2019 RECAP

It’s that time of the year again! Time for a 2019 recap!

It’s that time when you look back at all the days just passed and you realize that time really flies. The time when you think about everything that happened and everything that you’ve experienced during this year that is coming to an end. It’s time to sum up everything and also to look forward to the next year.

This has been a very busy year for me, and I definitely need some rest right now! I started 2019 with a smile on my face, and the most beautiful gift received from my wife: a Sigma 150-600mm lens for my camera! Don’t you think she knows how to make me happy? Well, thanks to this I definitely improved my wildlife photography, as I’m finally able to spot wildlife easier! Before that, I had to stick with my Canon 70-300mm lens, which is great and I still use it, but I had to get closer to the animals everytime.

Another highlight of the year has been my trip to Sumatra, Indonesia. I visited the Leuser Ecosystem, an area of forest located in North Sumatra. It has one of the world’s richest yet least-known forest systems and its vegetation is an important source of Earth’s oxygen. It is home to the largest remaining populations of the Sumatran tiger, Sumatran elephant, Sumatran rhino and the Sumatran orangutan.

Having the chance to see orangutans in the wild, together with other amazing animals, was definitely one of the best experience not only of this year, but of my entire life. They’re incredibly beautiful, incredibly human! I can’t describe the feeling of the first encounter, the look in their faces, but I assure you that it’s something you’ll never forget. Unfortunately, the loss, degradation, and fragmentation of their forest habitat, due to illegal logging, oil palm plantations and forest fires, are a big threat to their survival. In some cases, young orangutans are also illegally kept as pets.

Luckily there are some great people in the world that work for the rehabilitation and reintroduction of ex-captive or displaced individuals and for the protection of their forest habitat by preventing threats such as deforestation and hunting. I really hope that the future of orangutans will be safer!

Time was passing really fast; I promised myself that within the end of the year I had to complete the updates I wanted to do on my website. If you’re reading this, you probably noticed that I kept my promise. Just a few days ago I finally completed my work. I made this website three years ago and since then I didn’t change anything at all. So it definitely needed a fresh look. I made some graphic and content edits in every page and uploaded many more photos in each gallery. I also re-designed some of the pages, like the Galleries page.

Also check the Save The Wildlife page for example; you will notice that I added some elements to make it more dynamic and interactive. Now you have the chance to make donations and support Wild & Free – Rehabilitation and Release latest project directly from that page. Just two clicks, and you can give your precious contribute to wildlife conservation. And speaking of Wild & Free, I just received the Salma hoodies that I bought from Wild & Free – Rehabilitation and Release Shop for the Saving Salma campaign (check my previous post about this here). They’re incredibly beautiful and I really love them! Plus, by buying these hoodies, I could help the little Sumatran elephant Salma with her healing process. Make sure to get one too!

Now it’s time for me to take a little break, spend time with my family and enjoy these festive days. I’ll be off for a week to visit my wife’s family. Then I’ll be back more determined and full of energy ready to face a new year. I’m sure that the next year will be full of positive vibes and experiences for everyone. What about you? Do you have any particular expectation for the next year? What are your plans for 2020? Let me know in the comments.

Once again, I would like to thank all the people that constantly follow me and support me; you’re truly amazing, and I’m very flattered by all your kind words. I hope that you enjoyed my 2019 photography as much as I did; I’m looking forward to offer you a better experience in 2020. See you soon on My Wild Path!

I wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!