Conservation Friendly Safaris - Go On One!

Unless we practice conservation, those who come after us will have to pay the price of misery, degradation, and failure for the progress and prosperity of our day. (Gifford Pinchot)

 Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man. (Stewart Udall)

Question: How do you choose which safari to go on and which camp to stay at and which company to book through? Frankly, when looking through Africa travel magazines or websites most of them look the same…

As our global population reaches 7 billion and growing, the importance of wildlife conservation grows daily- if a pointed effort is not made, the wildlife you are coming to see and experience will be decimated in a matter of time. A suggestion  – if you are going on safari in Africa, when you are looking at accommodation websites, look further than the photo gallery.  See if there is a conservation or giving back link, and if so, take the time to read about what they are doing….is it just recycling water bottles OR have they employed people to manage the ecosystem and are anti-poaching efforts mentioned?  This particular aspect will narrow down the amount of camps and lodges you are sifting through, and will ensure that the safari you are about to embark on will be sustainable, more eco-friendly and you will actually be a part of a conservation experience. 

For example, Ker & Downey Tanzania works in conjunction with the Friedkin Conservation Fund - a conservation organization, which is implementing wildlife law enforcement and community development in all of the Ker & Downey camps/properties.  Mwiba for instance, is fully dedicated to the long- term conservation of the area, with a law enforcement team of 40 men from the local village who have been trained and selected for their ability to protect the area.

Singita Grumeti Reserves is also a wonderful example of a company which has not only hit the very top of the travel market but which has also implemented effective wildlife security and community development through the Grumeti Fund.

Below is a list of safari companies/camps, which are dedicated to the sustainability of the wildlife in the area.  Almost all of the camps listed below are run and supported privately.  These types of projects and places will be the future of conservation in Africa- private investment from conservation to community development is the way forward!

Tanzania

Ker & Downey Tanzania: Mwiba Wildlife Reserve, Tandala, Malagarasi (http://www.legendaryadventure.com/LAI-photo/index.htm)

Singita Sasakwa Lodge, Sabora Tented Camp, Faru Faru Lodge, Explore Camp:  Singita Grumeti Reserves (www.singita.com)

Kenya

Lewa Downs Safari Camp: Lewa Downs Conservancy (www.lewa.org)

Mara Conservancy (www.maratriangle.org)  

Zambia

Robin Pope Safaris/African Parks Network: Liuwa Plain National Park (www.robinpopesafaris.net)

Malawi

Robin Pope Safaris/African Parks Network: Mkulumadzi Lodge (www.robinpopesafaris.net)

Zimbabwe

Singita Pamushana Lodge: Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve (www.singita.com)

South Africa

Tswalu: Tswalu Kalahari (www.tswalu.com)

  

The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard. (Gaylord Nelson)

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

Nothing is going to get better. It's not (Dr. Suess)

It's The End Of The Dry Season

The dry season in Africa varies depending on your location- however, in Mwiba the rains come in around November.  The change is not as dramatic as in some places, like Liuwa Plain National Park, where the entire plain is flooded under a couple of feet of water and you use boats instead of cars BUT there is still a change.  I am very excited to watch the dry, dead looking vegetation turn into a canvas of neon green with splashes of pink and yellow and purple wildflowers.  From the first rain in October or November to the height of the wildflowers in March takes about 5 months, but it is well worth the wait.

Also check out article on Liuwa Plain National Park from October Edition of Africa Geographic:  http://www.stevecunliffe.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Africa-Geographic-Summing-Up-Carnivores.pdf

Mwiba / Makao

As all conservationists understand, people are a huge part in the success or failure of wildlife conservation.  In Mwiba, this is definitely true, as Makao Village which borders the reserve is surrounded by 4 conservation areas. Our challenge and goal is how to make that fact a good thing for the community and not a bad thing.  How do we help them to increase their way of life and make a direct correlation between the conservation of the wild animals on their doorstep and the improvement of their way of life.  The one thing I know is that you do not accomplish this by throwing free things at them….that creates two problems- one is that it instills a sense of entitlement, which does not encourage market creation/an increase of capital and two, it does not help increase their knowledge of how protecting animals protects tourism which leads to employment in the industry as well as in markets which support that industry (e.g.: guides, drivers, wildlife law enforcement, camp waiters, supervisors, housekeepers, cooks and jewelry projects, vegetables/food produce, cultural exhibitions, etc).  At Mwiba we are starting our first community project, which will lay a foundation for more projects and markets.  It is the Makao Community Center, which will be built and run using funds and people from both Makao and Mwiba.  The center will offer a child day care/play group.  This will cost the parents only what they can afford and which can be paid in multiple forms (i.e. cows or goats or cash, etc).  It will simultaneously serve as a health clinic, which will concentrate on pediatric care and HIV.  Lastly, it will be used as a center for environmental education.  The village will be encouraged to gather at the center to discuss ideas and ways to move forward as a community and with Mwiba, to create more markets and a more sustainable lifestyle amongst the conservation areas surrounding them.

If you would like to contribute to or learn more about the Makao Community Center, please contact me:  bkansteiner@gmail.com

Here are some pictures of the people of Makao Village.  

Ulaya

Ulaya: a Swahili word that I learned while in a conversation with the waiter and supervisor at Mwiba Tented Camp.  It technically means Europe, but in Tanzania people will use it to mean anything outside of Africa.  There is something romantic about the notion of “other worlds”…Africa as another world to Westerners and the West as another world to Africans.  I find myself in what I consider an extremely lucky position, as I get to experience both of these worlds.  Although magical, to generalize about both the West and Africa is a mistake (even in our forever homogenizing world).   However, stereotypes are usually made based on truths and when Africans ask me about the American dream, there is truth to that romantic side of America.  When Americans ask me about wild Africa and living in tents lit by candles amongst lions and elephants, there is also truth to that romantic notion of Africa…however, we all know that both places have very harsh realities and many layers of complex markets and politics.  I am not one for avoiding those realities, but maybe it is not such a bad thing to focus on the good stereotypes.  So…while living in Africa, I am making a concerted effort to focus on the good and not let the negative realities get me down….recently, I was in the UK and America for an amazing vacation, and it was very easy to get caught in the American dream.  Many of my close friends are living what a Tanzanian (and myself) would consider the American dream.  They never cease to amaze me and I could not be more proud or miss them anymore than I do.  Here is a list of some websites/companies/interesting sectors that they are involved with or have created:

NYC Times Square

Living Social (www.livingsocial.com)

Toms Shoes (www.tomsshoes.com)

Roarke NYC (www.roarkenyc.com)

Rachel Halvorson Design (www.nestegg.typepad.com)

Big Bang Strategy (www.bigbangstrategy.com )

IRI: (www.iri.org)

Social Work: although I do not have a direct link that you should check out, this is a sector that is under appreciated, in my opinion, and the people involved are truly amazing.

Dar Es Salaam

The above list is a testament to American education. However, despite many Westerners notions, there are also Tanzanians who are involved in an equally diverse array of professions.  The difference is in the opportunity. Education and employment is not as easily obtained in places like Makao as it is in Middleburg.  At Mwiba we are trying to jump start community development, based on expanding markets that the village (Makao) is interested in.  These are things such as vegetables and chickens, as well as early childhood development opportunities and environmental education (through a community center which will hopefully become a place to host computer education and micro-finance courses), all to increase the opportunity of creating the American dream in Africa. 

Wildebeest Migration in Serengeti

Bison in Wyoming

In the same conversation where I learned about Ulaya, I attempted (in my broken Swahili) to explain that people in the Western world believe that what people in Africa have is also special. That their unique spectrum of global markets, diverse culture, wilderness and wildlife, must not be thrown away to try and emulate Western ways, because that uniqueness will be and already is, hugely beneficial in regards to monetary as well as earthly value.  The same goes for the West.  We should also honor our cultural diversity, wilderness and wildlife, but not give up any of our easily accessible (in comparison to Africa) educational, employment and market opportunities.   Having lived in the West as well as in Africa, there are huge differences, which is where a lot of our generalizations come from BUT there are also similarities.