Ben Valks about Black Jaguar Foundation
It was early 2011 when I met Ben Valks. I vaguely remember that we were introduced to each other because of our shared love of adventure. Ben had published his book ‘No Risk, No Life’ some time before that. In it, he recounts his adventure, during which he rode his Argentinian motorbike, a BMW 1200 GS, from Anchorage to Ushuaia on Tierra del Fuego. I had just come back from a massive adventure myself, in preparation for the Pan-American Road Trip.
Ben in Ushuaia, the final stop on his motorbike adventure
Johan in conversation with Ben Valks
During our Gente Mágica interview, Johan spoke to Ben Valks about his adventure through Latin America, his search for the Black Jaguar and the Black Jaguar Foundation.
An impressive adventure
Ben’s story really captivated me. I bought his book and read it in one go. Without a doubt, for me it is one of the finest travel books I have ever read. It is a passionate life story of someone who pursues his dreams and doesn’t stray from them even when things get tough. He grew up in Boxtel, Brabant. Whenever he failed at something as a child, his parents would say: “Can’t is in the graveyard and Won’t is next to it.” A saying that I can really relate to, because it was always a common saying in my own home too.
No Risk, No Life
After travelling from 2005 to 2008, Ben returned to the Netherlands. As he searched for a new purpose in his life, he reflected on a number of moments and memories. One of his greatest wishes during his travels through South America had, unfortunately, not come true: spotting the black jaguar. Ben undertook no fewer than 22 fruitless expeditions in the hope of spotting this majestic animal. Although he did not manage to see the jaguar, which so captures the imagination, the images of deforestation in the Brazilian Cerrado and Amazon – the habitats of black jaguars – remained etched in his mind.
Meanwhile, he decided to write a book about his adventure and found a co-author in Brenda Smeenge. Brenda, whom he had met through his close family, had just given up her busy job in marketing to fulfil her dream of becoming a writer, which fitted seamlessly with the book’s theme, ‘No Risk, No Life’. Together, they decided to donate the proceeds from the book to nature conservation in Brazil. For Ben, this felt like the first time in years that he was truly giving something back to our planet, and it left him wanting more.
People are starting forest fires to clear land for livestock farming
His mission: the Black Jaguar Foundation
He could easily have returned to the business world, but that would have been too easy for him. The words of the American essayist, naturalist and social philosopher Henry David Thoreau, with which he began his book *No Risk, No Life*, came clearly to mind:
“Do not lose hold of your dreams, for if you do, you may still exist but you have ceased to live.”
It was clear to Ben. He had a new, ambitious life mission, through which he wanted to make a significant positive impact on the world. In 2011, Ben Valks founded the Black Jaguar Foundation (BJF), one of the largest reforestation projects in Brazil. It is an ambitious, yet very well thought-out and thoroughly prepared project, which we at Sapa Pana Travel have been supporting since the start of this year. We offset the carbon footprint of all our activities and the trips we organise by investing in the Black Jaguar Foundation’s project.
A conversation with Ben Valks
During our Gente Mágica interview, Johan spoke to Ben Valks about his adventure through Latin America, his search for the Black Jaguar and the Black Jaguar Foundation.
Please get in touch for more information
For more information about this interview or sustainable travel with Sapa Pana Travel, please feel free to contact us. We’d be happy to help. Send an email to info@sapapanatravel.nl or call us on +31 73 610 62 04. We’d be happy to help.