comedy for conservation

Rev. Father Thomas Berry
Before the world knew him as a pioneering environmentalist and author of The Great Work and The Dream of the Earth, our family simply called him Uncle Brother. Rev. Father Thomas Berry — born William Nathan Berry Junior, descendant of the great Chief Powhatan — devoted his entire life to one profound message: that humanity and the natural world are not separate. That every creature, no matter how strange or improbable, deserves our protection and our reverence.
He shared that message in lecture halls, in academic texts, and in theological circles around the world. But first he shared it at our family's Sunday dinner table. "We heard his message before the world did." Now it's our turn to carry it forward. Sile (Sheila) and Mister Dimples are doing exactly that — in the most unexpected way imaginable. Through ventriloquism, comedy, and one platypus puppet with a very bad Australian accent, we're bringing Uncle Brother's lifelong mission to audiences he never could have reached. To families. To children. To anyone who has ever laughed at something and then felt it change them.
Because laughter is not the opposite of serious work. Sometimes it's the most powerful vehicle for it. Mister Dimples represents everything Uncle Brother believed in. The platypus — so bizarre that scientists once thought it was a hoax — is proof that creation is stranger and more magnificent than we can imagine. Uncle Brother believed we needed to appreciate ALL of creation. Even the weird. Even the improbable. Even the ones that look like they were assembled from spare parts.
​"Uncle Brother — Rev. Father Thomas Berry — at home with family. "The world knew the philosopher. We knew the man."  - Sile Michaela
Our conservation mission is simple:
— Raise awareness for platypus conservation through comedy and storytelling
— Feature conservation organizations and shine a spotlight on their vital work
— Honor Uncle Brother's legacy by making his message fun, accessible, and action oriented

Uncle Brother spent his life warning that we must save the animals to save ourselves. We're trying to make that message something people laugh at, remember, and act on. One platypus at a time. 🦆 "When the animals go, we go."
— Rev. Father Thomas Berry
Below-Thomas Berry with my father Leo James "Boots" Kelleher. They were...