Sponsors of the 2009 Toyota Conservation Outreach
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Toyota Enviro Outreach 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
I’m back sooner than you think
Photo 1: Leaving Gonarezhou
Photo 2: Group Photo in the Limpopo River
Photo 3: Traveled nearly 7000km on the Outreach, with accurate tracking and navigation from Garmin.
Back as in back in South Africa and back on the blog. C'mon admit it, you've missed me. Ol' Buddy missed you too. I want to talk to you one more time (on the 2009 Toyota Outreach that is, as there will be lots of new events coming up soon).
This time I'm going to be very dogmatic and quote statistics about the Outreach. But it's amazing stuff. It's somewhere around here... If only I can find that dog-eared notebook of my. It's doggone...
Ah, got it. Look at this. And we'll be back soon. Greetings from the whole team too. Look at us having a last lunch in the Limpopo River.
Boa Viagem...
Download GPS Tracks for the total outreach.: Google Earth Format & GPX Format & Mapsource Format
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Arrived at SAWC
It’s with great delight and excitement that the Toyota Enviro Outreach concluded here at the Southern Africa Wildlife College after a long day’s travel.
The outreach has been a huge success. Full reports will be made available soon, but in the mean time here are a few words from the Outreach Delegates.
Theresa Sowry – Executive Training Director SAWC
Over the last 3 weeks, a total of 35 SAWC students have been located in the 6 outreach contact sites. These 35 past students come from an astonishing 28 different protected areas across Malawi & Zimbabwe. The outreach has therefore truly had an impact on conservation areas within these 2 countries.
Bryan Havemann – Director of Conservation WESSA:
Wessa’s involvement with the Toyota Enviro Outreach has proactively helped us to fulfil our mission of People Caring for the Earth. The Outreach has made it possible for us to engage with communities in very remote areas and highlight the importance intact healthy eco systems. The dependence of people on the natural resources underpins the importance of the environment in this present day and age. Wessa encourages development which is sustainable in nature, and which doesn’t not only focus on the economic side.
Richard Sowry – Section Ranger Kingfisherspruit
From the perspective of the people in the parks the park are in good hands. The parks now require the support of people and governments and that they see for their worth to the world, not just as a recreational tool, but as an integral link in the chain of human survival on the planet, because without a clean healthy environment, man will not continue to survive.
The people on the ground, the foot soldiers on conservation, the game rangers, men and women are still going out there every day to try and make it work and look after the land and the wildlife.
Jennifer Newenham – Environmental Consultant
The highlights were seeing how resourceful the conservationists have been with absolutely nothing, especially in Zimbabwe, where they use their initiative and are very dedicated.
Professor Michelle van der Bank & Olivier Maurin – University of Johannesburg (UJ)
We collected a total of 150 new specimens to add to the Tree BOL Africa project unique to Zimbabwe & Malawi. A duplicate of each specimen will be send to the National Herbarium in Harare & Lilongwe. Formal collaboration was setup between the University of Johannesburg and National Parks in Malawi & Zimbabwe.
Training will be offered early next year to delegates from Zimbabwe & Malawi at UJ and on-site. Training includes: Basic Herbarium technique, tree Identification and bar-coding.
Stephen Midzi – Section Ranger Vlakte Plaas:
We are in this world in this field of conservation for the sole reason of conservation of natural resources. This trip has made it possible, to put aside borders, nationalities and cultural differences in the name of conservation and to say to ourselves, we have a purpose as mankind which is to conserve the natural world. It’s been quite a learning process, wherever we’ve been, we’ve learned new things, discovered new conservation challenges, and for me the intensity of human wildlife conflicts around Southern Africa.
Monday, October 19, 2009
The end is not the end.
The end is not the end.
Just under three weeks ago, a hippo scared me witless. I will admit it now. Today I'm sitting on the eastern bank of the Rundu River in Gonarezhou and think they are quite cute down there in the water. I know that, of all the wild animals in Africa, they are the biggest killer of people, but you see, I'm a dog. If it weren't for all those flat dogs in the river, I would happily go and swim with the hippos.
I know I'm babbling today, but I am not feeling well. Physically I am fine, it's all emotional. It's the last day of the trip and I am already nostalgic. You know that they always say how nostalgia makes you miss people you don't know and places you've never been to. At least this time I can say I've seen those places and I know those people. They are the 20 people who were on the trip from start to finish, making it happen. And that with an expedition in October, Africa's suicide month. It is the hottest, driest month of the year with the first rains staying away.
I want to thank those people for the greatest experience of my life. For making the logistics happen, the food happen, the travel, the awesome work done for nature and the environment. For the fact that everybody was always happy with doubling up, doing extra duties. Nobody was ever too important to get his or her hands dirty. I also, on behalf of the whole team, want to thank Toyota South Africa and all our generous sponsors for keeping us going. Once again we are going home with all 10 Toyotas still going strong. After more than 6 000 kilometres, they're still leading the way.
Let's reminisce for a moment. Theresa had major successes with the ex-students from SAWC and Bryan the same with his environmental training with the communities. The tree people taught me something. Another way to mark a tree. Their DNA-barcoding tally is close to 150.
Talking about trees, have you noticed that a lot of people always get fascinated about game? Especially the Big Five. Because it is 'sexy'. A lot tend to forget about the flora. The fact that the Outreach focuses on the environment and nature, maybe therefore makes it less of an attention getter for a lot of people out there. But as Gerhard always says: "Give me an open cheque book and I create a Big Five game farm in a month. Give me a 1000 years and I create one big tree." Deforestation in Africa is a crisis.
But now that the Outreach is over, the question is, did we really make a difference?
The statistics look good, but that is not what really counts. We made friends. Friendship is the strongest weapon to overcome problems. Friendship creates hope. Belief. A sense of want.
Friends care and friends share. By sharing the knowledge, it spreads. Knowledge empowers. Empowerment brings healing. And this chain reaction is what the 20 people from the Outreach initiated with this trip. Yes, Africa is big, very big and we only managed to reach a few places. But we've been there.
At the end of it all, this is only the end of this trip. That's all it is. The process continues.
It has to continue, because Africa is suffering. Africa is overpopulated, poverty is rife and biodiversity loss is alarming. Therefore a lot of pessimistic people say that Africa doesn't have a dog's chance to make it. This dog says they're wrong. Because of people and projects like the Toyota Enviro Outreach.
Tomorrow we go home. It's a good thought, but I will miss all my Outreach friends. I will think of you and want you to know that I have learnt more from you than I ever thought I would.
Now it's also time to say goodbye to you, my readers. Thank you for your support by following us on the blog.
So, before I start howling, there's only one more thing left to say:
"Hasta la Vista Baby, I'll be back..."
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The Outreach runs on its stomach
Photo 1: Dinner about to happen
Photo 2: Frank doing al dente a la Africa
Photo 3: Finely chopped, says the recipe_s
Photo 4: Camping at Ghonarezhou
Photo 5: Cobus, Gerhard & Foeta
Photo 6: Our malaria patient
Photo 7: Chilojo Cliffs
Photo 8: Group Photo.
The Outreach runs on its stomach
I want to talk about something tonight that is very close to my heart. Secretly it is something that worried me about spending three weeks on the road. Food.
I mean, I am a fancy dog. Eating cold bully beef is not my idea of superior cuisine. Make no mistake, nothing wrong with bully and onion from time to time. But then you’ve got to do it up. With a bit of herbs, garlic and so on. And you don’t want it every day.
Well, let me tell you something, making the simplest of food for 22 people on the road is not easy. That’s not what the kitchen team is doing. They make exquisite food on the road. The organisation is so good, nobody has had to pop an Imodium as yet. And who do we have to thank? National Luna, fridges that don’t leave you out in the cold. They keep the cold inside.
Variety is the name of the game. So much so that I started getting worried that the Bully Beef is never going to happen. But it did. Other nights we had dishes such as goulash, chicken curry, chorizo stew and rice. And braaivleis. Not just boerewors, but even ostrich fillet. We also had a snoekbraai one night. For lunches on the road, we have chicken pastrami sandwiches. Now really, what more can a fancy dog ask for? We’re on day 19 and had fresh mixed salad today. Plus fresh fruit every morning. Scrambled eggs, bacon, French toast, muesli.
Frank, you’re my man. And Elmarie, Wilaa, Gwynette and Marguerite, you’re my favourites. I’m moving in. Most dogs get skinny beyond repair in Africa, but I’ve never looked so good. Those bitches back home are going to flip.
Today was a good rest day. We just drove to the Chilojo Cliffs here in Ghonarezhou. But what a sight! Check out the pics. Tomorrow Theresa’s last group of ex-students are coming in. I don’t want to talk about it. The end of the Outreach makes me miserable.
I’d rather talk about what we’re going to have for dinner tonight. Tuna Lasagne. You see what I mean?
This is Buddy barking off.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
The spirit of the Outreach
Chamunorwa Rambanapasi was one of the ex-students that were supposed to meet with Theresa in Hwange. He is a very diligent senior wildlife officer and waited patiently for his station commander to arrive at the station before he could leave. He would not leave it unmanned.
Unfortunately his station master got held up due to circumstances out of his control and in the end Chamunorwa left too late. By the time he got to Hwange, we have already been gone for a few hours. He knew our destination was Mushandike Campsite near Masvingo and drove through the night to catch us.
He arrived at three in the morning and patiently waited outside the camp while we all slept. When he realized the students at Mushandike had their training the previous day and we were basically packing up to go on to Gonarezhou, he was prepared to come with us. That is how valuable a meeting with SAWC is to them and their career. Theresa then said no, she will have a special one-on-one meeting with him. He gothis update and she got her information and he happily drove back to his station in Hwange, 550 kilometres away. That is the spirit of the Outreach.
Another interesting fact is the amount of women in conservation. At Mushandike alone, we had three men (including Chamunorwa) and four women. A lot of people say it is because women want to prove
themselves in a man's world. They are just as capable to be field rangers. To walk patrols. To apprehend poachers. I believe they are, but I personally think it is because all women are
instinctively mothers. And mothers are caregivers. They want to protect, conserve and ensure a brighter world for what is theirs. The concept of conservation comes naturally to them. It is part of their make-up.
Be that as it may, we'll take that debate further later. After Chamunorwa and Theresa finished their discussions, we drove via Masvingo to Gonarezhou and set up camp at Chipinda Pools on the river.
Tomorrow we'll tackle an other chapter of the Outreach.
This is Buddy barking off.
NEWS FLASH!! NEWS FLASH!! Returning to Hwange, Chamunorwa found out
that he is the only advanced student selected by the Zimbabwe Wildlife
Authority to attend the Transfrontier Conservation Management
qualification at SAWC in 2010.
Woof, I say to that!
Download GPS Tracks for today: Google Earth Format & GPX Format
Friday, October 16, 2009
Mushandike College
Today the college met with 6 past students representing 5 conservation areas. Two of these students are currently as Mushandike College furthering their studies. Three of the other four have been promoted since training at SAWC. The other students have not been promoted, but have added responsibilities.
One of the former students, is a Black Rhino monitor, and she feels passionate spending her day and nights protecting these extremely rare species. Sadly with the political turmoil in the country the Rhino population has dropped from 60 to a mere 5 in that area. It is infectious to hear Sibomiso talk about her passion for Rhino's and conservation, even in difficult circumstances.
Theresa Sowry visited Mushandike College at the beginning of the year and on return to the college eon the outreach remarkable are noticed under the new management.
Changes include a substantial vegetable garden that feeds the students as fresh vegatables are not widely available across Zimbabwe. This vegetable garden will also overtime a sustainable income stream for the college.
The Mushandike College and people like Sibomiso gives hope for the future of conservation in Zimbabwe.
How does the Outreach get out there?
How does the Outreach get out there?
Gerhard is our front man. That you already know. Klipbokkop Mountain Resort near Worcester is the base where he and his wife Elmarie plan everything. Most people also know that. What al lot of people don’t realize is that Klipbokkop is the backbone of the Outreach.
In association with Toyota South Africa and all our other generous sponsors, the planning and preparation start there. Gerhard and the Goodyear 4x4 Academy has refined 4x4 driving to an art. The approach is not to bundu bash and see how high, far and fast you can burn your beast, it is to be able to drive responsibly to get to places you need to get to for a reason, without leaving bleeding gaps in mother earth. Gerhard, Elmarie and all their people at Klipbokkop are nature lovers and offer a service to help and support conservation and the environment.
Gerhard’s outreach has started long ago. Over the years he worked hard to qualify himself to understand the bush, how to get in and out and with the aim of helping to make life and the earth a better place for all.
To really explain it I want to introduce you to Hendrik Melk. It sounds like a character from some literary novel, but this character is real. Originally from Kimberley, he ended up in Worcester by chance, but liked the place so much, he stayed. His paths crossed Gerhard’s and Gerhard saw someone that he liked.
At that stage Hendrik only had a learner’s licence, but today he is a 4x4 instructor at Klipbokkop. He is also in charge of the maintenance team. More importantly, he is the backbone of the Outreach when it comes to making things happen. He knows where everything is and he knows how to make everything work. He is really a watchdog, and that’s why I like him so much. He’s a lot like me.
When one of the trailer’s wheels gave a jiggle, who was there first? Hendrik. When someone got stuck in a river bed, who got him out? Hendrik. Who is always laughing and enjoying the Outreach the most? Hendrik.
But the reason I like him the most, is because, although he never stands still, he always has time for me. He makes sure I get the best bones before the hyenas get it.
Today we travelled a quick 550 kilometres to Masvingo where we also camped the first night. It’s like home from home being back here. Time has gone so quick, but somehow it feels like months ago since we’ve been here.
Actually I’m really a worried dog right now. I’ve realized that there are only a few days of the Outreach left. How on earth am I going to say goodbye to all these great people when the trip ends?
This is Buddy barking off, wondering if anybody’s got a suggestion for a good therapist?
Download GPS Tracks for today: Google Earth Format & GPX Format
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The relativity theory in Africa
Photo 3: The end of the curios line
Photo 4: Mana scores five stars for game
Community Children having fun with the Enviro Picture Building Game.
Photo 7: Respect the Enviroment - Group photos with community children.
relativity theory in Africa
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The paradigm shift to heal Africa (at no extra cost)
Photo 1: Allan loves grass under his feet
Photo 2: This was a dry river bed not too long ago
Photo 3: The mobile kraal
Photo 4: Allan's humble abode
The paradigm shift to heal Africa (at no extra cost)
For many years, we have been developing our understanding of what is good for the earth. Scientific research to the nth degree has been done by many, many clever people. We’ve worked out that overpopulation of animals is killing the land. Overgrazing removes all the grass. Barren soil gets rushed off to the see with every flash flood. Erosion follows. The world eventually will turn into one big desert.
So the logic that kicks in says there are too many animals. Domestic or wild. Culling needs to kick in. Give the land time to rest. What if we are wrong? What if we actually need more animals? Is it possible that an increase in livestock and wildlife can solve the problem?
The Outreach today visited the Holistic Management Centre near Victoria Falls and we were stunned. Allan Savory is busy proving that we all need to make this paradigm shift. His land is a wild piece of pristine Zimbabwean bush with the Big Five on it.
A few years ago it wasn’t like that. Instead of culling wildlife, he looked at it differently. First of all, he realized that land being ‘rested’ by taking the animals off it, ends up with grass drying in the winter. It doesn’t go back to the soil, it oxidises and turns a grey-black colour and hard. Without any meaningful nutrients. The land doesn’t rest, it slowly dies.
What needs to happen is that the grass needs to be churned over and chopped to form a blanket on the ground. A blanket that will hold water and let it seep slowly into the earth to feed the roots. There are machines capable of doing that, but it uses al lot of diesel, increasing your carbon footprint. Then fertiliser would have to be added artificially.
There is another way, though. Cattle. Yes, he uses cattle for conservation. What he does is to allow as many cattle he can find to graze his land. At the moment he has 400 head, but would love to go up to 1 000. The secret, however, is that the cattle is herded tightly by 12 herders and they don’t stay long in any given area.
The herd takes up just over a hectare at any given time and stay on a stretch of about four to five hectares for three to four days. Just long enough to trample the earth that allows the grassroots to spread. Long before the cattle have eaten up all the grass, but left a blanket of grass covering the area, plus urine and dung as fertiliser, the herders move them on to the next piece. At night they put them in a mobile kraal to protect them from predators. As soon as they move into the next area, the kraal is moved as well.
When the rains come, the water doesn’t run away. It is absorbed by the ground cover and feeds the roots. The excess water goes underground and feeds the nearest river. Allan has a natural spring on his farm. That used to be the only source of water for the game. Elephant paths used to lead towards it from all directions. We followed what used to be a dry river bed not too long ago over a kilometre and a half and there was still water in it. The elephant paths are overgrown these days, because the elephants have so many more drinking places to choose from.
Due to the fact that the cattle are so tightly herded, it is easy to control and visitors to the farm will never know they are there. That means that there is no reason why other parks and game reserves can’t use this method to heal their land. But more importantly, it can be used by all the many cattle farmers in all the rural areas of Africa. They already know how to herd; they just need to be taught the secret of timing. Of not leaving them too long in any given space.
It’s not rocket science. Just a shift in thinking. And this is just a basic explanation of Allan’s holistic approach. To find out more, visit www.savoryinstitute.com
Well, just before we drove back, I decided to do my bit for healing the land. Hey, Allan, check out that grass patch behind tree number three. The grass will be greener there.
This is Buddy barking off.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
With my own two hands
Photo 1: With our own two hands
Photo 2: I'm gonna make it a better place
Photo 3: Jennifer collecting organisms
Photo 4: Fishing for answers
With my own two hands
I know what you’re thinking. How can I be talking about my hands? Maybe I’m a talking dog, but hands? Aikona. You’re right; I’ve got four paws and am very proud of them.
In this case, however, it is artistic license. A figure of speech.
In fact it is not even that. It is about a Jack Johnson song. Now you’re thinking the heat must have gotten to this dog. What has a Jack Johnson song got to do with the Toyota Enviro Outreach? Everything actually. Let me explain.
While driving towards Hwange from Mana Pools, Gerhard slipped a CD into the player. Yip, the song was With my own to hands by Jack Johnson. I pricked my ears:
I can change the world
With my own two hands
Make it a better place
With my own two hands
Make it a kinder place
With my own two hands
Look at the ex-students from SAWC that visit at every park. Their worlds change when they see Theresa. After her workshops they can go and make their place a better place.
The song continues:
I can make peace on earth
With my own two hands
I can clean up the earth
With my own two hands
I can reach out to you
With my own two hand
Look at Jennifer Newenham doing water quality assessment in the rivers of the parks we visit. It is a rapid assessment technique which looks at aquatic macro invertebrates. The method determines a total score related to the organisms’ tolerance of water quality. Organisms with a high rating are sensitive to poor water quality and those with a low rating are tolerant of poor water quality. If the water quality is poor, she makes recommendations to the park.
I’m gonna make it a brighter place
With my own two hands
I’m gonna make it a safer place
With my own two hands
I’m gonna help the human race
With my own two hands.
Bryan Haveman from WESSA uses his own two hands to play the Enviro game with the communities. Suddenly they understand the balance between man and nature better, making their place a safer, brighter place.
I can hold you
In my own to hands
And I can comfort you
With my own two hands
But you’ve got to use
Use your own two hands
That’s the crux of it all. The Toyota Enviro Outreach would have been meaningless if the people we visit didn’t reach back to us. All we can say is that they grabbed our hands with all their hands.
With our own two hands
Our own two hands
Now all of this brings me to the simple, yet effective mathematics of the Toyota Enviro Outreach:
2+2=4
And
4x4=Conservation
This is Buddy thanking Jack and barking off ‘till tomorrow
Download GPS Tracks for today: Google Earth Format & GPX Format
Monday, October 12, 2009
The road less travelled
Photo 1: The musicians from Mana Pools
Photo 2: Live RSG broadcast with the singing of the local rangers
Photo 3: Negotiating a campsite
Photo 4: Jurgens Trailers carrying the extra load
Photo 5: En route to Hwange
Photo 6: At the end of another perfect day in Africa
The road less travelled
The corny, but very true saying you often see at nature conservation places states that you should take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints. When we left Mana Pools this morning, however, we left something more behind and took something more away. Friendship.
When we were packed and ready to leave this morning, about the whole staff compliment of the park came marching on, singing songs of thanks and gratitude. Saying goodbye to Norman and his wife, Nyasha felt like leaving old friends behind. Whatever the Outreach came to do in terms of meeting old SAWC students, helping with water analysis, community environment training and more, was to them almost secondary to the mere fact that likeminded people came to the park. And cared. And talked. And shared.
It was an eye opener to witness the love all these people have for nature and wildlife. They are not doing it for money, because there hardly is any money. Sometimes they only eat beans and cabbage, but they won’t leave their park. Norman made an interesting statement just before we left. Maybe the poverty and lack of funds is a blessing in disguise for Mana Pools. Because it keeps development away. It’s a wild place. Very much the way Africa was created. It is one of the few remaining places like that left on the continent.
So with pensive minds we started the trek towards Hwange to see what we’ll find there. Theresa is expecting another six ex-students, but before she can spend time with them, we had to get there.
The route was via the Kariba road and travelling on that road makes you happy to be in a Toyota. It’s hard going. Potholes, sand and dried mud grooves in the better parts. We travelled for 282 kilometres on it today and only had three other vehicles sharing the road. The plan was to sleep over en route at Chizerera National Park.
About 100 kilometres from the park, the one trailer that Richard was towing suddenly locked its left wheel. It was no fault of the Jurgens XT 140. Blame it on the stone, as Kris Kristofferson sings. One of the almost boulders in the road ripped the braking cable off and the brake drum in the left wheel ceased up. Gerhard, Frank and Richard managed to get the damaged drum out and reassembled the wheel to get us going again.
The problem now was that there was no chance to make the gate of Chizerera before closing time. We stopped at sundown and via some great negotiations from Stephen Midzi, we got permission from the local chief to camp wild on his ground.
Nothing stops the Outreach. The tents are pitched. The kitchen is humming. Tomorrow we go to Hwange.
See you there.
Download GPS Tracks for today: Google Earth Format & GPX Format
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Tarzan and Jane on the Outreach
Photo 1: Fig tree
Photo 2: Olivier cutting off a tree sample
Photo 3: Pressing the leaves of a Natal Mahogany
Photo 4: Bar-coding... Any ape can do it.
Photo 5: Michelle & Olivier pressing samples
Photo 6: Outreach, voorwaarts, mars!
Tarzan and Jane on the Outreach
They are the tree people. I love the tree people. Because a tree is a treasure to a dog. But those three people are only two.
They are Professor Michelle van der Bank from the University of Johannesburg and Olivier Maurin from Ferney-Voltaire in France. They also treasure trees. So much so that they are in the process of DNA bar-coding 20 000 plus species of trees in Africa.
This means that they are identifying the unique short DNA sequence used to identify species. The purpose for that is to set up a data base which custom officials can use to control the illegal trade of trees across borders. They can even identify plants (normally used for medicinal purposes) in a crushed powder form.
All DNA material is housed in a DNA bank at UJ where it is available for research around the world. Since the start of the Outreach Michelle and Olivier have added over a 100 new unique species to the data bank. They hope to at least double that before the end of the 2009 Toyota Outreach.
Another advantage of having been on the Outreach is that they managed to set up formal collaboration at Cape Maclear with Malawi Parks and Wildlife who will send two staff members next year to UJ for training in DNA bar-coding.
Finding and bar-coding trees in the wild African bush are not the easiest thing in the world. Today they worked in a sweltering 40ºC with any member of the Big Five always somewhere close by. Michelle has been challenged by black mambas, charged by buffalo and rhino. In which case she always managed to get leaves right from the top of the nearest tree for DNA bar-coding.
Today I had the privilege of helping the tree people doing a DNA bar-coding on a Natal Mahogany. They worked on the leaves, while I marked the trunk.
Merci beaucoup de m’avoir accepté dans l’equipe Outreach des “barcodeurs” des arbres d’Afrique. For those not in the know, Olivier has just empowered me with my fifth language. That means: Thanks very much to have been accepted in the Outreach Bar-coding team of the trees of Africa.
Au revoir
Buddy
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Full marks at halftime
Photo 3: Theresa doing training needs analysis with ex-students, now Park Managers
Photo 4: Richard and Naphtal Dube in discussion
If this was a rugby match, the coaches and all the players would have been very happy. It’s halftime and there are no injuries. More importantly, there are loads of points on the board. But this is much bigger than a rugby match. Even bigger than the World Cup in the long run. This is about the survival of Africa. And the coaches and players are all very happy.
I chatted to Richard Sowry, one of the coaches. He is on board as a wildlife manager. Back home he is a section ranger at Kingfisherspruit in the Kruger National Park and also vice chairman of the Game Rangers Association of Africa.
His biggest take on the Outreach thus far is that everybody, including South Africa, in essence has the same problems. Sometimes you feel you are alone, but then when you get together with key people in other parks, you realize it is the same pudding, just a different sauce. The advantage of the Outreach is that by getting together, everybody rather starts thinking solutions.
The problem in essence is a lack of resources. The chief warden of Mana Pools, Norman Monks mentioned today that their top working vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser, is seriously in need of new suspension but there is no budget for it. He is now trying to modify shocks from his own personal car to get the Cruiser going. That’s when Richard stopped him and said he’s got a spare set in his garage at home. He’ll make a plan to get it up to Norman. That is the kind of thing the Outreach does.
That’s when Theresa joined us next to the fire and I asked her how the Outreach has worked for her so far. She ruffled my ears and smiled. No wonder her students love her so much.
In total, she had 21 students visiting so far. The great news is that they all are better off since their time spent at SAWC. Most of them have been promoted to senior posts and are coping well. She did an assessment on all of them and this valuable information will be fed back to the SAWC and the Director Generals of the countries visited. Her reports will state that all of them should come back to SAWC for advanced training. It will then be up to the DG’s to allocate funds.
She has identified that the main training needs are advanced law enforcement (including crime scene investigation), geographic information systems (GIS) and country based natural resource management. In addition the students indicated that they need more training on how to deal with conflict issues in communities, including human/wildlife conflict and also getting involved with management decisions in parks.
She is so grateful for the opportunity to talk to old students and rekindle relationships. Thanks to the Toyota Outreach she has seen and heard wonderful things. Like Paston Simkoko from Malawi said: After SAWC I was promoted to assistant Park Manager, heading up the Northern section of Nyika National Park in Malawi. I would sincerely like to thank the SAWC for the training and assistance to me and all the other students.
Well that’s the good news so far. Oh yes, one last thing, Stephen Midzi found some lion spoor in the camp this morning. Apparently the king of the bush visited at three last night. Boy, can he be glad I’m such a sound sleeper...
This is Buddy the blogger, barking off.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Halfway at the Eden of Africa
At 8.15 pm it is 36ºC. It is very much in the shade, because it is all dark. Yet it is better than four this afternoon when we arrived. Then it was 42ºC in the shade. The hottest day so far on the Toyota Outreach. No, we are not in Hotazel; we are in the Eden of Africa, Mana Pools, Zimbabwe.
Sitting around the fire, but far away from it, I thought it a good idea to get some key players’ perspectives on the success rate of the Toyota Outreach at this halfway mark of the expedition. So in no specific order, I asked them a few questions. They had so much to say about the successes so far, I can write a doctorate about it. But I’ll condense it into a blog or two to give you an idea of how well this expedition is doing. For now, I’ll concentrate on two experiences.
Talking to Bryan Haveman first, he equated the experience to the four pillars of WESSA. He noticed the biodiversity loss in Malawi. A massive poaching problem at Kasungu. With sadness he noted the huge amount of hardwood, like leadwood and kiaat, going to somewhere like China.
The second pillar is energy. Bag upon bag of charcoal is being produced from indigenous wood. Saplings are being cut for firewood. Deforestation kills the balance.
Water forms the third pillar. Although 20% of Malawi is under water, they have a problem. The seriously overpopulated country uses the lake for everything. Swimming, washing themselves, their clothes and dishes. The result? Cholera.
Too many people equals too much waste if it is not exposed of in the right way. The people say they bury or burn it. Not nearly the best, but at least an effort.
However, being on the Outreach gives WESSA the opportunity to educate. They have played the Enviro Picture Building Game with two communities so far. Both times it evoked the right response. Proof that it works. Both groups expressed a wish that they have experienced this a long time ago. For the first time they understand the interaction between communities and nature reserves. Progress, progress, progress, Bryan expressed and nodded his head.
“Howzit Bra,” I heard from my other side.
I turned around and there was Stephen Midzi. He is an invisible, happy, loud kind of guy. You know what I mean? He is a section ranger at Vlakteplaas in the Kruger National Park and an ex-student of the SAWC. He started off in conservation as a guide in Zimbabwe at Hwange, Ghonarezhow and Save Valley Conservancy before moving over to the Kruger.
“What does the Toyota Outreach mean to you?” I threw at him.
“It is a very noble initiative to go out there and see how successful the training is. It is well respected by all the ex-students. They realize their time at the college wasn’t theory and a piece of paper afterwards. It lives through this kind of contact and progress.
“The most beautiful thing of all is that the Outreach brings conservation beyond borders to life. It lets us break down manmade borders and focus on what is natural. It lets us focus on what we are in this for. We are Africans. We have to create something sustainable for generations to come. The Outreach helps us all to be there and do it. And not just read about it in some textbook.”
“Thanks Bra,” was all I could add. Steve, like everyone else on the Outreach is in this for real. To make a difference.
There is so much more, but for now let’s call it a day. I’ll leave you with some words of my own: Ndatenda Charzoo nokuteerera kwamaita tichataura zvakare pamazuva anotevera. For those not in the know, I have just mastered my fourth language. Thanks to Stephen. That is Shona for:
Thanks for listening. We will talk again in the next few days.
Download GPS Tracks for today: Google Earth Format & GPX Format
Thursday, October 8, 2009
but what's the environmental component of this?
Environmental Education sessions with the local community at Kasungu National Park
In a recent comment we were asked what we are actually doing. Theresa Sowrey, Executive Manager of the Southern Africa Wildlife College (SAWC) summarises the main objectives of this outreach and what has been done so far.
The main objectives of this outreach:
1. To conduct a monitoring and evaluation exercise on past SAWC students. This will determine if the training they received at the college is begin implemented back in their work places.. A training needs analysis is being conducted per park visited.
2. Environmental Education to communities surrounding the park we visited is being conducted and past students are being trained on how to conduct the environmental education sessions once the Outreach leaves their country.
3. expose Parks & Wildlife staff to the conservation network which has been established by conservationist across Africa via the GRAA
SAWC is extremely excited to announce that 18 past students have been located in Malawi. All 18 students have been promoted since receiving the training. This is wonderful news!!
Major ecological issues discussed included severe population sizes, bordering and encroaching national parks leading to the unsustainable utilisation of natural resources.
These issues were discussed in open sessions and training to address possible sustainable solution including responsible tourism were discussed.
If any of the readers have more questions, please feel free to ask and we will try and respond as we can.
Download GPS Tracks for today: Google Earth Format & GPX Format
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The day oom Willie did water 4x4
A lot of new things happened today. I am now a captain. Captain Buddy of the Venda Solidarity. Not quite the USS Nimmets, but I’m getting there. We went over to the closest island like real tourists, but it was great.
You cannot believe this lake. It is 750 metres deep at its deepest and at that point it is 300 metres below sea level. Apparently it is quite dark down there, but I didn’t go and check it out. Where we were cruising, the water was as clear as crystal. With all the locals washing themselves, their clothes and dishes in the lake, it is a wonder. They say it is because there is so much water. Other than that, there are over a 1 000 different types of fish in it and you won’t find any one of them anywhere else in the world. While moored at the island one of our guides caught a small little bright blue fish with his hands.
Suddenly we heard the beautiful, chilling cry of fish eagles around the western side of the island. We immediately mobilised and sped at 3 knots per hour towards the cries. Then it happened. One of them swooped down, braked in the air and picked up a late afternoon snack from the water. The people on the boat all shrieked. They have never seen anything like this before. Neither have I, but I kept my mouth shut. Humans, sometimes...
Meanwhile Theresa was also beaming with pleasure back on terra firma. Six old students came to her workshop and they have all been promoted to higher ranks in their different parks and fields of wildlife and conservation. What they were taught at the SAWC is working.
The best part of the day, however, was brought to us by oom Willie. He and a couple of the other guys went swimming on the rocky side of the shore. There was a neat, smooth rounded rock in front of him when he decided it was time to get out. Smooth is the operative word. Every attempt got him about halfway out of the lake before he started spinning in the algae.
Eventually I had to show him how it was done. Being a canine on all fours has some serious advantages. On all 4x4’s he roared out onto dry rock, turned around, studied the horizon and pretended nothing has happened. Respect oom Willie, it is great to have you with us. It is great to see how the real guys still do it. For those not in the know, oom Willie has been involved in all nine trips done so far, but he retired during the year. That was not going to stop him, however. He is still here, doing his job and giving the Outreach his experience.
Tomorrow is a long day, driving back to Harare in Zimbabwe. We are getting up at four so now it’s time for Howling Moon. No, that is not a ritual. Nor is it a lost Red Indian in Malawi. It’s our tents. Supplied by Campworld. They make a long night short.
See you other side of the border.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Being at the right place at the right time
Photo 1: That’s what a GDP of $312 per capita means.
Photo 2: The skeleton of the Golden Sands Reception
Photo 3: I’ll swim when I get to Lake Malawi
We started working our way back south on a long roundabout route today. I felt like a swim in the river first with the elephants, but hey, those big okes are messy. But I knew we were on our way back to Lake Malawi, so it was ok really.
I woke up in Lilongwe when the whole convoy came to a screeching halt. It was a minibus taxi that decided to cross a big intersection, couldn’t find enough space to manoeuvre in and blocked the whole intersection. What interested me the most was not the commotion, but the amount of words written on the side of the taxi, under the word, taxi. I couldn’t find my notebook in time, so I couldn’t write them all down. Whether the words mean taxi in 17 dialects or whether they are 17 destinations are both possibilities. You see what travelling in Africa does to a city dog? You learn patience. You wait. You keep yourself busy. Eventually the taxi managed to get out of our way and we moved on. No problem.
I looked out the window and realised something. This Lilongwe is a typical overfull African city, but yet it is different. Something is not the same to what we are used to. Then I realised what it was. It was clean. There were very few papers lying around or blowing in the wind.
As we drove out into the rural areas, I realised the same applies there. I asked Gerhard about it and he thought maybe they are too poor to buy anything with plastic or wrapping paper around it. Or maybe they just re-use the paper and wrapping, because of poverty.
Somehow Malawi is like the orphan of Africa to me. Everybody makes a big thing about a lot of countries, but somehow these people are being overlooked. Everywhere you look you see people. Some fortunate ones in cars. Some less fortunate on bicycles, but most on foot. They walk miles just to get water. They walk miles looking for food. They don’t always find it.
Malawi is a small country. It is only 118 000 km² in size with over 20% under water. Yet it has a population of over 15 million, resulting in a density of 128 per square kilometre. But that is not the big problem. It is the gross domestic product per capita. Only $312.
That doesn’t look too good, but what does look good is that they are not throwing their hands in the air. Especially when it comes to balancing the environment between people and nature. With such a high density, 11,1% of the land is proclaimed as national parks. That is why it is so important to work with the communities and make them understand that environmental conservation is the only way forward.
What looks even better is that a great jump forward has taken place. Dr Leonard Sofu, the director of Malawi’s national parks had a meeting with representatives from the World Bank. They have agreed in principle to donate money to get the parks back to life, especially to make them attractive tourist destinations. If you look at what is left of the Golden Sands campsite in Lake Malawi National Park where we are staying, you will understand. The reception room is only a skeleton and flushing toilets don’t flush unless you add you own water into them.
But the best news of all is that, because the Toyota Outreach was at Kasungu National Park with Dr Sofu, he invited Theresa to a meeting in Lilongwe today regarding the issue. The deal was clinched and Jennifer Newenham will champion the tourist development on behalf of the parks. Talking about being at the right place at the right time.
Well, I’m also now making sure I’m at the right place at the right time. Right next to the fire where dinner will be served.
This is Buddy the blogger barking off.
Download GPS Tracks for today: Google Earth Format & GPX Format
Monday, October 5, 2009
Let the games begin
Photo 1: Conservation is a hungry business
Photo 2: Hallo fans! Buddy loves kids
Photo 3: The jigsaw of the environment
Photo 4: Dr Leonard Sofu, director of Conservation and Wildlife in Malawi
I woke up last night around two with an unearthly noise reverberating in my sensitive ears. That hippo, it flashed through my brains. It was full moon and the plains were empty. Then like a top notch watchdog I pinpointed the source of the noise. Oom Willie in the tent next door was lying on his back. I growled once, oom Willie turned on his side and I went back to sleep until six.
At breakfast there was a different kind of excitement. Theresa Sowry, executive training manager of SAWC was looking at her watch every ten seconds. Then it happened. Two bakkies (Hiluxes, of course) with Malawi Parks board markings on the doors pulled into the campsite. Two women and ten eager looking men got out and off the bakkies.
Theresa ran to them. Everybody shrieked. She hugged the first one. Then the second. They all grabbed her. Theresa’s old students from the college.
“You promised you’ll come,” one of them said.
“It took a while, but a promise cannot be broken,” she answered.
“We knew you would come.”
“Hallo Buddy,” I then heard from behind me and saw this very distinguished gentleman smiling at me.
“I am Dr Leonard Sofu, director of Conservation and Wildlife in Malawi and I’m a big fan of yours,” he then said and we formally shook hand and paw.
Wow, the big guy himself! Nothing less for Buddy. He then delivered a great talk on the state of wildlife, conservation and the environment in Malawi. Afterwards Theresa and the old students started workshopping. For the first time she could see how they are doing in their own workplaces. Everyone had a pile of questions and Theresa had answers. Lunchtime came and went. The kitchen crew waited. They arrived an hour late. There was just too much to talk about. Too little time.
After lunch it was Bryan Havemann from WESSA’s turn. We drove to Linyanwa Village just outside Kasungu National Park for a workshop with the local community on environmental care in harmony with wildlife.
The project was an eye opener. They use a system that looks a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. After splitting the community leaders present into two groups that will compete against each other, Bryan and his team read out a question to them on an environmental issue. Whichever group answers first can place the visual piece on a board and are awarded a point.
Gradually a picture appears on the board with some elements environmentally positive and some negative. Step by step the negative elements are being replaced by positive solutions. For example eroded ground disappears and planted vegetation takes its place. It’s a game about balance. .
Maybe a simple game to you, but enlightenment to the villagers. Their eagerness and enthusiasm brought a lump to my throat. And hope in my heart.
This is Buddy, a very happy hound barking off
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The transit is over.
Photo 1: Lake Malawi is not the biggest piece of water in the world. Apparently...
Photo 2: Still in transit from Cape Maclear to Kasungu National Park
Photo 3: A view with a room at Kasungu
Photo 4: Amazing new Howling Moon tents!
Well Gerhard didn’t lie. When I woke up this morning I saw the biggest piece of water in the world. Lake Malawi. So I said so. Gerhard started chuckling again. Apparently the sea is bigger. I’ll go there one day, soon.
For now, however, we packed up again to start the last leg of our transit. All the way to Lilongwe airport where we picked up Frank Carlisle, the most important man on the trip. He’s in charge of the food. I had a long chat with him on the next leg of the journey to make sure he understands my diet. He understands. But I must say Elmarie, Theresa, Gwynette, Wilna and Marguerite did a great job without the chief of cuisine on board.
Wow, another great thing happened today. We didn’t have to cross a border and managed to set up camp in daylight. Maybe it should have been better if we arrived after dark, because I’ve seen these footpaths coming up from the water in front of us. There are no fences around the camp. Nada (oops, where not in Mozambique, anymore). I thought it might be locals, but were told it’s a hippo path right in front of where we are supposed to sleep. Rather, where the people are going to sleep. I’ve been told hippos are the biggest killers of all the animals in Africa. No hippo will get hold of me. I’ve also been told there is an elephant bull in musk, wiping out whatever comes in front of him. Aw well, I guess I’ll have to be brave. Be a watchdog. Gee, some of these guys can snore.
So, after travelling 2394km kilometres, we are at the most northern point of our expedition in Kasungu National Park in Malawi, bordering Zambia. Tomorrow the real reason for travelling all this way starts. We are going to meet up with some former students of the SAWC and start bar-coding trees. I think I will be helping the tree people, because I am Buddy and I can sniff a good tree a mile away.
This is Buddy barking off.
Download GPS Tracks for today: Google Earth Format & GPX Format
Saturday, October 3, 2009
How big is this place called Africa?
Tete... So we woke up in Tete. Remember, we arrived in the dark and I didn’t really see much. It’s the first time in my life I’ve seen such a big stretch of water. We slept at a place called Chico’s on the western banks of the Zambezi. Now that’s water. It makes the Vaal River look like a water feature in a Melville garden.
But just going back a bit, Chico’s makes the meanest, bestest peri-peri chicken in the world. And believe me, I’m a peri kind of dog. Bon Vindo they said when we arrived. Aw c’mon, don’t tell me you didn’t get that? Welcome!
This Chico’s has a great bar with a cool view of the Zambezi. Check out the picture. Check out the National Luna Fridge in the front. Cool view. Get it?
This morning after breakfast we pulled out of Chico’s. Boa Viagem all the guys said, waving us goodbye. Yes (sigh) that means farewell. But I’ll be back. Hasta la Vista... Oops wrong language.
After about three hours of driving I started wondering how big this continent really is. To while away the kilometres, I started to talk to Gerhard Groenewald. He’s a great guy. The main man. In charge of the Toyota Outreach. I like riding with him. He handles that Toyota Fortuner so smoothly, I never wake up when he swerves between potholes.
I mentioned to him that that piece of Zambezi I saw must surely be the biggest piece of water in the world. He let rip with that double bass chuckle of his. What? I wanted to know.
“Buddy, dear Buddy,” he answered. “Wait till we get to Cape Maclear in Malawi. Then you’ll see big. Some people call it the Malawi Inland Sea.”
Thanks to the immense thoroughness of the bureaucrats we, yet again, didn’t manage to get to Cape Maclear in daytime. In front of me where I am lying next to the fire, I see this total darkness, stretching as far as the eye cannot see. They tell me it is the lake.
I’ll see in the morning, and if it is true, I’ll post a picture.
This is Buddy barking off.
Download GPS Tracks for today: Google Earth Format & GPX Format
Hey Africa, tell me how you do it
Photo 1: Musoko's fresh meat. And Marguerite standing in the door
Photo 2: Don't always bargain on petrol
Photo 3: Cellphones definately had an effect
When in Africa, don’t make too many plans. Things have a habit of changing. We left Masvingo at 7.30. As planned. We drove towards Harare. As planned. There is a good by-pass road, going around the city, but nobody uses it. Because the army has a road block on it, stops every single vehicle and searches everything in it. So everybody drives through the overfull city. It’s quicker.
It is so sad to see what has happened to Zimbabwe. The country is in a stranglehold. For instance, when a vehicle breaks down or has an accident next to the open road, it is just left there. In no time, it will get stripped to a bare carcass that will just lie there and rot away.
Yet, there seem to be a sense of optimism amongst the people. As if a new beginning is about to take place. Yesterday we stopped in Musoko and while checking out the scene, Coetzee Zietsman, our movie man lost his sunglasses. It dropped off his head while walking around. A local Zimbabwean immediately ran to the glasses, picked it up and took it back to its rightful owner. He smiled at Coetzee, waved and walked away without waiting or begging for a reward. Coetzee had to run after him to give him R10. Yes, when travelling in Zim, forget about local currency or even American Dollars. They want South African Rand.
But wait, back to our plans. We were aiming for Tete in Mozambique and should have made it there at around six last night. Until we got to Nyamapanda Borderpost where we were going to leave Zim. All the paperwork was done in no time. Stamps being whacked into passports at a pace. The one official after the other filled in these dog-eared (I don’t like that expression, really) books with columns and columns of information about every passport holder. I started wondering what they were doing with all that stuff. I wonder what they do with all the full books.
Then somebody from somewhere decided we cannot go through. We needed police clearance papers for our vehicles. We didn’t need them the day before when we left Zim, but that didn’t seem to matter. Suddenly about ten very unofficially looking officials were deciding about our fate.
While all this was taking place, I went for a stroll. You see, as the top dog, I don’t need a passport. I’m a VIP, giving me diplomatic immunity. I walked backwards and forwards between Zim and Mozambique and broadened my Portuguese. I met a donkey and a goat along the way, but they weren’t much in the sense of conversation.
Eventually we had all the papers. Until yet another official decided he is not accepting it. So we waited a bit more. Patience is the biggest virtue in Africa. We outwaited them, meaning we outwitted them. We were supposed to be in Tete at six. We left Zim at ten past six.
Yip, don’t make too many plans in Africa.
This is Buddy barking off.
Download GPS Tracks for today: Google Earth Format & GPX Format
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Buddy across the border
The first thing I want to ask you is: Do you have any idea how early four o’ clock in the morning is? Even way up north it is two hours before the sun starts showing itself. Well, I got up, got in Toyota number One and went straight back to sleep.
We drove outside the Kruger all the way up to Punda Maria. Apparently. When we entered the Kruger National Park, I woke up. Things got going. Although we only travelled 70 kilometres through the park, we saw lots of animals. I hate those baboons, they look too much like humans, but can’t even talk. Unlike me.
In any case, how many dogs do you know that have crossed two international borders in one day? Me. Those guys on the Mozambican side were great. I even learnt about obrigado...How many trilingual dogs do you know? Me.
In Moz things really lit up. Thick sand, low range, diff locks, technical stuff, really. But those Toyota’s made me proud to be their top tog. Except for a little huffing and puffing when we got stuck in the Limpopo River. Do you know of any dogs that have done a full-on river crossing across the Limpopo? Me.
The border post between Mozambique and into Zim was quite a lengthy affair and made us arrive rather late at Masvingo where we set up camp in the dark on the banks of the Rundu River. There are hippos and crocs all over the place. Apparently. I am not checking.
I’m rather tired after 17 hours through Africa and if you’ll excuse me, I’ll sign off now.
Blog you later.
Download GPS Tracks for today: Google Earth Format & GPX Format
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Hallo, my name is Buddy and I am your blogger
It has to come from the heart
To make a mammoth task like the Toyota Enviro Outreach work, all involved have to believe in what they are doing. That is exactly why it is working. And we have a history to prove that. It is all about networking. Look at it as many people and organisations with big hearts taking hands to build a safety net.
First and foremost there is Toyota South Africa. Without the ten reliable vehicles (seven Hiluxes and three Fortuners) made available, this expedition would have remained an idea on paper. Lead the way is what they say and definitely what they prove to do. Africa’s roads are not for sissies, but Toyota tames them. And brings you back home.
However, a Toyota without wheels made for Africa will go nowhere slowly. It can’t run on rubbish, it needs the right rubber. Goodyear Wrangler is that kind of rubber. Not only do they have the technology (and the belief in what we do to supply their product to us) but they also put in a great effort to help make 4x4 riding responsible and environmentally friendly by supporting the Goodyear 4x4 Academy at Klipbokkop Mountain Resort.
We all know that a Toyota runs at 100%, but 4x4 Megaworld got into the game and technically enhanced the vehicles to ensure that we run at 110%. For instance, to ensure we have enough power from the vehicles Varta supplied the extra batteries and 4x4 Megaworld installed the dual battery systems.
Furthermore, a Toyota without any kit in it won’t do the trick. The vehicles themselves are not the problem; it is the poor people inside that need the support systems. From tents to lights to plugs to inverters and more. That’s where Campworld offered an open hand to ensure we are all happy campers.
Even though there is ample packing space on the back of a Hilux and in a Fortuner, with all the comfort goodies and essentials we would have had a potential loading problem. Until Campworld reached out again by supplying four Jurgens CI XT140 off-road trailers that make packing a pleasure.
Okay, we are looking good to get going, but Africa is big. And sometimes a single road split off into a few different ones. Getting lost is not part of the plan and to keep us on track, Garmin came to the party. It’s amazing what a Garmin GPS can show you via satellite.
Talking about satellites brings us to this blog you are reading right now. Internet is not the most common commodity in Africa. Introducing the Inmarsat Sabre 1 Wideye from MBV Satcom, enabling us to talk to the outside world.
An expedition like this cannot run on an empty stomach. Pioneer Foods helped in this department and although this project is a lot of hard work it is not work, work, work and never enjoying the African bush. And what is better than to sit at sundown in your camp, after a hard day’s driving, with a glass of wine? That’s where Swartland Wines made a difference, but really, a glass of white is no good at African bush temperature. Introducing National Luna that supplied the refrigerators to ensure a well-chilled sauvignon blanc while the sun sets. Or something else met eish, ja.
Thanks to all these great people we are ensured of the best chance to make the Toyota Enviro Outreach a great success. Talking about ensuring makes one think of insuring as well. This brings us to Cross Country, the real insurers you need when venturing into Africa. Because should you need them, you only give them your GPS coordinates from your Garmin and they will come to you. Wherever you are in Africa.
This is a message from the heart to all our sponsors.
From all of us on the Toyota Enviro Outreach.
Hakuna Matata.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Launch Pad: South African Wildlife College
SAWC, where it all begins. Gerhard making finishing touches.
Gwenet doing the same. The pleasure of packing.
Everything almost in the bag. The secret of Toyota's foothold in Africa.
From all corners of the country the outreach crew members are making their way to the starting point at the South African Wildlife College. We’d like to thank them for the privilege of preparing for this task using all their facilities. Last year we packed up without electricity in the bush. This year we have a full workshop, chalets, and great meals prepared by SAWC.
Radio communications are being installed in each vehicle and systematically the equipment is being selected and organised to allow us to travel long hours and, after reaching an overnight spot, to put up a whole village in half an hour that will cater for our creature comforts.
But it is not all just working. Last night we were treated to a unique Italian bush dinner (Kudu bolognaise) by Richard Sowry (Section Ranger at Kingfisherspruit in the KNP) and Theresa Sowry (executive manager: training at SAWC) in the KNP. What made it even more special is that, while we were enjoying our dinner, we were watching vultures and hyenas enjoying their dinner of underdone buffalo at a waterhole 20 metres away. It’s a tough life in Africa...
Back to work. Today the vehicles will be ready and tomorrow the rest of the crew will arrive. Then, the last, but most important member of the squad will make an entrance. Our most esteemed guest, Buddy.
Who is Buddy?
Watch this space!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Setting up GPS Equipment
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A vital part of getting ready for the Toyota Enviro Outreach is making sure all the Garmin Sponsored GPS equipment are up to date with the latest Maps and firmware.
“Old Faithful”, Gerhard Groenewald’s Garmin 276c, will lead the way as it have never failed him!
Tracks of each day will be uploaded to be viewed in either Garmin Mapsource or Google Earth, thanks to accurate tracking by Garmin.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Packing for Pafuri
But we are getting there, because we are ready. Ready to reach out via Pafuri border post way up north in the Kruger National Park to nature friends in Zimbabwe and Malawi.
