The elephant population in Africa has been reduced from over a million in 1980 to about 400,000 today. Fueled by the Asian drive for ivory, African countries continue to kill tens of thousands elephants every year for ivory trinkets, statuettes and cigarette holders. For Cyril Christo and Marie Wilkinson, this is a worldwide tragedy that must be stopped. Their photographs argue that the elephant has played a key role in world mythology and culture and that these singular beings are critical to our spiritual and ecological place in the world. The story of African elephants warns us that we may lose them at our own peril. Their future is our fate.

Christo and Wilkinson will discuss documenting the disappearance of the essence of Africa and their book Walking Thunder. Christo is a poet, whose film A Stitch for Time (an anti-nuclear documentary) was nominated for an Academy Award in 1988. His collections of poetry include The Twilight Language and Hiroshima, My Love. Wilkinson is an architect and photographer.

The two live in Santa Fe, New Mexico.