The Ganesh Project

There's something about elephants that has always captured my imagination and I'd been considering various ways to support elephants when in late 2010 it seemed that every time I thought or talked about elephants, I began to cry.

So, I decided to go to Thailand and find an elephant project that my art could support. From the moment I decided, the universe started to line up the invitations, the opportunities and allies. It seems to do that when you follow your heart. Two friends were running two different retreats in Chiang Mai during the same week. They both invited me to come & play & bring my jewelry to their retreats. Then three different people told me about the Elephant Nature Foundation and a tiny yet mighty woman named Lek who started it. It was in the Chiang Mai region.

As soon as I began to plan it seemed that everyone I talked to also had elephants on their hearts & tears in their eyes. Once I got there, it was both amazing and shocking at the same time. To see what one woman with the help of many had created reminded me of the strength of our community of co-inspirers - our kulas.

Yet, it was shocking to learn about the state of elephants in Thailand - the torture that is a part of their training and the starvation and abuse they suffer as participants in the elephant entertainment economy.

When I met Lek, I told her that I wanted to be one of her elephant angels and support her in the work she does for them providing both sanctuary, resources and education to change consciousness and conditions for elephants. With this project, I invite you to be an elephant angel, too, as you adorn your beautiful heart with Ganesh and the gemstones that capture your dreams and intentions.

Ganesh is the keeper of thresholds, the placer & remover of obstacles, whose trunk is always reaching for the sweetness of life just like the elephants I met. 10% of this project goes to Elephant Nature Foundation and the 35 elephants that live at the sanctuary.

You can also sponsor an elephant for only $65 a year at www.elephantnaturefoundation.org and learn more about Lek's project and maybe even visit. Reach for the sweetness of your dreams and make a difference in the world of elephants and yours as well.