Nature Needs Us: The Story of Ecoflix

Nature needs us: The story of Ecoflix

As a child I was blessed, but unaware how fortunate I was to be able to see and enjoy nature in its nearly pristine condition. It took decades for me to even begin to grasp the reality that every bird, insect, fish, tree, etc., was just part of a complex system, operating in a mind-numbing harmony. Each played its part as a necessary component of the whole system. The first wave of comprehension was stunning.  The simple beauty of dissimilar living things coordinating in perfect balance still mesmerizes me today. 

As I grew up and entered the world of mankind, my career efforts pretty much consumed me. Yet somehow, against all odds, my personal evolution continued. Although I became a trial lawyer, my love of nature, and particularly animals, remained important to me. And almost as if led by some invisible force, I found a way to harmonize my love for animals and natural environments with my career. 

My fascination with nature’s perfection enthralled me, until I recognized a sad and serious change underway. Our world had seemingly broken into two parts, effectively in competition with each other. “Civilization” was growing without concern and almost always at the expense of nature.

Wild spaces were disappearing, and even domestic animals suffered needlessly from human insensitivity. For the first time, I became aware that even animals needed legal assistance. Lost, abused, and disregarded, creatures of every shape and size needed help surviving in the presence of humans.  This made it an easy decision to step where I could, eventually becoming a 40-year pro bono passion project.  At the same time, my wife and I opened our hearts and our home to animals in need.  

Eventually, the Covid pandemic prompted my retirement from the practice of law. And while I found more available time, I felt less able to help animals. The law had been my tool to make a difference. But I soon discovered a new calling.

I wanted to maintain the beautiful bond I felt with the animals I served. Only after my retirement did I recall something my grandfather once told me. I was too young to process his wisdom at the time. But remarkably, I never forgot his exact words.  And with much life experience behind me, they finally made perfect sense. He said: “David, all living things are connected. We share a universal, creative intelligence.”  Simply put, he meant that all living things need each other to survive.

That moment from my childhood brought everything into focus, prompting me to create the Ecoflix Foundation. Founded and funded on blind faith, we are now a U.S. and U.K. nonprofit dedicated to saving animals and the planet.  Our Ecoflix channel is available worldwide, on any device, providing a global platform for beautiful and inspiring films, as well as for wildlife filmmakers in need of a venue to showcase their important work.  

100% of Ecoflix subscriptions go to our NGO partners, chosen by subscribers. We proudly support the work of amazing nonprofits like Elephant Nature Park in Thailand, Wildlife SOS in India, Over and Above Africa, Mercy for Animals, Born Free, and many others, all featured on Ecoflix.    

We also respond directly to address critical animal and planetary issues, stepping in to help where other organizations are not already involved.  Some examples of our direct efforts include:

• Ecoflix original films focusing on the beauty and challenges facing animals and the planet. Most have won prestigious awards at film festivals around the world.

• Our Whale Watch program is designed to help save whales killed by the thousands by ships crossing our oceans. We hope to reduce and eventually eliminate those fatal collisions.

• Ecoflix premiered a groundbreaking film produced by The Civet Project, exposing the truth behind the sale of civet coffee. How it is made, and its harmful impacts on civets, have long been a secret. Their film prompted news accounts convincing global travel companies to remove civet coffee promotions from their sites.   

• The Ecoflix Foundation purchased an interest in 7,400 acres in Botswana to safeguard it against poaching and human encroachment, all while conducting conservation research and teaching the lost art of wildlife filmmaking.

• In addition to highlighting the incredible work of Lek Chailert and her Elephant Nature Park, Ecoflix helped secure additional land for ENP to allow healthy elephants to live free, without human contact, observed only from elevated forest walkways. 

• Ecoflix told the story of Janet the baby chimp, rescued by our partner – Tacugama Chimpanzee Rescue in Sierra Leone. Covered by PEOPLE magazine, it exposed the cruel consequences of keeping wild animals as pets.

• Ecoflix also enjoys the support of a growing list of celebrities who love animals, including Beau Bridges, Tea Leone, Alicia Silverstone, William Shatner, Alan Cumming, Tim Daly and Peter Egan who lend their voices for Ecoflix film narrations, share on social media, and more.

• We spread the word about One Health, an approach to climate change that is rooted in indigenous practices and loops back to my grandfather’s words. It recognizes that the health of the planet cannot be separated from the health of all humans, animals, plants and their living environment. Our head of conservation, Ian Redmond, a world-renowned biologist and OBE (who worked with Dian Fossey) shares his expertise to educate the public on this concept.

Our goal is to unite people who share our vision. We cannot survive without clean air, clean water, and soil capable of growing things. Everything is connected, and we must accept that we are part of nature, not as we pretend, apart from nature.  

Nature needs us!