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Q & A with Africa’s Eden

July 29, 2010 By admin 1 Comment

Gabon’s tourism – most of it sustainable tourism – will quite possibly vanish by the end of August. The sudden withdrawal of Africa’s Eden, the main creator of tourism to the country, spells disaster for many people’s dreams, the country’s name, and a section of the economy. The marketing director for Africa’s Eden, Jacqueline Van den Broek, answers questions about what went wrong.

A World Different How long have you been in Gabon?

Van den Broek Africa’s Eden grew from a pilot project named Operation Loango, initiated in 2001, with the aim to conserve the pristine nature of Gabon through small-scale tourism. Loango National Park was one of the 13 new parks created in 2002, and it did well thanks to thanks to the efforts of SCD (Société de Conservation et Développement) and its parent company, Africa’s Eden.

AWD What kind of money and infrastructure did you put in there”

Van den Broek Fifteen million Euros for aviation, tourism, education infrastructure (we built school in the village, educated eco guides), and three million Euros went directly to conservation projects.

AWD Why did you choose Gabon as a venture?

Van den Broek Rombout Swanborn, Africa’s Edens’ owner, grew up there, saw the beauty and fragility of the ecosystem, and wanted to protect it via an entrepreneurial and sustainable way.

AWD Can you say a little about the owner of Africa’s Eden?

Van den Broek Rombout Swanborn spent part of his childhood in the Gamba region of Gabon. When he returned to Gabon after many years, he realized that west central Africa is one of the few places on earth that has remained relatively untouched by humankind, and that it deserves to be conserved for current and future generations. Africa’s Eden’s approach aims to establish and sustain west central Africa as a unique global destination for tourism, in order to conserve and protect its natural and cultural heritage.

AWD What has gone wrong now in Gabon?

Van den Broek The move is a result of the failure of negotiations following a dispute between the Gabonese civil aviation authorities (ANAC) and Africa’s Eden’s sister company, SCD Aviation, which ran a regional airline charter company to transport tourists from the capital Libreville to the park. Even active support of key members of Gabonese government could not prevent the severe consequence of a malfunctioning civil aviation authority that failed to create the conditions necessary for regular and safe aviation transportation: SCD Aviation was consistently refused the renewal of its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), even though all requirements were met.

Another consequence of this problematic situation is the fact that the European Union blacklisted all Gabonese airlines in 2008 when a large number of deficiencies were reported with regards to the capability of ANAC “to perform their air safety oversight responsibilities. More than 93 percent of the ICAO standards were not implemented.” This was the lowest percentage of all audited countries, and makes ANAC in Gabon one of the poorest performing civil aviation authorities in the world.

AWD You have the support of some of the government, though?

Van den Broek Correct. But ANAC is a fairly independent operating agency which apparently is hard to control from government side. This remains, however, also one of our own questions.

AWD Gabon got a lot of publicity in America and elsewhere the last few years as a travel destination. Do you think that was largely (if not solely) due to Africa’s Eden?

Van den Broek Africa’s Eden has always actively sought publicity and welcomed journalist and film crews from all over the world. Publications in National Geographic and documentaries on BBC and Animal Planet contributed to create awareness. Apart from that we went to all the large travel trade shows to promote Gabon.

AWD Do you think this is going to change things for the country?

Van den Broek Yes, they will lose their spot on the tourism map, I’m afraid. Without a decent tourism infrastructure in the national parks, tourism development as a serious economic sector will not happen.

AWD Is this a typical case of African corruption or how do you see it?

Van den Broek I am not the person to make these kind of qualifications, we can only see the result of this conflict by no longer having international tourists visiting Gabon. Other countries like Malawi, Cameroon, Sao Tome and Principe won’t stand still. In other words, if you don’t develop other countries will.

AWD Africa’s Eden is strongly in favor of sustainable tourism, isn’t it? Was this having a positive effect in Gabon?

Vandenbroek Very much so. One only has to consider the conservation projects conducted. Apart from that we created many jobs and education and provided a stable economic base for people in Gabon.

AWD How many people came to Gabon as a result of Africa’s Eden having camps and lodges there?

Vandenbroek Africa’s Eden realized 8000 bed nights a year

AWD What is your next move?

Vandenbroek As long as there is no reaction or action from ANAC or government, the lodge will remain closed.

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Filed Under: Carbon Footprint, Conservation, Environment, Gabon, News Tagged With: aviation, bbc, loango, national geographic, swanborn

Going, Going … Gabon!

July 29, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Gorilla, Goodbye?

The small Central African country of Gabon has been getting a lot of great publicity over the last few years. A tourism jewel, magazines and newspapers called it. This was mostly due to the efforts of – and 15 million Euros paid by – one man, Rombout Swanborn, the low-key Dutch businessman and conservationist. Investing in aviation access, tourism infrastructure, and nature conservation in Gabon, he had lodges and eco-camps built, staff trained, and he made way for research and monitoring groups to study the area, especially the rich Loango National Park.

But no more.

Swanborn’s company Africa’s Eden, has announced it will pull out of Gabon on September 1, 2010. Behind it the company will leave a country to which it, as the main tourism operator, has helped introduce thousands of tourists. Through Africa’s Eden they saw Gabon’s magic rich forests, lowland gorillas, and rare beaches.

The sudden move - a serious blow to sustainable tourism in the region – comes as a result of “the failure of negotiations following a dispute between the Gabonese civil aviation authorities (ANAC) and Africa’s Eden’s sister company SCD Aviation, which ran a regional airline charter company to transport tourists from the capital Libreville to the park.”

In a strongly worded statement, Africa’s Eden called ANAC a “malfunctioning civil aviation authority that failed to create the conditions necessary for regular and safe aviation transportation.” As a result of this, the EU blacklisted all Gabonese airlines in 2008 and it got “the lowest percentage of all audited countries (which) makes ANAC in Gabon one of the poorest performing civil aviation authorities in the world.”

Swanborn said numerous efforts had been made to come to an agreement, but they had failed. The inability of his company’s planes to function properly in Gabon had crippled the company and led to severe financial losses.

“We are highly disappointed,” he said, “as a solution would have benefited all parties involved. In the end, the Gabonese people. ”

Africa’s Eden is no longer promoting Gabon as a tourism destination. At least 125 people will lose their jobs when the company leaves. And conservation research, which has so far been helped to the tune of 3 million Euros in the study of whales, manatees, lowland gorillas, and chimpanzees, will lose a crucial benefactor.

(See A World Different’s Q&A with Africa’s Eden’s Jacqueline van den Broek.)

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Filed Under: A-F, Anti-Poaching, Carbon Footprint, Conservation, Environment, Features, Gabon, News, Uncategorized Tagged With: africa's eden, gorillas, manatees, whales

Le Quartier Francais, Franschhoek, South Africa

July 24, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Le Quartier Courtyard

Who They Are

Le Quartier Français is an exclusive boutique hotel situated in the stunning yet quaint town of Franschhoek, just 50 minutes from Cape Town, in a spectacular valley that is a must for any food or wine lover. Always on hand and keeping an eye on keeping the hotel’s sterling name is the larger-than-life owner, Susan Huxter.

A Feast of Colors

A Grande Room

Tucked away in secluded gardens, you wouldn’t think that LQF’s gorgeously decorated rooms and suites, with their mountain views, are still so central. It is so quiet that you could be in the countryside, yet you are close enough to stroll to the myriad shops and eateries springing up in this increasingly popular hideout. Huxter has also created a fantastic shop selling local things that will leave you with your arms loaded, as well as a private 30-seater moviehouse.

The Four Quarters by Night

Lesotho Highlands Trout, Squid Ink, and Avocado

Known for its gastronomic experience – at restaurants ICI and the Tasting Room – LQF starts your day with a breakfast that is incomparable … and from there on it only gets better. Whether it is bistro lunches or homemade truffles or sensational sold-out dinners, they all come from the kitchen of award-winning chef Margot Janse and her team. Make sure to ask LQF about their range of cooking and eating adventures.

What They Are Doing

Three years ago 68-year-old Mrs. Ndaba (LQF prefers to not give out her first name) began a nursery school in her little pink shack in the informal local settlement Langrug, and she soon had 67 toddlers – aged two to six – to support and teach, but with no funding. Hearing about this in 2009, LQF, with the aid of a dietitian, began a program to make muffins crammed full of all the daily nutritional requirements growing children need. These are delivered every Friday, and any interested guests and visitors can not only join in the delivery but help bake the muffins. (Watch a video of Mrs. Ndaba’s Fridays, below, with a funky soundtrack.)

But that’s only where the story starts. On the very first day of the Friday program, one guest was so inspired that he offered to fund meals at the school for every Monday for a year. He became known as Mister Monday. Before long, every day of the week had been sponsored, even by people who had not stayed at LQF.

The Cottage Entrance

A significant portion of the produce used in the restaurants is sourced locally and come from very small producers who knock on the back door with their produce of the day, and LQF’s restaurants support Streetsmart, which adds money on to each diner’s bill to finance programs that help street children. The hotel also contributes to the Kusasa Project, which is aimed at improving the lives of underprivileged children. LQF also supplies food to the local soup kitchen, and it donates its old linens to the local hospice.

iCi, the Restaurant

LQF has a three-year in-house training program focused on local kids who have completed high school. Of the 15 who have completed the course, a number have worked at Wheatleigh and Blantyre, both luxury hotels in Lenox, Massachusetts, as well as at Singita.

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Filed Under: Community, Education, Features, Health, Le Quartier Francais, South Africa Tagged With: gastronomy, huxter, ndaba

Guludo Beach Lodge, Mozambique

July 12, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

A Dhow on Rolas Island

Who They Are

Far in the northern extremes of Mozambique, beyond Pemba in the Querimbas Archipelago, lies the beach oasis of Guludo Beach Lodge. Set up by Amy and Neal Carter-James, a young English couple who passionately believed that quality tourism could benefit poor, rural communities, Guludo goes much further in achieving sustainable tourism than countless resorts around the world that are many times bigger.

A Tented Banda by Night

Designed to blend in with the landscape without impacting it, the four types of accommodations all open up right onto the beach. The Adobe Bandas have king-size beds under a high thatched roof, and in the Tented Bandas your lodgings are beautifully furnished bespoke tents under thatch that let you feel a part of nature without losing the comfort. Also, there is the two-bedroom Family Banda and the more private Zala Suite.

The Simplicity of an Adobe Banda

If lazing on the white-sand beach gets boring, or you need a break from scuba-diving the coral reefs,  there are tours to the fascinating and historic Ibo Island and Rolas Island, as well as whale watching and, with the Querimbas National Park right behind you, a hideout to look for elephants.

Under their company Bespoke Experience the Carter-James plan to open other similar properties.

What They Are Doing

The Carter-James’s plans began to take root in 2002, when, at a meeting in Guludo village, community members said they would like to help them realize their dream of creating a lodge that helped the locals uplift themselves. Guludo was built following guidelines on how to make as little impact and be as unobtrusive as possible, and to respect local customs and culture. The lodge keeps in mind the principles of fair trade (such as employing 50 people from Guludo village and acquiring all its produce from within a five kilometer radius).

An Adobe Banda on the Beach

All furniture and furnishings were produced by local artisans on site, and even uniforms were made by a local tailor with locally bought fabric. Guests are encouraged to buy locally. Several groups have been set up in the area to provide products and crafts, including two weaving palm, one weaving bamboo, and one doing ceramics. These groups sell directly to guests and to the lodge, and a craft store is being created. It is hoped this will create work. The lodge also encourages local services, such as taking guests to a lookout to see elephants and promoting local dance groups.

Better Eating, Thanks to Nema

Five percent of Guludo’s income goes to a specially created foundation, Nema, which carries out an array of community and conservation projects. Numerous local issues were identified before Guludo opened – high infant mortality, lack of education, and lack of jobs.

Prior to Nema, less than one percent of children went on to study at secondary school and less than 20 percent completed all 7 years at primary school because of the costs and the need for children to help gather food. Nema is building two new primary schools and hopes to build a secondary school next year. A feeding scheme now provides a total of one nutritious meal to 550 children every school day. This year Nema has given out 79 scholarships, although funds are sorely needed to keep this number up (see how you can help). School attendance, as a result of these efforts, has increased by 350 percent.

The Fascinating Ibo Island

In the Guludo area the average life expectancy is 38, and 30 percent of children do not reach the age of five, many dying as a result of  malaria. In 2007 and 2008 over 4,400 insecticide-treated nets were distributed to each woman in six villages who were either pregnant or had children under five, resulting in over 10,000 people sleeping under nets. In 2010, Nema hopes to reach every woman with a child under five in all 12 neighboring villages.

Women Especially are Targeted for Help in Guludo Village

Every day 102 children in Mozambique are infected with HIV and less than three percent will receive treatment. The majority of new infections are in young people, with girls between 15 to 19 three times more at risk than boys the same age. A new local drama group has been trained to perform sketches illustrating the dangers of HIV, and its reception has been incredible, with whole villages turning out to watch the performances. Nema will also start to run HIV workshops, distribute condoms, and will show HIV awareness films. In 2010 it also plans to start a school soccer project to raise awareness among the youth.

Right Behind the Beach ... the Bush

In 2007, around Guludo, less than 50 percent of the population had access to safe water and the majority of pumps were in disrepair. In 2007/2008 Nema completed 28 new or rehabilitated water points and pumps in 12 villages, resulting in the provision of clean water to over 12,000 people.

A Humpback off Guludo

Guludo has also developed a seafood buyers guide to help people decide what non-endangered fish to buy. Guests have helped sponsor humpback whale research, and the lodge helps locals develop kitchen gardens and plans to start working with farmers to be more conscientious of protecting the forest and bush around them.

In Their Own Words

“Inspired by the people living in the Guludo area, Guludo Beach Lodge is just the beginning. Like many entrepreneurs, ideas are always abound and you never quite know what’s just around the corner in their quest of using business to relieve poverty.”

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Filed Under: Carbon Footprint, Community, Conservation, Education, Environment, Features, Guludo Beach Lodge, Health, Mozambique, Women Tagged With: carter-james, crafts, nema, water, whale

Good Food with Heart

July 6, 2010 By admin 1 Comment

ICI at Le Quartier Francais

Across the globe, eating a fabulous meal can make a difference. From the Bonham in Edinburgh to Le Quartier Francais in the South African winelands, from The Drake in Brighton and One Aldwych in London to the Steenberg and the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town. Hundreds of restaurants, some linked to hotels but most of them not, are supporting organizations that contribute a small portion of the revenue from every meal to a charity.

In all the countries except South Africa, where Streetsmart runs throughout the year, the program is limited to the season before Christmas and is aimed at gathering funds for charities in the cities where the money has been collected or specifically earmarked charities. In the UK’s  Streetsmart program, diners have a note on their menus saying that a pound is being added to their bill, although it can be removed upon request. In South Africa,  the money is spent specifically on street children. In America, Streetsmart exists in San Francisco, where, at restaurants like Medjool and Slanted Door, diners are asked to donate $3 in an envelope provided with their check. There is also a Streetsmart in Australia, where 250 restaurants are now members of the program.

Says Gordon Ramsay, whose Maze restaurants are members in the UK , “Streetsmart has become part of Christmas for us. It’s everyone’s chance to do the right thing at the right time with only the slightest nudge.”

Since 1998 Britons have given 4.2 million pounds which has been sent to ‘reputable charities’ in the respective cities where Streetsmart restaurants are found. In Australia, $1.18 million has been made and distributed to dozens of projects since 2003.

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Filed Under: Africa, Australia, Community, Europe, News, Oceania, South Africa, United Kingdom Tagged With: food, le quartier francais, maze, one aldwych, steenberg, streetsmart, table bay hotel

A Man, a Villa, and a Camera

July 1, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

The Pool on High

Karl Ammann, a Swiss-born former hotelier who now lives in Nanyuki, Kenya, has built a splendid villa for rent high above the turquoise seas of the Seychelles. Few people who stay in it probably know that Ammann is also a photographer and filmmaker, an avid conservationist who has helped uncover the terrible truth about the bushmeat trade – which got him named as one of Time magazine’s Heroes of the Environment – and  has made several devastating documentaries about animal smuggling and poaching, among other things. (Watch here.) Ammann uses the money he earns from Residence on the Rocks to finance his film projects.

A Villa as Haveli as Hotel

Situated on Intendance Bay, Mahé, a full 100 meters higher than the last hillside villas  of the Banyan Tree resort, which also manages Ammann’s property, the Residence was built in the tradition of the Indian mansions called havelis. The villa has a gargantuan 450 square meters of living space, with incomparable views – a wonderful hideaway, as Prince William recently found out when he stayed here. The main house, built around a courtyard, has two huge bedroom suites, and there is a third bedroom in the guest cottage. Both buildings, in Creole style, have flat-roofed porches surrounding them.

Much of the materials, décor, and furnishings were – in an attempt to re-create the splendor of the 1920s – collected by Ammann and his wife across Africa and Asia over three decades and include valuable tribal and ethnic art.

One of the Bedroom Suites

“I wanted the place to have a colonial style that would combine decor and furniture from Asia and Africa,” Ammann says. “This led me to India and Burma and northern Thailand. In the Jodhpur area of northern India there were still a lot of reasonably priced items. The region also has a tradition of carpentry – although no trees – and as such a lot of furniture-trading businesses set up shop and repairing old furniture was one of the mainstays of their business.”

When havelis are torn down traders go in and salvage what they can, sometimes collecting enough bits and pieces to spread across yards the size of several football fields. It is from one of these traders that Ammann bought 16 haveli doors, all of slightly different sizes, which meant the villa walls had to be built around them. The floors are of recycled Burma teak. Also from old buildings he got carved beams, a metal staircase, wood- and stonework, pillars, and a gazebo. All the carpets were woven in traditional tribal village cooperatives in northern India.

The Residence

“I presented the architect with the challenge to build these items into the design. I believe it worked and gives the place a pretty authentic and lived-in look.”

Bits of a Haveli Being Reworked in India

In the Seychelles, where minimal impact on the environment is encouraged, large rocks were incorporated into the building’s design and no large trees were cut, and were in fact often assimilated in the design.

The Residence is very high-end, with prices ranging up to 3800 Euros a night for the villa and guesthouse, with all the services (butler service, room service, laundry, housekeeping, wi-fi, turndown) that you would get at a hotel like Banyan Tree, whose facilities are also open for guests’ use. Any income that is generated from the Residence Ammann invests in his film-making ventures.

“With the present lull in the market, this is affecting (the documentary) investigations like the one in Egypt and Tanzania,” he says. (See below for link.)

Ammann, as anyone who has watched his searing 60-Minutes-like documentaries knows, does not shy away from controversy and showing what many people don’t like to see. After viewing The Cairo Connection, which won the SAB Environmental Journalist of the Year in 2008, you will never look at Egypt – or a small zoo – the same way again. (Beware: This film is graphic and disturbing.) His ongoing investigations include ape smuggling, the China wildlife trade, Sudanese chimp orphans, and Egyptian cheetahs.

Karl Ammann, a former hotelier who now lives in Nairobi, has built a splendid villa for rent to holidaymakers high above the turquoise seas of the Seychelles. Few people who stay in it probably know that Ammann is also a photographer and filmmaker, an avid conservationist who has helped uncover the terrible truth about the bushmeat trade, and has made several devastating documentaries about animal smuggling and poaching, among other things. (Watch here.) Ammann uses the money he earns from Residence on the Rocks to finance his film projects.

Situated a full 100 meters above the last villa on Intenance Bay, Residece was built in the tradition of the Indian mansions called havelis. The villa, which is managed by the exclusive Banyan Tree resort, has a gargantuan 450 square meters of living space, with fantastic views. The main house, built around a courtyard, has two huge bedroom suites, and there is a third bedroom in the guest cottage. Both buildings, in Creole style, have flat-roofed porches surrounding them.

Most of the materials, décor, and furnishings were – in an attempt to re-create the splendor of the 1920s – collected by Ammann and his wife across Africa and Asia over three decades and include valuable tribal and ethnic art.

“I wanted the place to have a colonial style that would combine decor and furniture from Asia and Africa,” Ammann says. “This led me to India and Burma and northern Thailand. In the Jodhpur area of northern India there were still a lot of reasonably priced items. The region also has a tradition of carpentry – although no trees – and as such a lot of furniture-trading businesses set up shop and repairing old furniture was one of the mainstays of their business.”

When havelis are torn down traders go in and salvage what they can, sometimes collecting enough bits and pieces to spread across a football field. It is from one of these traders that Ammann bought 16 haveli doors, all of slightly different sizes, so the walls had to be built around them. The floors are of recycled Burma teak. Also from old buildings he got carved beams, a metal staircase, wood- and stonework, pillars, a gazebo. All the carpets were woven in traditional tribal village cooperatives in northern India.

“I presented the architect with the challenge to build these items into the design. I believe it worked and gives the place a pretty authentic look.”

In the Seychelles, where minimal impact on the environment is encouraged, large rocks were incorporated into the building’s design and no large trees were cut, but were in fact often assimilated in the structure.

The Residence is very high-end, with prices ranging up to 3800 Euros a night for the villa ad guesthouse, with all the services (butler service, wi-fi, turndown) that you would get at a hotel like the nearby Banyan Tree, whose facilities are open for use. Any income that is generated from the Residence supports Ammann’s filming.

“With the present lull in the market, this is affecting investigations like the one in Egypt and Tanzania.”

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Filed Under: Africa, Anti-Poaching, Carbon Footprint, Community, Conservation, Education, Environment, Features, Residence on the Rocks, Restoration & Repurposing, Seychelles Tagged With: ammann, banyan tree, bushmeat, cairo connection, chimpanzees, documentary, gorillas, mahé, prince william

Peponi Hotel, Lamu, Kenya

June 7, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

When the Camels Aren't Patroling

Who They Are

Peponi is a small hotel on the exotic island of Lamu in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya. The Korschen family, who still own it, opened the hotel two miles from Lamu town in 1967, and it still retains much of the same original character and charm. Small and personal, it is an ideal place to rest after a safari or simply to use as a hideaway.

Sit and Relax

The 24 rooms are divided into superior and standard, and all of them have ocean views. All rooms have overhead fans, mosquito nets, showers (no baths). Fresh flowers add a nice finishing touch. The hotel is at the one end of the 12-km.-long Shela Beach.

Peponi on the Beach

What They Are Doing

The Lamu Marine Conservation Trust, or Lamcot, was started by Peponi in 1992 to save the local sea turtles, whose numbers were fast diminishing, and is now headed by Atwaa Salim. With the backing of Carol and Lars Korschen and with financial support from conservation organization Tusk, its mission is to reduce the illegal trade of sea turtle products on the black market; increase the survival rate of the hatchlings and enhance beach security in Lamu through regular patrolling; treat sick turtles that have barnacles, tumors and other complications; spread awareness of the turtles as an essential part of the ecosystem and biodiversity, especially among the local community; promote eco-tourism through the trips to see the hatchlings.

Locals View the Hatchlings

Practical work on the ground includes the monitoring of nest sites, hatching of turtles, and tagging of turtles that are caught by mistake. Patrollers, all of them ex-poachers, now patrol the two main nesting beaches using camels sponsored by Tusk. The patrollers work on an incentive scheme, receiving bonus payments for every successful egg that hatches and nest that is protected. Ten years ago, only 20 nests hatched successfully; this rose to 70 nests last year.

Measuring a Turtle

Local fishermen who catch turtles by mistake now bring the animals to the trust headquarters, where they are they are measured, treated if ill, tagged, and released back into the ocean. Each fisherman is put on a register and paid an incentive according to the size of the turtle (in other words, what would he have gotten for it on the black market?).

As with many other Tusk projects its success depends on the commitment of the local community. Here they have taken on the plight of the turtle and changed their fishing and cultural practices. In addition, the trust and Lamcot work with the primary schools on Lamu to establish tree nurseries and run an environmental after-school club. They have also set up a bee-keeping project as an alternative form of income.

Another World - Lamu

Tusk has been the project’s primary donor covering annual running costs since 2000. In addition the trust has purchased a boat, camels, and radio equipment for the beach patrolers. Through donations made by visitors to the project and the sale of merchandise, the project is able to cover the cost of capital items each year.

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Filed Under: Anti-Poaching, Community, Conservation, Education, Environment, Features, G-M, Kenya, Peponi Hotel Tagged With: bees, lamcot, turtle, tusk

Five Rhinos Donated

May 24, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Setting Free the Rhino

Called the most significant wildlife relocation in East Africa in 50 years, the first five of 32 critically endangered Eastern Black Rhino have been shipped from South Africa to the Serengeti in Tanzania. And one of the main reasons it has happened is Singita Grumeti.

The rhino population in Serengeti has fallen from 1000 to less than 70 in the past four decades. A half dozen of these rhino that were taken from Tanzania to South Africa in the early 1960s have thrived, and it is from that herd that the translocated animals originated.

The world’s population of black rhino, once 65,000, fell to an all-time low of 2,410 in 1995, mostly due to poaching. The figure now stands at 4.230, although Tanzania only has three percent of them, a mere 123.

Waiting for the Rhinos to be Offloaded, Seronera Airport

Singita Grumeti, which has done an unprecedented job of resuscitating an area almost the size of Kenya’s Maasai Mara with game that had virtually disappeared from there, turning it into an Eden, keeps on working to replenish the land with game. This latest effort, which will cost some $7 million over two years, has been done in collaboration with the Frankfurt Zoological Society and Tanzanian National Parks.

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Filed Under: Africa, Conservation, Environment, News, Tanzania Tagged With: frankfurt zoological society, rhino, serengeti

Conservation 101

April 8, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment
Future Conservationists in Class

Future Conservationists in Class

Teaching the inhabitants of a wilderness area, especially the youth, about the nature around them seems to be so obvious, it’s a wonder more lodges haven’t done it in before now. Make the people aware of the riches they have – and that can benefit them – and the lodge will benefit as well. It’s a win-win equation.

To this end, in 2009, Singita Grumeti Reserves established an environmental education center in the Sasakwa foothills 3 km from Makundusi village, in Tanzania. Its goal was to offer an education to the youth from 58 secondary schools, as well as the community leaders of neighboring villages.

The one-week course is aimed at equipping them with relevant information on wildlife conservation, the lifeline of the area’s activities, thus enabling the communities to become increasingly aware of their responsibilities towards wildlife and the environment. The first group consisted of 12 students, and since then the center has conducted 8 training sessions attended by a total of 96 secondary school students (both girls and boys) as well as 16 of their teachers  from the two targeted districts of Serengeti and Bunda.

Students cover basic environmental conservation – the functioning of the ecosystem, threats to its sustainability within the local arena – and they are encouraged and equipped to pursue their livelihoods in a more sustainable way and to devise effective solutions. On returning to their schools, students have established and revived Environmental Conservation Clubs. Currently 8 clubs are active and have, in turn, successfully trained 875 new members. This ensures that a total of 971 youths have benefited from receiving a basic environmental training.

Cycling at Sabora Tented Camp, Tanzania

If Singita Grumeti Reserves blows its own trumpet during the training, it can be forgiven. The luxury property has done incredible conservation work in the Grumeti reserve, turning back an environmental clock that was quickly running out of time. The habitat and wildlife have been richly regenerated over the past few years. This includes at least 40 species of herbivores, 25 species of large carnivores and 400 species of birds. If students have to learn from someone, they couldn’t have better teachers.

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Filed Under: Africa, Community, Education, Environment, Tanzania Tagged With: education, grumeti, singita

Pushing Art

March 14, 2010 By admin 1 Comment

The Gallery Different

Long known for its collection of art, much of it by local masters, the exemplary small hotel Ellerman House in Cape Town has recently opened a gallery to showcase young and upcoming South African artists.

“Our guests (the majority of whom are international) go down to the gallery and take in the art, see something that they like, and take the name home with them and spread the word,” the gallery says.

The Taylor Sculpture Above Bantry Bay

And spread the word they will, if the striking giant sculpture of a man’s head by Angus Taylor at the entrance is anything to go by.

The art pieces that have been carefully selected and collected for Ellerman Contemporary come from various art galleries throughout the country and cover various styles and disciplines, which gives any person visiting the gallery a fairly good understanding of the contemporary art scene in South Africa. The gallery, which was put together over a year, was in a location impossible to get heavy machinery to. All excavations had to be done by hand. Not only did this allow them to construct an entire gallery while guests were sipping cocktails only a few yards away, completely unawares, but it also gave them a green gallery.

Some of the artists that are featured include William Kentridge, Angus Taylor, Collin Richards, Anthony Scullion, John Walters, Kevin Brand and Phillimon Hlungwane.

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Filed Under: Africa, Art, Community, Ellerman House, South Africa Tagged With: contemporary, gallery
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