So many of us will know the term Mother Earth/Nature.

But where does it originate?

In Greek Mythology one of, if not, the first Gods was the Greek Goddess Gaia. Gaia is the Goddess of the earth, ‘Mother Nature. She personified the ecosystem of Earth working to create harmony and balance by healing, nurturing, and fertility. Gaia and Artemis (the Goddess of wild animals, the hunt, chastity- the protector of wild nature and animals) worked together with their powers to keep a safe haven for all-natural life.

For me, Mother Nature/Earth is the Mother of all life. The healing power of the feminine energy is what connects us as humans to the natural world. She creates, preserves, and destroys.

A lioness from the Nkuhuma Pride leads seven of the pride’s young cubs down the road. What an amazing sight to see so many little lions scampering down the road towards us!

In many traditions or beliefs, the most divine has always been the Mother. The Protector.

A quote from the World Wildlife Fund’s Africa Region Director Alice Ruhweza,

“We need to address this by recognising the important symbiotic relationship between women and nature and ensuring women have full rights to use and benefit from natural resources, and that their voices are at the table when decisions about natural resources are made. Mother nature needs her daughters.”

That being said all my life I have looked up to women that dedicate their lives to saving the natural world and animals. I see them as the current-day Goddess like Artemis. Here are some of my top inspirational women in conservation and as voices for the earth:

1. Beverly Joubert

Award-winning filmmaker and conservationist. She together with her Husband dedicated 30 years of their lives to saving the wild places of Africa and protecting the creatures that depend on them. She is a founder of Big Cat Initiative a foundation that is working day and night to protect the fate of big cats globally.

2. Dr. Jane Goodall

Went to the forests to study Chimpanzees only to come to the realisation of how endangered they were and in desperate need of saving. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute with the vision to ensure the collective power of individual action to save nature and its wildlife.

3. Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick

She was recognised as an international authority in rearing wildlife and was one of the first persons to perfect the milk formula and husbandry to successfully raise orphaned elephants and rhinos. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was founded by her. She also wrote one of my favourite books- ‘Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story’.

4. Petronel Nieuwoudt

Founder of Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary. Since it started it has saved the lives of more than 100 Rhinos that were victims of poaching in some way.

5. The Varty Ladies

Shan Varty and Bronwyn Varty-Laburn-  Not only are they a part of the Londolozi family that has for nearly 100 years advocated to restore and protect the natural world. They are the mothers that keep the restoration movement here at Londolozi. The are the protectors of the village and animals as if they are their own children. Shan and Bronwyn are some of the early founders of the Good Work Foundation and are also involved in “The Londolozi Ripple Effect” which protects and creates change in the world no matter how small… More on this to come in the very near future.

6. The Black Mambas:

The first all-female anti-poaching unit for South Africa. Amongst patrolling, they uplift and educate communities to encourage better wildlife-human relationships.

7. Akashinga

All-female anti-poaching ranger team protecting the Elephants of Zimbabwe. Also known as “The Brave Ones” (translation of Akashinga from Shona to English).

Last but not least the Londolozi Lady Rangers. We strive to educate our guests about the importance of the earth and its wildlife, we are the protectors of the Leadwood forest and the Leopards. We aspire to be like the pride of Lions we view here- working together to strengthen each other and be the warriors that nature needs.

Everyday nature’s feminine energy inspires me and I hope that you too get inspired to become wilderness warriors that fight for wildlife, and our planet every day, as Gaia’s and Artemis’s daughters did for generations.