Artists for Wildlife Conservation
suzanne dean

A Word from the President of afwildc.org

At this point in time we are seeing a planet in crisis which makes me desperate to want to help in whatever way I can. Every day I feel more devastated by photos and reports of rhinos and elephants being poached, trophy hunting bans being lifted and general disregard for the crises that face animals and communities alike. In addition to raising funds for other organizations that are helping communities and animals to peacefully coexist, we we are actively involved in working with other nonprofits and we plan to do a lot more of that in the future. This means physically being there to work with any conservation nonprofits.   If you'd like to support our valuable work please click here.


If you'd like to hear an interview with Suzanne about her life up to the present, check her out on this podcast called Authentic Leadership for Everyday People. https://authenticleadershipforeverydaypeople.com/podcast/suzanne-dean-music-wildlife-conservation/

We are so proud to have supported these wonderful organizations. We encourage everyone to visit their websites and continue your support for them in the future.

Campaigns and Success Stories

Since our founding in 2018 we have successfully raised funds for many non profits. These are all of the non profits we have supported so far:


Recently we sponsored an organization called Saving the Elephants https://savingtheelephantsrun.org/home/.which was raising funds for the Zambezi Elephant Fund. They held a 10K race in Central Park, New York City. Some of our board and I, plus family and friends participated in the race. Our team raised $2000 for the Zambezi Elephant Fund. As a sponsor we were able to have our own table, offer some free merchandise, share our story and create more connections and potential supporters.


Our most recent online fundraiser was with CTPH, Conservation Through Public Health https://ctph.org.They have a very strong media presence that demonstrates how they help the community as well as gorillas and other animals in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The Founder and CEO, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, has also written an exceptional book about her life and work so far.


IFAW's, (International Fund for Animal Welfare), https://www.ifaw.org "Room to Roam" project benefitted from our live event featuring acclaimed photographer Henry Diltz, who told the back stories of his famous photos and sold them at the event. IFAW works with Indigenous Peoples in local communities to address basic needs, such as food and water, and protect both wildlife and the environment. They have found that wildlife conservation can help the livelihoods of these people and have been able to employ people from the local communities who now receive a steady income that is climate-resilient giving them a stake in conservation.


We were very happy to have a wonderful online event with SWT, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is a Kenya-based nonprofit is famous for rescuing orphaned elephants but also works to protect all wildlife and habitats. They also have programs that improve livelihoods and engage communities living alongside wildlife.


We had a very informative online event with RAN, Rainforest Action Network https://www.ran.org. Funds raised from this event funds go towards their tireless work helping to save endangered species through fighting large corporations responsible for actions that continue to put our planet into a worsening climate crisis which affects wildlife as well as humans.


We were able to have a live event for The Black Mambas/Rhino Mercy https://helpingrhinos.org/black-mambas/ which is an all female poaching unit in South Africa. These women have a passion for wildlife and through their work, are an important voice in the community.


Our very first Live fundraiser was for Lewa Wildlife Conservancy https://www.lewa.org, based in Kenya who put our money to work where it was needed most. Lewa "envisions a future where people across Kenya value, protect, and benefit from wildlife." Wangari Fahari, singer, originally from Kenya, was a featured performer.


My very first fundraiser pre-afwildc.org, was for CROW, Center for Rehabilitation of Wildlife, in Durban SA. CROW rescues, rehabilitates and releases vulnerable wildlife which come to them, orphaned, injured or displaced. They have very strong education programs and they are the oldest rehabilitation center in South Africa. We continue to support them whenever we can.

Most of our fundraising is done through both Live Events and Online Auctions,  however we always encourage donations through the website as well by clicking the Donate button below. Learn about previous events here.




Artists for Wildlife Conservation 501c3 non-profit organization. Tax ID 82-4070744

Campaigns

Since we began in 2018, we have raised funds for: 


Zambezi Elephant Fund

CTPH, Conservation Through Public Health

IFAW, International Fund for Animal Welfare

SWT, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

RAN, Rainforest Action Network

Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit and Rhino Mercy

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

CROW, Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife
Ventura County Animal Services

Humane Society of Ventura County
GBFB, Greater Boston Food Bank





Many Thanks to all of you who have been supporting these non profits who work tirelessly to help vulnerable and endangered species. You all make a difference!






A Word from the Director of CROW, the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife

Suzanne Dean became involved with CROW shortly after her daughter volunteered with us here in South Africa and saw first-hand the work we do as well as the plight our indigenous wildlife faces on a daily basis. Suzanne decided to embark on her Come to Paradise Fundraising Campaign for CROW which was a CD with 6 songs composed by Suzanne, of which the profits made from sales were donated to our cause. Over $2500 was raised which was put directly into the costs to care for the over 300 wild animals admitted to our centre each month. Without the efforts of wildlife ambassadors such as Suzanne, CROW and many other similar facilities around the world would be unable to continue the life-saving work we do.

While the animals at CROW are not endangered, these vulnerable species are in great need of our help. With your donations, we can continue to support them, along with the larger wildlife conservation organizations. You can learn more about CROW here.

Board Members

Suzanne Dean

Suzanne Dean

President/Treasurer

Suzanne is a composer, musician and recording artist. She was an Associate Professor at Berklee College of music for 20 years. She’s received three world music nominations for her song Ngizohamba, an homage to the animals of Africa. She wrote the song in 2016, as part of a fund raiser for CROW, Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife, in Durban, South Africa. Having retired from teaching at Berklee, Suzanne has now dedicated herself to combining music and all kinds of art, with helping to save vulnerable and endangered species. She is also an avid photographer. As president of Artists for Wildlife Conservation she hopes to inspire other artists to join her in taking action.

Henry Diltz

Henry Diltz

Director

Henry is most well-known for his iconic photographs of some of the most famous bands and musicians in folk, rock and pop from the 1960s and 70s. He has worked with the likes of Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney, The Doors, Crosby, Stills and Nash, James Taylor and Mama Cass, just to name a few. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Life, People, Rolling Stone, High Times and Billboard. Henry is a partner in, and is exclusively published and represented by the Morrison Hotel Gallery. He continues to photograph and describes his journey this way: “Photography has been my passport, and I have arrived in the present, where I have always been, camera in hand. There! That says it best for me!” Henry has always loved animals and admired those who understand them and work as their guardians. “Jane Goodall would be one of my big heroes. I think as protectors of our earthly home, we all need to be aware of creatures we coexist with."

Eleanor L. Thomas

Treasurer

Elly is a native of Long Island and spends summers on the North Fork enjoying the beaches and bays, beautiful sunsets, and outdoor activities on the Long Island Sound. She is an avid lover of nature, monitoring the annual arrival of the red tail hawk hatchlings with great affinity. Her career is in financial services, serving in both large and small settings principally holding accounting and operational roles. Elly holds an MBA in accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. She currently works with investment businesses providing outsourced finance and compliance services. She has served on various boards, often in the role of treasurer. Elly has been a supporter of Artists For Wildlife Conservation (AFWC) since its founding and is thrilled to be part of its mission. Elly lives in New York City and spends time in Orient, New York. She is currently Treasurer of AFWC.

Eleanor Thomas

Johnny Ray Miller

Director

Johnny Ray Miller lives and works in Northeast Ohio as a theatre educator, director, writer and promoter. He has produced more than 100 live stage productions including sold out concerts with David Cassidy and Davy Jones. He is the author of "When We're Singin' - The Partridge Family & Their Music," a book that chronicles the musical story of The Partridge Family. He worked with David Cassidy on the A&E Biography, "David Cassidy: The Last Session." Miller is a graduate of Kent State University, and a longtime advocate for the preservation of Wildlife, Animal Rights and Climate control.

Jocelynne Samu-Pittard

Jocelynne Samu-Pittard

Director

Jocelynne lives in Michigan, working as a biologist with the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Raised by musicians, Jocelynne and her brother, Rick Samu, were taught the value of art and music from a young age. Her career passions led her to the environmental world where she received degrees from Miami University (OH) and the University of Edinburgh, but she has never lost that connection to music. This is one of the many reasons she is excited to be joining the AFWILDC team. She recognizes the importance of creating meaningful connections between people and the environment and how powerful those connections can be. She is hoping to help build these connections with artists and anyone passionate about wildlife. When not working, you can find Jocelynne reading, exercising, and enjoying the great outdoors.

Henry Diltz

Dr. Rick Samu

Director

Dr. Rick Samu is a practicing veterinarian trained in domestic, wildlife, zoo, exotic, and conservation medicine. Raised in a musical family alongside his sister, Jocelynne Samu-Pittard, he always had a strong affinity towards the arts and recognized their importance in education and expression. However, when his studies took him to the University of Cincinnati, he quickly fell in love with animals as a volunteer at the Cincinnati Zoo. Working at the zoo through graduation, he then shifted his focus from zookeeping to vet school and moved overseas to study at the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. During his time there, he was involved in multiple wildlife and conservation projects in South Africa, Belize, and Guatemala, as well as multiple zoos within the US including Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Zoo Tampa, and Busch Gardens Tampa. After graduating in 2019, he completed an internship in Florida before moving to New York to pursue medical and surgical training in exotics and wildlife, and he’s currently pursuing postgraduate training in Conservation Medicine. He is thrilled to join the AFWILDC team as a director of social media and hopes that his efforts can help inspire more artists and wildlife enthusiasts to become involved in conservation in whatever way they can.

Darcy Symes

Director

Darcy is a longtime animal rights and wildlife conservation activist. She first visited Africa in her teens and spent 6 months traveling in Kenya’s game parks over the next few years. Her travels included an Earthwatch expedition on the spotted hyena in Kenya, and her article on their social behavior was published in the MSPCA’S Animals Magazine. Darcy left her heart on the Masai Mara, she says, and while getting her graduate degree, she went on to implement humane education programs and handle media for a Boston-based grassroots nonprofit. Her volunteerism also includes work with PETA and some barn painting at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Closer to home in Bluffton, S.C., Darcy has joined the effort to ban cruel horse-drawn carriages in Savannah, Ga. Aside from volunteering, she’s wild about music (ask her about Woodstock with her dad), travel, photography, and her amazing grandsons. An early supporter, Darcy looks forward to helping spread our mission within the global arts community.

Darcy Symes

Donny Parthemore

Director

Donny resides in Los Angeles, California, where he was born and raised. He was fortunate enough to grow up in the local L.A. music scene, learning from and working with some of the industry’s top session musicians and producers. Donny has also worked as a studio session artist and performed with numerous rock bands at popular nightclubs all over Hollywood’s famed Sunset Strip. From an early age, Donny was highly drawn to wildlife and nature, from simple daily hikes in the Angeles National Forrest as a child to volunteering at the Wildlife Waystation (a wild animal sanctuary in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley) as an adult. Donny currently works as an Executive Assistant with some of Hollywood’s A-listers and is honored to be a part of the AFWC family and its mission.

Darcy Symes
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