changes, and university policies. So these young leaders are the pioneering re-writers of a crucial story. That of modern leadership principles. What a privilege indeed. Many thanks to Gert Fehlner. Follow the 'Taking Our Lead From The Wild' conversation tour on LINKEDIN |
TAKING OUR LEAD FROM THE WILD
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LEADERSHIP RETREAT IN BOTSWANA
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INTERVIEW WITH KEES KLOMP, THRIVE INSTITUTE, ZANDVOORT JUNE 2022Exploring the interbeing between ourselves and the natural world … and our fundamental co-dependance. These are the keystones on which to build new systems that change our deeply flawed rules of engagement with the planet, with those of circular purpose.
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THE CROCODILE, THE ELEPHANT AND THE TRANSFORMATIONA while back Alan survived a crocodile attack in the Okavango Delta, and what transpired was an episode of deep significance. This is a story of transition and understanding. Find the full article HERE.
Published in The New Financial Forum, December 2022. Pic by Jens Cullmann. 
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ELEPHANT ENCOUNTER ON CANVAS ... ALL THE WAY FROM AUSTRALIAWhat a thrill to receive a special gift from artist Ross Tuck from Mildura in Australia ... a painting of one of Alan's iconic moments during the seminal elephant encounter. We are truly honoured.
Thank you Ross! 
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AMS LISTED AS "ELEPHANT CHAMPIONS"We are honoured to be named as supporter on behalf of ELEPHANTS ALIVE. Our immersive encounters with wild elephants platform a great requirement to understand elephant consciousness and the complex conservation issues.
FOR MORE, CLICK HERE
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WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY LEGENDWonderful to bump into legendary photographer JENS CULLMANN (the one with the longer beard!) on safari in Botswana. Jens, in the name of wildlife conservation, has very kindly donated some of his spectacular images to our website
FOLLOW JENS' LENSMAN-SHIP AT:
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MEANINGFUL EVENTS WITH
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PRIVATE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE
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HOW ALAN McSMITH CREATES WILDERNESS SPACE
The wisdom of natural leadership defines what Alan McSmith is all about. He believes that you can develop a compass that helps you make choices that really matter by being in touch with your wisdom and intuition. This requires that you consciously pay attention to what touches and inspires you, make space for what is within you, and see nature not just as a place but as a way of life.
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
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EUROPE SPEAKING TOUR
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ALAN'S TALK
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2022
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ARTICLE IN NEW FINANCIAL MAGAZINEEXCERPT: Tracking places us in the present moment, allows us an opportunity to peek back and learn from the past, and simultaneously glance ahead and scan the future.
READ @
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PRIVATE SAFARI GUIDING WITH NATURAL SELECTIONIt is a sincere privilege to be listed as a private guide in such prestigious company with one of the leading safari operators in the world: Natural Selections.
This means more exclusive access to some of the most productive age viewing regions and camps in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and beyond. VISIT THE LINK @
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THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF COMMUNITY ECOLOGYA new article published in New Financial Forum about the ancient wisdom of traditional Bushman communities, and the impact of ecological and nature-inspired philosophies on leadership and social impact. The origin of the Ubuntu philosophy.
READ @
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2021 SPECIALIST ELEPHANT SAFARI DEPARTURES
Spend 3 nights/4 days with Alan at UMLANI BUSHCAMP following the Timbavati elephant herds. Discover more about their fascinating behaviour on foot or by game viewer. A donation for each safari is made to ELEPHANTS ALIVE in direct support of conservation projects
16th to 19th October
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ANOTHER ESSAY PUBLISHED IN THE NEW FINANCIAL MAGAZINE EXCERPT: Knowledge emerges from within. Look deep into the eyes of a seasoned Bushman tracker, a wise Indian shaman or an aboriginal elder and you will see the difference.
FIND THE ARTICLE @
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EUROPE SPEAKING TOURIt is a huge honour to be visiting Holland in May/June this year to co-create meaningful wilderness presentations in collaboration with the beautiful & inspiring organisations THRIVE INSTITUTE and THE THRIVE.
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ARTICLE PUBLISHEDCheck out Alan's article NATURE & 2021 in the NEW FINANCIAL FORUM. The following is a teaser ...
In fact, I cannot be sure where my job ends and my personal space begins, or where the boundary of my office and my home actually is. Or if it even exists at all. My life is a declaration to share both, and to respectfully suggest that the human experience cries out for harmony with nature
Read full article HERE
Inspired by Willem Vreeswijk, NFF is a leading natural-leadership focussed platform that promotes new and regenerative financial models. |
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WILDERNESS GUIDES ASSOCIATIONAs an invited member, Alan is the first African guide to register with the European Wilderness Guides Association. The group facilitates networking structures for leadership programs, wilderness encounters and conservation initiatives around the world.
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ELEPHANT CONSERVATIONAMS has teamed up with Rhino Grohmann's Rhino Safaris to operate interactive elephant awareness safaris in the Great Kruger, SA. This is collaboration with leading conservation organisation Elephants Alive. Proceeds of the safaris are donated to their operational and fieldwork costs.
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VIDEO
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ALAN AT TEDX AMSTERDAM, 2011
Remote campfires are normally the place, but much like Crocodile Dundee, Alan occasionally ventures out into the big smoke to speak at European boardrooms and events. |
SEMINAL ELEPHANT ENCOUNTER
Alan's incredible interaction with a wild bull has over 50M views. Discover the story HERE |
A MESSAGE FROM NATURE
The most advanced species ever known has been brought to our knees by a virus, which technically is not even a living organism. Why? |
INTERVIEW WITH ALDITH HUNKAR
Exploring the jungles of Amsterdam and bringing a stone from the Motherland to 600 people at the TEDx event. |
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WHAT CAN NATURE TEACH US? The earth is the prime source of understanding and knowledge. The gateway to this is simple attention: a little space between our mental and physical worlds; our intentions and consequences. A redemptive stillness to reflect. |
SPECIALIST ELEPHANT SAFARIS
One such safari is based from Umlani Bushcamp in Timbavati. The safari may focus on elephant, but the slow pace and attention to detail provides us with clues about the whereabouts of other game. |
SNIPPETS
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IN THE NEWS
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KOSMOS JOURNAL, 2017
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AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC, 2019
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ELEPHANTS ALIVE, 2020
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CONTACT US
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Wildlife Photography ©Jens Cullmann: instagram or www.jenscullmann.de
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©AMS Safaris 2023
Design by OLD BULL
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©AMS Safaris 2023
Design by OLD BULL