AFRICAN CONSERVATIONIST
This is a platform that seeks to integrate,engage and provide other like minded conservationist to express themselves and share their experiences.
Thursday 24 April 2014
Chris Young - The Man I Want To Be (+playlist)
I Will engage him always..........I want to be Good Man.....I want to really start living.....#WEWILLSUCCEED
Thursday 10 April 2014
Years of Living Dangerously Premiere Full Episode
We
We need to stand for the climate for the War is ON and its coming closer to US
We need to stand for the climate for the War is ON and its coming closer to US
Friday 4 April 2014
My WWF Madagascar Experience 2013
http://wwf.panda.org/how_you_can_help/volunteer/volunteer/volunteer_stories/madagascar/climate_change_adaptation_in_madagascar/
The
WWF Madagascar and Western Indian Oceans Programmes Office (WWF MWIOPO) had the
privilege to co-host several international volunteers through the Global
EXPLORE! Programme in the year 2013. The volunteers also dubbed as explorers or
youth ambassadors were selected through a rigorous and very competitive process
that seeks to select the best fit professional’s for the projects under need.
This programme is a 3 – 6 month programme run by WWF International in
coordination with its country and regional offices; with an aim of empowering
local communities in the management and protection of natural resources that
have been transferred to them; foster the emergence of a committed and
motivated youth; sensitize the population for the use of renewable energy;
develop awareness campaign on fuel wood plantations and the use of efficient
cooking stoves; protection of rare
species and helping set up climate-smart management plans for vulnerable
habitats.
http://wwf.panda.org/how_you_can_help/volunteer/volunteer/volunteer_stories/madagascar/climate_change_adaptation_in_madagascar/ |
Michael Murunga (Micah) a Kenyan national and an immediate former International Explorer with the WWF MWIOPO (Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean Programme Office) http://wwf.panda.org/how_you_can_help/volunteer/volunteer/volunteer_stories/madagascar/climate_change_adaptation_in_madagascar/ , and the Second participant from Kenya since 2005 after Ms. Hellen Makuu (http://wwf.panda.org/how_you_can_help/volunteer/volunteer/volunteer_stories/madagascar/toliara_coral_reef/hellen_makuu/ ) when the EXPLORE! Programme began. He is also a recent graduate from the University of Nairobi, Chiromo Campus, Kenya; having successfully completed a bachelor’s of Science degree in Environmental Conservation and Natural resources Management. Michael recently completed his assignment with WWF MWIOPO under the Explore Programme in December 2013 from Madagascar; Working on an Adaptation to Climate Change Project
He was among a team of 3 Explorers who were working in the
village Ankazomborona, a coastal fisheries community located in Northern
Madagascar, Region Diana in the District of Ambilobe. They represented the
third wave of Intervention in Madagascar for the year 2013 and the pioneers to
introduce the international explore Programme in northern Madagascar; Working
under the guidance of the Explore Coordinator Ms. Malalatiana Rakotonarivo,
Diana Station Coordinator Ms. Vola Ramahery and Ms. Moia Hartrop Soutter the
WWF International Explore Programme Coordinator. Once at the project location,
the team was expected to participate in a number of aspects of the WWF
project in the local community in order to gain an overall picture of the
conservation project and its social context. That included assisting WWF
staff with specific tasks and, engaging with adjacent communities (such as
assisting local community organizations or schools).
The Gasy Journey
The Journey to Madagascar began from a simple and humble
telephone conversation with Moia hartrop soutter (WWF Youth International
Coordinator). It was inadvently exciting the call for assignment to participate
in this noble programme. She went straight to the point the words still linger
in my mind as she said” Hi Michael, we have reviewed your application and we
see that you best fit for a project with WWF Madagascar; I would like to offer
you a position in the EXPLORE! Madagascar programme, do you accept?” My answer
was pretty obvious, with no second thoughts I said ‘YES’. That marked the turning
point in my life as an individual and opened a new and fresh chapter of success
– so I believed, the reality is that it did. This opportunity brought chills on
my spine as the days progressed as the reality set in that you had no idea on
what you will be expecting in the country.
The Madagascan
experience brought in a new array of thoughts that shaped how I handled and
reacted to short hand information. Ankazomborona, is a very remote village with
limited global interactions. The community is engulfed into traditional fishing
and subsistence farming; rice is the staple food. The village presented a new
set of challenges from understanding how best to address problems of solid
waste management, knowledge disparity, gender mainstreaming and above all
climate change linkages. This is a place that cell phone reception is available
on a Mango tree or at the water tank behind our small house. The language
difference clubbed by changing cultures was a memorable feat to blow steam on
numerous occasions. The thoughts that I had limited knowledge in French even
made it worse as the communities could only understand Malagasy and bits of
French
Lessons Learnt
I learnt several things out of my experience and noted that the
challenges that we face as a nation or continent are strongly intertwined into
a unique invisible cord of interdependence. The Island of Madagascar being
isolated had numerous unique biodiversity, cultural integrations platform, huge
indo-pacific influence; the problems of water, sanitation, deforestation,
sustainable energy and climate change proved that they were not unique to a
specific region but their impacts are felt as well in the remotest of places in
the World. The question of how vulnerable island states are to changing
climatic conditions were always in my mind and I came to realize that every
community or society has its unique responsibility to effectively and
efficiently play its part in abating the growing global challenges. We have a
duty to play our roles; some of the lessons learnt in Madagascar are summarized
as:
1. Unique
Biodiversity – The Island Country
had unique biodiversity with an amazing set of chameleons, frogs and snakes
being seen each day at the camp. This animals displayed an endless and
remarkable view of the magnificent Madagascar. The country also treated us to
an array of the Lemurs of Madagascar. It was my first experience to actually
interact with Bamboo lemurs and Ring tailed lemurs in the Wild; this presented
a unique moment in the country. Madagascar is dubbed as the only country that
you can find the 7 species of the 8 species of the Bamboo, it was remarkable to
see at least 6 of the species. The brilliance of the park national d’Ankarana is crowned by the
majestic and endemic baobabs such as Adansonia
madagascarensis, spiraling lianas such as Adenia lapiazicola and some unique vegetation occupying the tsingy
with red flowers Euphobia ankarensis endemic
to the reserve and of the family Euphobiaceae
2. Remarkable
Places: The Team had a
chance to visit two of the three world heritage sites recognized by UNESCO and
Some of the oldest monuments in the country. The island had more to offer
however notable among them were those tours to:
·
Antsiranana
Antsiranana, situated in the extreme north of
Madagascar, known as Diego Suarez until 1975 and still called Diego by many, is
the capital of Madagascar's northernmost province. It has one of the
world's most beautiful deep-water harbours, complete with beautiful beaches and
breath taking mountains such as the sacred sugarloaf. This is the largest city
of the north with a huge cosy market, a range of fine restaurants and some
fantastic places and national parks to visit nearby. The legend of Libertalia
is said to have its origin here. Libertalia is said to have consisted of a free
commune forged by adventurers under the leadership of Captain James Misson in
the late 1600s.
·
Emerald
Bay
Emerald Bay is just one of 3 enclosed bays in Diego
Suarez (others are: Pigeons’ Bay, the Duns’ Bay and the Sakalava Bay). It is
round shaped, about 20 km in boundary, shallow in the first few meters- hence
the “emerald” appellation and just moderately deep at the centre to change the
colour to turquoise and not blue black. The bay comprises several pristine and
empty beaches with almost no tourist activities (except for a few public shared
cottages built by the Madagascar government). The Emerald bay is located north of the passage to the city of Diego
Suarez the capital of Madagascar Province of Antsiranana; it’s one of the most
beautiful and largest natural bays in the world. The region of
Diego Suarez is known to contain a huge historical wealth for instance in 1973,
Antsiranana served as a defense port for French fleets against the British. The Bay of Antsiranana is one of largest and most
breathtakingly beautiful lagoons in the world.
·
Ramena Beach
The volunteers had trips to the nearby beach at Ramena;
Ramena is a small village with a sandy and uncrowded beach, which does not seem
to have benefited much from the tourists, flush in Madagascar. The beaches
offer comfort for team retreats. The kindness and polite nature of people made
the stay worth the travel. On the side roads on route to Ramena one couldn’t
stop but notice the magnificence and beauty of the Baobab trees
Cultural Diversity –
The island boosts of a diverse array of cultures ranging from the Chinese,
Indians, Comorians, Mauritians, French and little bit of Anglophone influences.
This made the island have a unique set of integration. Though the interactions
were more local the influence of other cultures due to intermarriage was seen
in a greater context
In
conclusion of our expedition in Madagascar it became apparent that none of us
wanted to leave as we had been accustomed to the people and the unique sets of
livelihoods that the island had exposed us to; however we had played our part
and it had come to a time we had to leave. Notable among which can be
summarized into success stories out of the activities that we engaged successfully
the communities into initiatives such as solid waste management, fish catch
monitoring, mangrove conservation, gardening and culinary exchange and finally English and French lessons.
I
would encourage able Kenyans with a passion and zeal to engage your time
constructively into community conservation either through the WWF Kenya or
through the WWF International. To get further details on the same link up to http://wwf.panda.org/how_you_can_help/volunteer/ and find
further information on the same and join this remarkable team of WWF Global
Youth Ambassadors.
By:
Michael Murunga
My Madagascar Experience
The Malagasy Experience
The
WWF Madagascar and Western Indian Oceans Programmes Office (WWF MWIOPO) had the
privilege to co-host several international volunteers through the Global
EXPLORE! Programme in the year 2013. The volunteers also dubbed as explorers or
youth ambassadors were selected through a rigorous and very competitive process
that seeks to select the best fit professional’s for the projects under need.
This programme is a 3 – 6 month programme run by WWF International in
coordination with its country and regional offices; with an aim of empowering
local communities in the management and protection of natural resources that
have been transferred to them; foster the emergence of a committed and
motivated youth; sensitize the population for the use of renewable energy;
develop awareness campaign on fuel wood plantations and the use of efficient
cooking stoves; protection of rare
species and helping set up climate-smart management plans for vulnerable
habitats.
Michael
Murunga (Micah) a Kenyan national and an immediate former International Explorer with the WWF MWIOPO
(Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean Programme Office) http://wwf.panda.org/how_you_can_help/volunteer/volunteer/volunteer_stories/madagascar/climate_change_adaptation_in_madagascar/ , and the Second participant from Kenya
since 2005 after Ms. Hellen Makuu (http://wwf.panda.org/how_you_can_help/volunteer/volunteer/volunteer_stories/madagascar/toliara_coral_reef/hellen_makuu/ ) when the EXPLORE! Programme began. He is
also a recent graduate from the University of Nairobi, Chiromo Campus, Kenya;
having successfully completed a bachelor’s of Science degree in Environmental
Conservation and Natural resources Management. Michael recently completed his
assignment with WWF MWIOPO under the Explore Programme in December 2013 from
Madagascar; Working on an Adaptation to Climate Change Project.
He was among a team of 3 Explorers who were working in the
village Ankazomborona, a coastal fisheries community located in Northern
Madagascar, Region Diana in the District of Ambilobe. They represented the
third wave of Intervention in Madagascar for the year 2013 and the pioneers to
introduce the international explore Programme in northern Madagascar; Working
under the guidance of the Explore Coordinator Ms. Malalatiana Rakotonarivo,
Diana Station Coordinator Ms. Vola Ramahery and Ms. Moia Hartrop Soutter the
WWF International Explore Programme Coordinator. Once at the project location,
the team was expected to participate in a number of aspects of the WWF
project in the local community in order to gain an overall picture of the
conservation project and its social context. That included assisting WWF
staff with specific tasks and, engaging with adjacent communities (such as
assisting local community organizations or schools).
The Gasy Journey
The Journey to Madagascar began from a simple and humble
telephone conversation with Moia hartrop soutter (WWF Youth International
Coordinator). It was inadvently exciting the call for assignment to participate
in this noble programme. She went straight to the point the words still linger
in my mind as she said” Hi Michael, we have reviewed your application and we
see that you best fit for a project with WWF Madagascar; I would like to offer
you a position in the EXPLORE! Madagascar programme, do you accept?” My answer
was pretty obvious, with no second thoughts I said ‘YES’. That marked the turning
point in my life as an individual and opened a new and fresh chapter of success
– so I believed, the reality is that it did. This opportunity brought chills on
my spine as the days progressed as the reality set in that you had no idea on
what you will be expecting in the country.
The Madagascan experience brought in a new array of thoughts
that shaped how I handled and reacted to short hand information. Ankazomborona,
is a very remote village with limited global interactions. The community is
engulfed into traditional fishing and subsistence farming; rice is the staple
food. The village presented a new set of challenges from understanding how best
to address problems of solid waste management, knowledge disparity, gender
mainstreaming and above all climate change linkages. This is a place that cell
phone reception is available on a Mango tree or at the water tank behind our
small house. The language difference clubbed by changing cultures was a
memorable feat to blow steam on numerous occasions. The thoughts that I had
limited knowledge in French even made it worse as the communities could only
understand Malagasy and bits of French.
Lessons Learnt
I learnt several things out of my experience and noted that the
challenges that we face as a nation or continent are strongly intertwined into
a unique invisible cord of interdependence. The Island of Madagascar being
isolated had numerous unique biodiversity, cultural integrations platform, huge
indo-pacific influence; the problems of water, sanitation, deforestation,
sustainable energy and climate change proved that they were not unique to a
specific region but their impacts are felt as well in the remotest of places in
the World. The question of how vulnerable island states are to changing
climatic conditions were always in my mind and I came to realize that every
community or society has its unique responsibility to effectively and
efficiently play its part in abating the growing global challenges. We have a
duty to play our roles; some of the lessons learnt in Madagascar are summarized
as:
1. Unique
Biodiversity – The Island Country
had unique biodiversity with an amazing set of chameleons, frogs and snakes
being seen each day at the camp. This animals displayed an endless and
remarkable view of the magnificent Madagascar. The country also treated us to
an array of the Lemurs of Madagascar. It was my first experience to actually
interact with Bamboo lemurs and Ring tailed lemurs in the Wild; this presented
a unique moment in the country. Madagascar is dubbed as the only country that
you can find the 7 species of the 8 species of the Bamboo, it was remarkable to
see at least 6 of the species. The brilliance of the park national d’Ankarana is crowned by the
majestic and endemic baobabs such as Adansonia
madagascarensis, spiraling lianas such as Adenia lapiazicola and some unique vegetation occupying the tsingy
with red flowers Euphobia ankarensis endemic
to the reserve and of the family Euphobiaceae.
2. Remarkable
Places: The Team had a
chance to visit two of the three world heritage sites recognized by UNESCO and
Some of the oldest monuments in the country. The island had more to offer
however notable among them were those tours to:
·
Antsiranana
Antsiranana, situated in the extreme north of
Madagascar, known as Diego Suarez until 1975 and still called Diego by many, is
the capital of Madagascar's northernmost province. It has one of the
world's most beautiful deep-water harbours, complete with beautiful beaches and
breath taking mountains such as the sacred sugarloaf. This is the largest city
of the north with a huge cosy market, a range of fine restaurants and some
fantastic places and national parks to visit nearby. The legend of Libertalia
is said to have its origin here. Libertalia is said to have consisted of a free
commune forged by adventurers under the leadership of Captain James Misson in
the late 1600s.
·
Emerald Bay
Emerald Bay is just one of 3 enclosed bays in Diego
Suarez (others are: Pigeons’ Bay, the Duns’ Bay and the Sakalava Bay). It is
round shaped, about 20 km in boundary, shallow in the first few meters- hence
the “emerald” appellation and just moderately deep at the centre to change the
colour to turquoise and not blue black. The bay comprises several pristine and
empty beaches with almost no tourist activities (except for a few public shared
cottages built by the Madagascar government). The Emerald bay is located north of the passage to the city of Diego
Suarez the capital of Madagascar Province of Antsiranana; it’s one of the most
beautiful and largest natural bays in the world. The region of
Diego Suarez is known to contain a huge historical wealth for instance in 1973,
Antsiranana served as a defense port for French fleets against the British. The Bay of Antsiranana is one of largest and most
breathtakingly beautiful lagoons in the world.
·
Ramena Beach
The volunteers had trips to the nearby beach at Ramena;
Ramena is a small village with a sandy and uncrowded beach, which does not seem
to have benefited much from the tourists, flush in Madagascar. The beaches
offer comfort for team retreats. The kindness and polite nature of people made
the stay worth the travel. On the side roads on route to Ramena one couldn’t
stop but notice the magnificence and beauty of the Baobab trees.
3. Cultural Diversity – The island boosts of a
diverse array of cultures ranging from the Chinese, Indians, Comorians,
Mauritians, French and little bit of Anglophone influences. This made the
island have a unique set of integration. Though the interactions were more
local the influence of other cultures due to intermarriage was seen in a
greater context.
In
conclusion of our expedition in Madagascar it became apparent that none of us
wanted to leave as we had been accustomed to the people and the unique sets of
livelihoods that the island had exposed us to; however we had played our part
and it had come to a time we had to leave. Notable among which can be
summarized into success stories out of the activities that we engaged successfully
the communities into initiatives such as solid waste management, fish catch
monitoring, mangrove conservation, gardening and culinary exchange and finally English and French lessons.
I
would encourage able Kenyans with a passion and zeal to engage your time
constructively into community conservation either through the WWF Kenya or
through the WWF International. To get further details on the same link up to http://wwf.panda.org/how_you_can_help/volunteer/ and find
further information on the same and join this remarkable team of WWF Global
Youth Ambassadors.
By:
Michael Murunga
Wednesday 29 August 2012
Technology and Great Apes
We ask ourselves
questions such as, what happens when one day you visit the Zoo, the National
park and you find that you are surrounded by a great cloud of silence!. No
birds, No insects and most of all No apes. How would you feel? Myself I don’t
know and don’t want to imagine the immediate horrors that my mind will be preoccupied
with.
Great apes are of
diverse species from Gorillas, Bonobo, Orangutans and chimpanzees; they are the
only immediate ancestors that we humans have. We burn down their forest; a home
they have stayed in for more than a 100 decades. We humans have proved to be inhumane
with a recent incident being the Borneo human conflict where the community set
up a tree on fire and burned the orangutans which succumbed to level 3 burns (http://us.foto.news.viva.co.id/read/7864-evakuasi-orangutan-sekarat).
Are we being protectors of the earth as God had instructed man, I guess not we
are clouded by our inner selfish gains and egoistic approaches.
We slash and burn
forest in the name of agricultural expansion; we do not ask ourselves questions
what will happen to the animals in the forests. Ask yourself? What will happen
to them? I know that the Gorillas of the DR Congo are suffering; they are
deprived of peaceful and tranquil coexistence. Their lives are threatened by
our uncompassionate actions. The warlords are seeking them for food and skin.
This begs the question
what can we do to save this peaceful and majestic creatures. They deserve
protection at most. Organizations such as the GRASP-UNEP (www.un-grasp.org),
Borneo orangutan survival foundation and LAGA Cameroon are just but a few of
those institutions set up to protect the great apes.
How can technology save
the great apes? In my opinion there are several approaches that can be employed
to enable protection of the great apes. One of the approaches is Smart Collaring;
Using accelerometer technology and GPS.This approach not only tracks the
location of an animal but also tells us about every move that it makes. Collaring
is used to understand the behavior of certain animal species in the hope of
reducing conflicts between humans and animals and help in improving wildlife
management and interaction.
We can borrow some
technology that is being used for elephant conservation called Animal Texting. The
technology is currently being used with Kenyan elephant’s conservation in
Laikipia district with the aim to cut the scale of the human wildlife
conflicts. This enables elephant’s tracking hence those nearby communities are
warned about an approaching elephant. We can use the same for Great apes
conservation. Secondly, use of camera traps to be able to document the major
causes of animal population decline and incidences of conflict where they
occur.
Using scare tools and
tactics such as alarms and shock collars, this employed on the male apes to
tame them and restrict their range of movement, and thus cut human ape
conflict. Let’s use available technology and save the Great Apes.
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