Hello!
We’re David & Esther Zimmer.
At 44, we took a year off to bicycle from Turkey to Thailand. We sought to strip our lives down to its simplest elements: water, food, shelter and turning the pedals.
We wanted to see which of life’s complexities we’d reintroduce once we returned to our lives in London. Surprisingly, we didn’t miss much and found we didn’t need much either. This minimalist mindset stayed with us even after returning home.
Eight months into our journey, David contracted dengue fever in Cambodia. While battling a 40°C (104°F) fever for over ten days, a simple idea emerged and lingered:
Act Big. Live Small.
Our travels had made us acutely aware of the impact our individual actions have on the environment. We were shocked to find rubbish even in the most remote landscapes, to experience the suffocating smog caused by fires lit to clear land for palm oil plantations, and to witness water shortages leading to economic hardship.
The mountains in our logo symbolise our connection with nature and our responsibility to protect it.
You can read about our journey and the birth of Act Big Live Small in a beautiful essay by David here.
A core philosophy of Act Big Live Small is the belief that everyday actions by individuals can make a difference. But where do you begin?
Volunteering at Elephant Nature Park (ENP) in Thailand helped us find the answer. We were inspired by the elephants and by the example set by the park’s founder, Lek Chailert, whose work demonstrates how leading by example and showing compassion can create remarkable, lasting change.
We knew we wanted to support Asian elephant conservation, so becoming Ambassadors for Save Elephant Foundation (SEF) was a natural first step. Founded by Lek, SEF is a non-profit organisation that supports a range of ethical Asian elephant projects, including Elephant Nature Park.
This felt like a natural fit. We had seen first-hand the positive impact of Save Elephant Foundation and Elephant Nature Park – not only on the elephants and other animals in their care, but also on the people, communities and environment around them.
We’re developing content to showcase practical examples of everyday activism and inspire people to make meaningful change. We also provide small, personally funded grants to individuals pursuing their own Act Big Live Small projects.
Alongside this, we continue to support Asian elephant conservation and Save Elephant Foundation through our time, funding and awareness-raising initiatives.
We hope Act Big Live Small inspires you.
Image credit: Save Elephant Foundation
We Are the Act Big Live Small Team
Seth Kybird
Trustee Esther Zimmer
David Zimmer
Co-founder & Trustee
Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS) Co-founder & Chair of Trustees
Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS)