Community Spotlight: A Lecture by Renowned Author Frans de Waal

By Victoria R. Crosby

Tucker resident, Primatologist and Ethologist Frans de Waal, the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Primate Behavior in the Department of Psychology at Emory University’s Psychology Department, now retired, is an internationally renowned author who was named as one of Time Magazine’s top 100 most influential people in the world. Neighbors of de Waal, Susan and Joel Gilbert, invited him to give a lecture for local residents, which he titled, “Politics, Morality, Gender, You Name It, Other Primates Have It, Too.”

The free event was open to everyone, and several hundred people attended.

Chimpanzee Politics was Frans de Waal’s first book in 1982 and is still being published. This book, and his TED talk, compare the behavior of chimps and their power struggles to human behavior in the political arena.

During his lecture de Waal showed video footage of humorous and intelligent animal behavior and cited the experiments of Wolfgang Kohler between 1912 and 1920 to prove that animals can think. In one experiment chimps were given a box and sticks and attempted to knock down bananas hung up high. One chimp positioned the box at the tallest level and was able to knock down the bananas easily. Three female chimps used this method to bring down a drone, which showed pre-planning, as the chimp waited on the box for the drone to pass overhead and used the stick to knock it down.

Another clip showed two monkeys being fed pieces of cucumbers. However, when one was fed a cucumber piece and another was given a grape, the chimp who received the cucumber got angry, threw the cucumber, and raged at the trainer, like a two-year-old child’s temper tantrum. The audience recognized this sort of behavior and laughed.

“We are all apes without tails,” Frans de Waal explained. He also talked about the males always trying to dominate, and the female’s

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Revere Beach, Massachusetts,” explains Doug. “Both of the organizations need new vehicles, so I am helping these charities to raise enough funds to acquire those new vehicles. The best part? I got to ‘take’ everyone along!”

Taking friends, family, and stakeholders along was done via social media. Doug faithfully blogged his way across the USA, supported by Crossroads Cycling Adventures. “We dipped our wheels in the Pacific before we took off,” says Doug, “and then dipped them in again once we arrived at the Atlantic. Each day held a different adventure with constantly changing scenery.”

One of his favorite stops was in Maysville, Missouri where school was still in session on June 4th. “We stopped in the parking lot of the school to group up prior to riding into town to be formally received,” says Doug. “The kids went wild for us and asked so many questions about our bikes, the trip, and where we were from. It was a great time and one of many cherished photos from along the way.”

Doug worked hard to entertain and entice his audience to participate in his fundraising trip. One post featured a poll from the participants at Exceptional Foundation of Atlanta. Although they all thought “crossing the desert on a bike with no name” (a reference to the song by America) was appropriate, they decided that an official name was needed. “They suggested names and put it to a vote,” says Doug. “That is how the mechanical wonder I was riding became forevermore known as THE FLASH!”

Interacting with the folks back home became more and more fun as Doug used his many hours “in the saddle” to think up ways to engage followers on social media and convert them to donors. “I am not sure if I was in my right mind when I thought up the ‘Leg Waxing Challenge,’” says Doug. “There were lots of people who were following, but not contributing, so I took action.” The challenge stated that if $5,000 was raised on both the Exceptional Foundation of Atlanta’s site and the Special Kneads and Treats site, Doug would wax his legs – one for each organization. While the stunt definitely upped viewership and awareness of both EFA and Special Kneads, Doug fell short of his goal. “I guess I will keep my legs the way they are!” says Doug. He went on to describe how important it was to him that his ride and social media posts brought both organizations into the spotlight among those who followed along Doug’s ride.

To virtually take the same road as Doug’s journey, check out his Facebook Page: Cycling at a Higher Level. Once there, followers can see hundreds of photos of Americana taken from the backroads and towns along the route Doug and his group took. Mountains, plains, downtowns, big cities, and loads of “Welcome to…” signs document the journey. In each photo of Doug, followers can see the custom-made jerseys sporting EFA and Special Kneads logos.

Peddling for miles, soaking up the sights, and thinking things through were gifts Doug, with the support of his family, gave to himself. It isn’t easy to push yourself sometimes. The past two years have been more than difficult for everyone. Getting outside, doing something, no matter how small, is a great way to gain perspective on what is important. Whether it is cycling at a higher level or something like walking, gardening, writing, singing, painting, or drawing, Doug’s perspective is that one should strive to do those beneficial things at the highest level possible, leading everyone to seek that which makes them individually – exceptional.

Doug’s epic journey ended on June 26th. The group, who had grown closer over the two month journey, ceremoniously dipped their tires in the Atlantic Ocean to signify the end of the trail. While they would be parting company, they would be leaving one another with a sense of accomplishment – both individually and as a group – and with a new bond of brotherhood and sisterhood to take home with them.