In a world that often feels like it’s spinning out of control, it’s easy to lose sight of the natural wonders that share this planet with us. With so much chaos, it’s fair to ask: why should we care about saving elephants? Aren’t there bigger problems to solve? The answer is simple yet profound: saving elephants is not just about them; it’s about us, our ecosystems, and the future of our planet.

Like at the beginning of every new year, unless you are Nostradamus, what lies ahead is unknown. 2021 will undoubtedly be filled with unknowns. But here at The Elephant Project, we believe that this New Year brings with it hope that has not been seen since World Wars consumed our planet – hope that the destruction and devastation will end, and that renewal and rebuilding will follow. Hope that the worst is behind us.

The stories from Myanmar are endless and the voices never cease. But if you multiply that by all those in other countries who have a personal narrative to tell about elephants – whether from seeing them in a timber camp, in the wild in Africa or Asia, on the streets in Bangkok, in tourist camps or know of their plight through their government or private sector experience or from learning of them from the news, documentaries or social media – the number of stories is simply incalculable. Every story, and every experience is a critical piece in solving the puzzle to finally ending the struggle facing these animals - but only if those stories become voices.