Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, made a trip to Rhode Island, in part to promote her latest novel A Most Intriguing Lady at the Ocean House in Watch Hill. The duchess made Newport a stop on her itinerary Thursday, July 25, to visit The Great Elephant Migration that has taken over parts of the Cliff Walk and the oceanfront lawn in front of McAuley Hall at Salve Regina University.
The university lawn hosts 52 elephants out of the 100-strong Asian elephant herd, including a particular red elephant named Mayflower. Mayflower is one of the matriarchs of the elephant herd. Her matriarch “twin” is the duchess, which is why out of all the elephants, Mayflower is a distinctive red color; it is symbolic for the duchess’s iconic red hair.
Ferguson, a major philanthropist to charities and causes all over the world, has been a patron of the Elephant Family for years, a foundation that seeks to protect Asian wildlife and strike a balance of coexistence between wild animals and humans. The Great Elephant Migration is the Elephant Family’s latest project.
“To see the real migration of elephants, to understand that we need to protect the planet, we really need to work and listen to young people because we’ve done a lot of damage,” the duchess said, referencing the importance of giving space to younger generations – like Gen Z – to have their voices heard and to carry the torch of environmental activism. “I’m so delighted to come here today to Salve Regina to be able to highlight that youth impact is crucial.”
The key to having the greatest positive impact is to “listen. Look. Learn. And with compassion, act,” Ferguson said. Referencing the migratory elephants, she gave the example of moving houses out of the way of the elephants’ seasonal nomadic travels as way to peacefully coexist with nature. “Why should we hurt the elephant? Why ask them to change?” the duchess demanded. “We change, because we listen.”
Emphasizing our ability to listen, learn, and adapt to harmonize with nature, The Great Elephant Migration touts that in the Nilgiri Hills of India, 150 elephants share space with a quarter of a million people, and overall, 80 percent of the elephants’ range in India is outside of protected areas. Smart fences and AI-based monitoring systems help hold this peace, but the human-elephant relationship in India is ultimately founded on collective empathy for other living beings.
A public environmental art exhibition, The Great Elephant Migration fuses art and activism. The incredible craftsmanship and beauty of the elephant statues attracts tourists, which, in turn, acts as a way to educate and spread awareness about the coexistence initiative and the ongoing fight for wildlife restoration. Members of the herd are replicas of real wild elephants known to the Coexistence Collective, the group of indigenous artisans in Southern India who sculpted the herd. As the duchess noted to Dr. Kelli Armstrong, President of Salve Regina University, art has an incredibly important role to play in activism, as it can showcase and broadcast social issues in a way that can reach all audiences. Ferguson was delighted that the elephants came to Salve Regina because of the university’s roots in the liberal arts tradition and the emphasis the university places on art and community.
On her journey to meet Mayflower and the rest of the herd, Ferguson brought Little Red, a doll mascot that represents her youth charity work, and stressed that she is casting her gaze to the children in Ukraine right now. The doll, Ferguson explained, was “the only object to survive the North Tower of 9/11, and she stands for children’s rights all over the world. She symbolizes for me to never give up,” a message that is relevant and reverberates through all of her philanthropic work. United by the color red and humanitarian representation, “Big Red,” as the Duchess described herself, delighted a crowd of children and adult onlookers as she brokered the first meeting between Little Red the doll and Little Red the elephant. “I’m super-gran with purpose,” the duchess declared. Or, she qualified, simply “a badass with purpose.”
During her visit, Ferguson talked with The Great Migration Team on the ground at Salve Regina. Aubrey Baker, one of the managers of the exhibit and the volunteers, explained that the groundskeeping team does not cut the grass under the herd’s feet. “We want the elephants to truly look like they’re moving, they’re walking,” she said. The illusion of a true elephant migration in Newport reflects the spirit of the Cliff Walk and connects with oceanside walkers; the migrating humans – those who walk the 7-mile round-trip loop – can feel like they are a part of the greater migrating elephant herd.
In early September, the elephants will continue their migration to New York City, where the duchess promised to make another appearance to support the next leg of the herd’s trans-American journey.
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Photo Credit: Jack Casey
So proud of Salve Regina University ( the entire team of leaders) for making the Great Elephant Migration at home in Newport!!!! Hundreds of us are enjoying this spectacular exhibit!!! Thanks!!!!