Student Speaker Series Educator Resources: Ami Vitale
Ami Vitale is a Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic photographer, writer, speaker and documentary filmmaker has travelled to more than 100 countries, documenting the heartbreaking realities of war to witnessing the inspiring power of individuals making a difference.
Visit Ami’s website to learn more about her story and see some of her amazing photographs.
Learn even more about Ami at Changemaker Talent.
Educators, did you recently attend a talk? Let us know what you thought
Background Information
These links have been compiled as a companion to the Vital Impacts Student Speaker Series Educator Resources here. Click here to download the full educator resources packet.
Articles
“Warriors Who Once Feared Elephants Now Protect Them.” Photography, National Geographic, 25 May 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/
Vitale, Ami. “What I learned documenting the last male northern white rhino’s death.” National Geographic, October, 2019, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/life-changing-lessons-of-the-last-male-northern-white-rhino.
Films and Video
Vitale, Ami, director. Remembering Sudan: The Last Male Northern White Rhino, 24 Apr. 2023, https://vimeo.com/817728435. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023. (This video on Vimeo requires a password: saverhinos.)
Run time: 11 minutes, followed by a short discussion by Zacharia Mutai and filmmaker Ami Vitale
Vitale, Ami, director. Shaba: A Film About Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, 7 Sept. 2021, https://vimeo.com/599762319. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023. (This video on Vimeo requires a password: mathews.)
Run time: 11 minutes
Vitale, Ami. “Falling in Love with a Unicorn: Ami Vitale: Tedxbergamo.” YouTube, uploaded by TedX Talks, 20 May 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00bunXTIKJw. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
Run time: ~16 minutes
Vitale, Ami, director. “Behind the Scenes at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary.” Vimeo, 12 Aug. 2019, https://vimeo.com/353382014. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
Run time: 5 minutes
Websites
Welcome to ElephantVoices. ElephantVoices, 2023, https://www.elephantvoices.org/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin. Biorescue, 2023, https://www.biorescue.org/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
Home - Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants. 2023, https://www.exploringbytheseat.com/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
View recordings of their Global Biodiversity Festival presentations. Global Biodiversity Festival Year 4, Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, 30 Aug. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwKFsJZmdxpFfbyVWQ0_gCyWoXhGAqY3a.
Global Biodiversity Festival Year 3, Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, 24 July. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwKFsJZmdxpGryUYol9hbrpGZZmBhbO3G.
Global Biodiversity Festival Year 2, Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, 20 July. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwKFsJZmdxpEhK9d-PHhHQqQgdM-2Xay0.
Global Biodiversity Festival Year 1, Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, 24 July. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwKFsJZmdxpGLflfxa9I5lXsmBoDeRMD0.
Vitale, Ami. "Ami Vitale | Extreme Conservation." Youtube, uploaded by Exploring By The Seat Of Your Pants, 28 May 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p189g_ao-ks. Accessed 14 Oct. 2023.
"Live from Ol Pejeta Conservancy | Extinction." Youtube, uploaded by Exploring By The Seat Of Your Pants, 29 May 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le2xKaHPycE. Accessed 14 Oct. 2023.
Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. Project Wild K12 Guide. 2022, https://www.fishwildlife.org/projectwild/project-wild. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
Elephant Field Book
"Field Book Activity: Making and Recording Observations." National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute, https://naturalhistory.si.edu/education/teaching-resources/life-science/field-book-activity-making-and-recording-observations. Accessed 14 Oct. 2023.
Reteti Elephant Sanctuary [@r.e.s.c.u.e]. Video of baby elephant. Instagram, recorded by The Daily James [@thedailyjames], 13 Jul. 2023, https://www.instagram.com/p/CupoqH6IEVu/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2023.
Reteti Elephant Sanctuary [@r.e.s.c.u.e]. Video of Reteti Run on World Environment Day. Instagram, 5 Jun. 2023. https://www.instagram.com/p/CtHoWeYI0AR/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2023.
Reteti Elephant Sanctuary [@r.e.s.c.u.e]. Video of elephant dust bath. Instagram, recorded by The Daily James [@thedailyjames], 19 Apr. 2023, https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrOxYgyIrwr/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2023.
Reteti Elephant Sanctuary [@r.e.s.c.u.e]. Video of rewilding elephants. Instagram, 29 Mar. 2023, https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqY71CuoV3I/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2023.
Reteti Elephant Sanctuary [@r.e.s.c.u.e]. Video of adoption update. Instagram, 21. Nov. 2022, https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClPZCu7qt7q/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2023.
What Does it Mean to be Endangered?
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, 2023, https://www.iucnredlist.org/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2023.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Interpreting Ami's photos. Download a pdf of Ami Vitale's photographs to discuss using the questions found in the Vital Impacts Educator Resources for Ami Vitale.
Read and Discuss
Daly, Natasha. "For orphaned elephants, friends may be key to stress relief." National Geographic, 14 Jul. 2022, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/for-orphaned-elephants-friends-may-be-key-to-stress-relief. Accessed 14 Oct. 2023.