Lori Robinson is a safari specialist, animal communicator, and award-winning author whose work has taken her around the world and into the heart of some of nature’s most extraordinary places. For 30 years, she has led people on transformative journeys to Africa, witnessing firsthand the profound impact that a deep connection with nature can have. Now, as a Santa Barbara local, Lori is bringing that perspective closer to home. Join us on Saturday, September 19th from 1:30 - 3:00 pm in our studio for an afternoon with Lori. She will share her story and talk about the importance of reconnecting with nature, as well as share practical tips to begin or deepen your own connection to the natural world.

Question: Your connection to nature seems to go back to childhood. Where did that love of nature and animals begin?

Lori: I grew up in a menagerie of animals, next to the woods, so nature was simply part of everyday life. I was part of the last generation that could spend the entire day outside, wandering through the woods and playing in nature. We’ve really lost that in our culture, and I think that loss has had a profound impact on us.

My grandfather had a relationship with Jane Goodall’s parents, and I actually met Jane. Like so many women of my generation, I idolized what she was doing. She had this extraordinary relationship with nature, and I longed for that kind of life. I originally studied with the hope of eventually working alongside her, and years later, that dream became a reality. I ended up working with her foundation, leading groups of her high-level donors to Africa and introducing them to the projects taking place there.

Question: After spending so much time in Africa and watching people experience nature so profoundly, what did you begin to understand about our relationship with the natural world?

Lori: I started noticing something fascinating: people would go on safari and experience this enormous shift in their lives. I kept asking myself, what is happening here? What was it about being immersed in nature that could affect people so deeply?

After 30 years of taking people to Africa, I realized that we don’t have to travel halfway around the world to experience that same sense of connection. We can find it right where we are—in our neighborhoods, our gardens, our local parks, and even our own backyards.

We spend about 93% of our time indoors now, and that has created an enormous disconnect from the natural world. I think of it as “vitamin nature.” Nature is one of the best medicines we have for so much of what we’re dealing with—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Question: For someone who feels disconnected from nature—or overwhelmed by everything happening in the world—where do you suggest they begin?

Lori: That’s really what I hope people take away from my talk: easy first steps that anyone can take to deepen their connection with nature. If you already love nature, these practices can deepen that relationship. And if you feel disconnected from it, they can help you begin.

I wrote Saving Wild during a period when I was incredibly overwhelmed and frustrated by the pace of conservation work. I was struggling with the feeling that we weren’t making enough progress quickly enough. I looked to people like Jane, who continue doing extraordinary work despite everything happening in the world, and I kept asking: How do you stay inspired? How do you keep believing that you can make a difference?

That question is at the heart of what I hope to share. We can so easily become overwhelmed and convince ourselves that there’s nothing we can do. But reconnecting with nature is one way to remember that we are part of something bigger—and that our individual actions and relationships really do matter.