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Oakland Actor’s Quest to Help Elephants by Lowell Thompson
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Laverty with orphaned baby elephants at David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's Nairobi orphanage. photo: Edwin Lusichi
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA HAS LONG BEEN
a breeding ground for artists with a bent toward making this world a better place. From producing documentary films to participating in protest marches, Northern California artists carry a unique calling to speak out.
One such artist is Oakland-based actor Larry Laverty who became fascinated with Africa’s endangered elephants, about eight years ago, and has been fighting for them ever since.
For thirty years, Laverty “indulged”—according to his parents—the art of acting, first as a hobby, then as a serious study at institutions like American Conservatory Theatre, Second City Training Center and The Groundlings School.
Getting his start in musical theater and television commercials, Laverty cut his teeth on indie films in the Bay Area. Expanding his career to Los Angeles, he landed guest roles on soap operas, variety shows and in primetime dramas. He then leveraged his Hollywood resume to act in dozens of indies throughout the country, from Seattle to Upstate New York.
But this quest for work, adventure and perhaps love was eclipsed in 2013 when Laverty learned of a protest march in San Francisco on behalf of Africa’s elephants, who seemed destined for extinction, victims of the heartless ivory trade.
Laverty shooting in Kenya with a member of Tsavo Trust, one of the many individuals and groups which assisted him pursuing of elephants. photo: Edwin Lusichi
Although Laverty had never marched or protested before in his life, he felt a deep calling to join over a thousand others in San Francisco for the first Global March for Elephants.
Just as he had for his career as an actor, Laverty dove into studying elephants and the ivory trade, absorbing all the information he could. Speaking with people about the magic and majesty of Africa’s elephants and the terrible threats they faced, he developed a voice and then a social media following, see his Facebook or web site.
But Laverty's knowledge was second-hand and he became hungry to learn about elephants in person. Despite next to no international travel experience, he booked his first trip to Kenya in 2015 and took his camera with him.
Sharing his images and observations, he attracted additional followers. Requests for photo prints and even a book started to arrive. Realizing that photography and writing would be his best weapons in the war to save Africa’s remaining elephants, he accepted the challenge and set out to create something he’d also never previously imagined: a book.
At first, better equipment was obviously needed to do the job right, so he bought new camera bodies and lenses to add to his arsenal. He acquired previous books on elephants and scoured them to determine what ingredients would make for the most inspirational book.
Then came the field work.
Maasai tribal elders, living in the bush of Tanzania, invited Laverty for a visit. photo: unknown Maasai man
It took a few years and numerous trips to a total of ten African nations, but Laverty eventually conducted a decent survey of the two species of elephants on the continent and the wide variety of landscapes they roam. As the project unfolded, the destinations became more and more remote, and, at times, Laverty’s safety was compromised by the presence of bandits and rebel soldiers nearby.
Once all the ingredients were in place, the photographs selected, and the chapters written, the search for a publisher was on. Following a prerequisite share of rejections and false starts, a suitable company was secured. Months later, in the wake of countless back-and-forth’s with a designer, the final hurdle was cleared.
A few months ago, Laverty received a call from his publisher, LID Publishing based in London. His book, “Power and Majesty: The Plight and Preservation of the African Elephant”, was ready to be delivered to booksellers throughout the world, including the mega-outlets Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Today, it appears that the future for elephants in Africa may always be in doubt. But judging from reviews and commentary “Power and Majesty” is accomplishing what Laverty set out to do: inspire caring and motivate action. For those interested in donating to help Elephants, go to Big Life Foundation
Laverty has already begun a second book, this one about the plight of elephants in Asia, struggling to survive alongside humans in the 21st century.
A baby elephant at play in the mud next to a river, Central African Republic. photo: L. Laverty
Injustice takes so many forms around the world, affecting our environment, the animals we love, and of course, our fellow human beings and ourselves. For those artists immersed in lives of creativity and activism, the opportunities to make a difference seem endless.
You can just bet that many other artists in Northern California are currently hard at work on creative expressions inspired by their own concerns, each driven by the hope that their efforts will bring the deeper thought and greater love needed to build the better world we seek.
Lowell Thompson is a writer, filmmaker and world traveller living in Oakland, and can be reached Posted on Mar 11, 2020 - 06:08 AM