When I was 12 years old, my parents got me a little film camera. I used to make comedy sketches of all kinds of silly things. At 17 years old I decided I wanted to do something more with my passion. For three years I studied photography but found out that videography was more my thing.  

Now I've made filming my fulltime job. My sketches turned into documentaries where I got to hear loving and interesting stories from many people. I've been a horse girl for pretty much most of my life. Combining my love for horses and videography is why I take part in this project. To conserve the endangered horses and share the knowledge of their caretakers and breeders. Let's make the numbers that are still out there, count.

Alieke Datema

Videographer

Spending time with my horse and listening to my grandmother talk about life are two of my favourite childhood memories. I found my Omi's stories to be remarkable. The happy, the sad, and everything in between. This fascination for personal stories never left.

Looking back, it seems only natural that I decided to study Psychology. I also fell in love with travel during this time. Simultaneously I saw the damaging effects of anthropogenic practices on nature. I became deeply passionate about sustainability and biodiversity conservation and decided to pursue a masters in Environment and Resource Management. In my daily life, I work against tropical deforestation at a non-profit organization and write a sustainable travel blog.

As an interviewer and writer for the Equine Legacy Project, I am able to use my knowledge in psychology and biodiversity to write about the importance of endangered horses in our world and give a voice to the communities surrounding them.

The Equine Legacy project is my sweet spot, combining horses, travel, biodiversity conservation and of course: stories. I can’t wait to share them with you.

Valerie de Vries

Writer