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Mandela van Eeden
Sporting Communications Coordinator
Growing up, Mandela spent a season in Africa, a season in Montana and various seasons traveling the world with her parents. Mandela was raised in the bushveld at the most southern point of Africa and in the mountains, rivers and open plains of Montana. Her grandparents created a private nature reserve in South Africa and growing up there cultivated a passion for wildlife conservation and habitat stewardship. Mandela started documenting stories around conservation in China and Australia as a teenager and, to this day, her intention is to seek and share knowledge by producing video, audio, print and live multimedia storytelling. At 18, Mandela started her career as a radio producer and wilderness guide. After graduating from the University of Montana with a B.S. in Marketing and Media Arts, she continued her 15 year career as a producer and full time river guide working in Morocco, Southern Africa, New Zealand, Idaho, Montana and the Grand Canyon. Mandela spent half her life guiding multi day expeditions because she feels people who spend time in wild places are more likely to fight to protect them. To this day she strongly believes children are our greatest natural resource and whenever possible she does outreach at schools in order to inspire the next generation of conservationists. Mandela lives in the mountains on the edge of Missoula, Montana, and spends her free time in the forest around her home, whitewater kayaking, fishing, teaching primitive skills and exploring Montana backroads with her old Land Rover. She greatly values the ancient knowledge of elders and the process of hunting and gathering locally and mindfully.
