Chinko - Central African Republic

Chinko's mixed landscape of tropical forest and Congolese savannah is one of the only areas in the world where savannah and rainforest animals share the same landscape.  The park is home to as many as ten primate species, five field species, both forest and savannah elephants, and the highly threatened Lord Derby eland.  Despite being located in one of the most conflict-ridden and volatile parts of Africa, Chinko is one of the largest and most critical conservation projects on the African continent.

Providing a wildlife sanctuary for the region, Chinko, which was brought under the management of African Parks in 2014 and for which a 50-year mandate was given, holds the potential of offering a secure and sustainable future for both people and wildlife.

The stats....

• Over 280 bird species and 80 key mammal species;
• 60 rangers in first ever law enforcement unit;
• 400 people employed making African Parks one of the largest employers in the region;
• The ivory and bushmeat markets have resulted in a 95% depletion of wildlife in CAR.

The Highlights

• African Parks is one of the largest regional employers with over 440 people;
• The first ranger unit of 60 rangers was formed from 200 applicants;
• Anti-Poaching patrols and law enforcement work have doubled the Ngoy Protection Zone to 2,000 KM2, providing security for wildlife;
• Seven highly threatened Lord Derby eland have been collared for the first ever monitoring programme;
• 29 'parent teachers' have been employed for 11 surrounding villages.

What next for Chinko?

• Reduce the presence of Sudanese herdsmen by introducing designated livestock corridors and educating them on reducing conflict with predators;
• Build permanent staff accommodation and install needed VHF systems;
• Better equip the law enforcement team to effectively protect the park.

All of this information has been taken from the African Parks website.  If you want to find out even more about Chinko then why not grab a cuppa and click on the link below - happy browsing!

Chinko

PS - here is a link to my just giving page - click here to sponsor me 😘

Prince Harry Appointed President of African Parks

I can't tell you how bloomin' excited I am about the news this week.  In case you missed it in amongst  all the festivities - Prince Harry has been appointed President of African Parks.  Yes that's right......Prince Harry!  African Parks!  My two favourite things!!

I've mentioned before that Prince Harry took a very active role in supporting the #500elephants project managed by African Parks earlier this year.  This weeks announcement shows just how much work African Parks is doing in support of conservation and humanitarian efforts across Africa.  The fact that Prince Harry is happy to support them as President is testament to their ongoing efforts to protect and maintain some of the worlds most endangered species and landscapes.

You can read the full announcement on the African Parks website by clicking the link below.

Prince Harry Appointed President of African Parks

In other news......

UK Ivory Trade Ban

Today marks the end of the UK Governments consultation on a UK Ivory Trade Ban.  You can read all about it on the website below.  A number of conservation charities who work tirelessly to protect our wildlife have joined forces to create this site.  It tells you everything you need to know and I'm sure will keep us updated as the Government decide their position.

Ban UK Ivory Sales

Whilst a ban would be great news for elephants, let's not forget that its a TOTAL BAN we are looking for.  If the Government decide to leave in a few loop holes to allow antique traders to continue then the fight is not over.

African Parks - BBC Feature

Following the announcement of Prince Harry's appointment, the BBC ran a story about African Parks efforts in Chad to bring its elephant population back from the brink of extinction.  I did a blog post back in July about the Zakouma Park in Chad, one of twelve national parks managed by African Parks.....another one where great things happen!

The Country that brought its elephants back from the brink

£2.79 anyone?

I'm only £2.79 away from my fundraising target....£2.79?  Anyone?? 😉🏔🐘

Akagera National Park - Rwanda

Akagera National Park has been an African Parks project since 2010 and totals 1,122 KM2.  Akagera's rolling highlands, savannah plains and swamp-fringed lakes make up the largest protected wetland in central Africa, and the last remaining refuge for savannah-adapted animal sand plants in Rwanda.  Akagera is home to an impressive array of wildlife, including a number of rare species such as the shoebill and sitatunga.  Akagera is well on track to becoming Rwanda's only Big Five park and a premiere tourism destination, which is helping the park become financially self-sustaining.

The stats....

• Seven Lions reintroduced in August 2015;
• Seven Lion cubs born in May 2016;
• The number of locals employed by the park increased from 59 in 2010 to 220 in 2014.

The Highlights

• In 2015 seven lions were reintroduced, for the first time in Rwanda after a 20-year absence, and seven cubs were born in 2016, doubling the population;
• A 120 km-long electrified predator-proof perimeter fence has been constructed and is reducing human-wildlife conflict;
• Over 1,000 students and educators annually visit Akagera;
• The parks upgraded facilities, including a visitor complex, Ruzizi Tented Lodge and Karenga Bush Camp, generate funds for community projects.

What next for Akagera?

• Continue to reduce poaching through rigorous law enforcement including patrols and removal of snares;
• Utilise and enhance park infrastructure to continue to grow the park's tourism offering;
• Develop a seasonal tented bush camp and luxury lodge in the north of the park;
• Continue to increase revenue from tourism productivity and channel towards community development.

All of this information has been taken from the African Parks website.  If you want to find out even more about Akagera National Park then why not grab a cuppa and click on the link below - happy browsing!

Akagera National Park 

PS - here is a link to my just giving page - click here to sponsor me 😘

Calm, Ease, Smile, Breathe

This is Karen.  Not only do I have the pleasure of working with Karen, but she sits opposite me so I get to look at that lovely face every day!  Karen has practiced Martial Arts for many years and has recently qualified as a Yoga instructor.  This is yet another string to her bow and adds to her personal motto - Calm, Ease, Smile, Breathe. 

Karen also practices and teaches Washindo.  Washindo Kai - way of the peaceful heart.  You can find out more about that, along with details of lessons and retreats Karen runs in Portugal by clicking here.

She will soon be launching her new Yoga website - I really don't know how she has the time on top of her day job and everything she does for everyone else!

Karen has just starting running Yoga classes at work, not just for our employees but for employees of all Companies we share our building with.  And as is typical of Karen's nature, she is giving all the money she earns to our fundraising efforts. 

Alongside our individual fundraising, we have a joint fundraising page that we are using to collect donations from our colleagues and professional contacts. Any funds will simply be split equally between me and Susie.   Karen's generosity has helped us towards our current total of £3,000.  That's £1,500 for African Parks on top of the (so close!) £2,000 I have already raised....and we are still going!

I wanted to do a blog post about Karen, not just because she inspires me daily, but because she is one of the people I could not be doing this without.  Karen keeps me smiling, she keeps me sane and keeps me balanced.  She is also giving her time and money to help my fundraising, which in turn helps African Parks, that helps the elephants....and without being too dramatic about it - that helps the planet!!  So Karen is quite literally saving the world.

Thank you Karen. x
Calm, Ease, Smile, Breathe

Garamba National Park - Democratic Republic of the Congo

Garamba totals 4,900 KM2 and comprises part of the larger Garamba Complex of 12,500 KM2.  An  African Parks project since 2005, Garamba is one of Africa's oldest national parks and was designated a World Heritage Site for its exceptional biodiversity.  The park's dense forest and savannah landscapes were the last known refuge of the northern white rhino, which is now presumed extinct in the wild; and the park used to home more than 22,000 elephants, but sadly fewer than 1,300 remain.  Garamba is the frontline of the poaching crisis, but inspire intensifying regional threats, African Parks is determined to ensure Garamba's elephants and the endangered Kordofan giraffe receive the needed protection to sustain their long-term future.

The stats....

• 37 Kordofan giraffe, monitored by tracking devices;
• Educational textbooks distributed to 20,000 local student;
• Bird diversity is high with more than 340 species recorded.

The Highlights

• After a decade of intense pressure from the LRS, the park's helicopter and the reopening of 100 km of roads has aided park management's ability to control the entire park;
• Anti poaching effectiveness has been improved using new digital communication systems; and new rapid reaction teams are on standby 24/7 to support those deployed in the field;
• Park management is providing communities with access to essential infrastructure, including new schools and a fully equipped hospital on the park perimeter;
• Local communities will be trained in sustainable agriculture, beekeeping, fish farming and reforestation to support their families.

What next for Garamba?

• Continue strengthening law enforcement operations;
• Introduce conservation programmes for species in need of urgent protection; the last remaining 37 Kordofan giraffes in the DRC which have been fitted with tracking devices; and implement advanced tactics to curtail the slaughter of elephants;
• Improve park infrastructure to enhance counter-poaching capacity;
• Implement an informant network around the periphery of the park.

All of this information has been taken from the African Parks website.  If you want to find out even more about Garamba National Park then why not grab a cuppa and click on the link below - happy browsing!

Garamba National Park 

PS - here is a link to my just giving page - click here to sponsor me 😘

Bangweulu Wetlands - Zambia

An African Parks projects since 2008, Bangweulu totals 6,000 KM2.

Bangweulu totals 6,000 KM2 and has been an African Parks project since 2008.  Bangweulu means "where water meets the sky", an apt description for one of the most extraordinary wetlands in all of Africa.  Bangweulu is a community owned protected wetland system in north-eastern Zambia.  Comprising of a unique richness in floral and faunal diversity, 689 bird species inhabit its wilderness, including the rare and prehistoric looking shoebill.  Build on a system in which locale pole retain rights for sustainable harvesting of natural resources, the wetlands is unique in its co-governance, and is positioned to become a leading example of community-driven conservation.

The stats....

• 689 bird species;
• Designated an Important Bird Area;
• Education outreach to 10 schools per year.

The Highlights

• The park is one of the largest employers in the region, and through a Community Development Fund has supported medical and school facilities;
• Communities are benefitting from improved fishing yields after a fishing ban was implemented over the spawning season to allow fish stocks to recover over time;
• Anti-poaching measures have seen the recovery of black lechwe by more than 45% in three years, as well as sitatunga and shoebill populations.

What next for Bangweulu?

• Expand the Shoebill Guard Programme, which has successfully employed local fishermen to monitor the safety of shoebill nests;
• Focus on the reintroduction of species that once flourished in the park;
• Provide further assistance to livelihood projects, such as training in bee-keeping practices, to boost community income generated through honey production.

All of this information has been taken from the African Parks website.  If you want to find out even more about Bangweulu Wetlands then why not grab a cuppa and click on the link below - happy browsing!

Bangweulu Wetlands 

PS - here is a link to my just giving page - click here to sponsor me 😘

Weekend Wash Up - 26th Nov

Two months today until my size five feet leave base camp and start the epic climb up Mount Kilimanjaro.  It would be rude not to post today.

Not much has been happening but at the same time lots has been going on.  So read on for a quick update as we get ever nearer the big climb.

Getting the essentials done

Flights, accommodation, insurance, injections....you name it it needs to be done.  BUT we have now broken the back of it.  Everything is now booked up and in place.  This week was the final "admin" day when we went to London to get our Visa's from the Tanzanian Embassy.  It did rather hit home then.

Training

Training is still ongoing.  I have mixed it up a bit as a new swimming pool has recently opening just 0.6km from work.  Better still its right on my bus route so I can go before or after work  - or even in my lunch break!!  No excuses.

When I say a 'new' pool, its actually very, very old.  The Thames Lido recently reopened after a three year long restoration project.  The original pool first opened to the public in 1902 as the ladies swimming bath and is believed to be the oldest surviving outdoor municipal pool of the early Edwardian era.  The pool was closed to the public in 1974.

Not only does the Lido give lucky people like me the opportunity to get fit in beautifully restored historic surroundings but it also includes a spa and restaurant.  So you can make a day of it - swim, pamper and eat.

Photo courtesy of Thames Lido

Photo courtesy of Thames Lido

Keeping the character alive (Photo courtesy of Thames Lido)

You can find out more about the Thames Lido here.

Getting over the tent

We have also had the hotel confirmed for the nights we won't be sleeping under the stars and over the spiders on the mountain.  We have one night in Tanzania before we set off and two nights after the climb when we visit the school and enjoy a safari.

We will be staying at the Outpost Lodge in Arusha and are already dreaming of that first shower and sleep in a proper bed!

Fundraising

Just a quick update on fundraising.

As me and Susie are fundraising for different charities we have set up a joint fundraising page for any of our work colleagues to be able to donate to both of us.  Any donations will simply be split between us equally.  This joint campaign got a massive kick start with a donation of £2,000 from the EMEA team at work.  Thats £1,000 for each of our chosen charities!

After some very generous donations, I am only £200 away from my personal target of £2,000.  This is the amount I am aiming to raise via my personal donations page on this blog.  Wouldn't it be lovely if I could reach that by Christmas!!

Tuesday, 28th November is Giving Tuesday.  Why not mark this global giving day by making a small donation to my fundraising efforts.  It would be lovely to end the year on a high!!!