Welcome to Jennie of the Jungle!

Standing on the grass in Clapham Common as the sun goes down, swaying to the heavy beats of Sasha and John Digweed, two of the greatest DJs in the world. My best friends are at my side, eyes rolled toward the twighlit heavens, along with the hundreds of colorful, face-painted individuals all riding the same musical waves of contentment and ecstasy. This is a picture of Southwest Four (SW4), a two-day festival that occurs annually in London, England. This is one of the easier festivals to attend, as it's just a hop skip and a jump on the tube to get to the Common, and there's no camping so you can amble home (or to the afterparty) after dark and come back in the morning, refreshed for a second round. If you can find the way home, that is. Getting home was quite the task for my friends and I after a full day of music, dancing, and red bull-vodkas. An hour after finally figuring out which direction to go, a two-hour colorful bus ride later filled by random conversation with a Braz...

What's better than hoppin' DJs, jumpin' beats, and a whole bunch of dancin' animals enjoying themselves? Doin' it all in the name of charity! I decided to bring my two loves together, wildlife and nightlife, in 2008 while I was living in London, because I knew I wasn't the only person who loved both. And believe me, there's nothing better than gettin' down for a good cause. It was simple: gather some charitable DJs, ask around for a venue (my first party was in one-half of a bar, rent-free) and use social networking to invite friends, friends of friends, and anyone else interested in the cause. In 2008 I was doing some volunteer work for Wildlife SOS UK , an organization dedicated to saving wildlife used for entertainment (particularly dancing bears), as well as wildlife rescue, in India. So 100 percent of the $5 entrance fee I charged at the door was sent to them, as well as donations we asked for from other bar patrons. Though the party was small and t...