Wny conservation needs a Kodama

We are at a unique stage in our history. Never before have we had such an awareness of what we are doing to the planet, and never before have we had the power to do something about that. —Sir David Attenborough

Blue Planet II led the viewer on a journey through the immense beauty of the oceans, but also brought to the forefront the challenges they face. In his Netflix series Our Planet, Sir David issued a powerful warning that “we are in the midst of the Earth’s sixth mass extinction”. If we continue on our current path, then most of life on Earth will disappear forever. However, if we seek to safeguard what precious little is still left and allow nature to recover, then together we can both thrive into the future.

What is Kodama?

In Shintoism, Kodama are spirits believed to inhabit ancient and sacred trees. The presence of Kodama is a sign that the forest is healthy. Kodamas have been popularised by Studio Ghibli’s film Princess Mononoke, which follows Prince Ashitaka’s involvement in a struggle between the gods of the forest and the humans who consume its resources. Kodama lived and died with the Forest Spirit and reappeared when the land was healed.

In ancient times, the land lay covered in forests, where, from ages long past, dwelt the spirits of the gods. Back then, man and beast lived in harmony, but as time went by, most of the great forests were destroyed. Those that remained were guarded by gigantic beasts who owed their allegiance to the Great Forest Spirit. For those were the days of gods and of demons… -Princess Mononoke

We chose the name Kodama due to its symbolic meaning. We believe the planet is only healthy if all lives can thrive on it - and what better way to represent this belief than these little creatures who symbolise the spirit of life?

What is Kodama Travel?

In short, Kodama Travel is a marketplace for responsible travel experiences.

We make it easy for travellers to discover and book extraordinary and responsible experiences without needing to rely on platforms that continue profiting from wildlife exploitation. We were founded by conservationists and are endorsed by World Animal Protection.

We work with operators who use tourism income to fund habitat restoration and wildlife conservation programmes, and follow a strict no-touch policy for all wildlife experiences. We also support the “Empty the Tank” movement by working with ethical marine safari tours instead of aquarium-based activities. To reduce economic leakage, we prioritise working with locally-owned and operated partners.

Who is behind Kodama Travel?

I'm Amy, founder of Kodama Travel. I'm a former consultant turned conservationist. I hold a BA in Geography and an MSc in Conservation from University College London (UCL). I lived half of my life in China, and the other half in the UK. With my partner, who is English-Danish-Indonesian and works in freshwater conservation, we have a shared love for nature, wildlife, and experiencing and embracing different cultures and customs.

Kodama was born from my love of nature and wildlife. As an avid traveller, I’ve explored 34 countries so far, and I’m constantly in awe of our planet’s beauty. At the same time, I’ve seen firsthand the exploitation of wildlife and local communities in the travel industry. Kodama is my way of creating change — a start-up with a big vision: to make travel a force for good and to put an end to animal exploitation. I believe responsible travel should be the norm, not an exception.

We also have two adopted cats, Kiki and Neko, who inspired us to put our conservation passion into practice.

What is ahead?

The founding philosophy of Kodama is both simple and ambitious. We are unwavering in our commitment to bring wildlife exploitation in the travel sector to an end, while striving to support local businesses that give back to the community so that economic benefits from tourism stay local. At Kodama, we are not just building a marketplace or a platform, but a community and a movement.

Through changes over eons, we see the fragility and resilience of the pale blue dot and its inhabitants. The Earth has been through five mass extinction events, yet none were driven by an intelligent and sentient species. Whether we can rebuild a society that respects and protects the planet, and treat the Earth as one we owe, not one we own, will test our collective imagination and resolve. The sum of our choices and the strength of our convictions define our history and will certainly shape our future.