This month on PeaceParks.TV we salute the brave men and women who are protecting communities and nature. These committed rangers use their skills to conserve biodiversity and build a peaceful relationship between humans and wildlife. Meet the Peace Parks Foundation team, who recognise and thank rangers for their commitment, and for rising to the challenges they face.
This month, PeaceParks.TV is paying tribute to rangers, the brave men and women protecting communities and nature worldwide. Lusbem Armando Romao, a ranger in Mozambique’s Zinave National Park, is also a canine handler. Tracking dog Chicago helps him in his work on the frontlines of conservation, enhancing his ability to safeguard people and nature.
This month on PeaceParks.TV we salute and thank the brave men and women protecting communities and nature in southern Africa. We caught up with Leticia Matlhombe in Banhine National Park to hear what inspires her to take on this important work.
Limpopo National Park’s infrastructure is undergoing important upgrades to expand the communications network, and improve connectivity and security. A taller tower, and the use of EarthRanger software, allows rangers to speak to each other, and means that management teams can monitor their safety, and make patrols more effective.
A crucial conservation effort is underway in Malawi’s Nyika National Park, where orchids are under threat from illegal poaching. The orchid rescue team is carefully replanting thousands of tubers seized from poachers, aiming to restore the park’s precious and biodiverse plant population.
In Nyika National Park, newly recruited community scouts are undergoing water safety training to navigate rivers safely while out on patrol. Through Peace Parks investment in community employment and skills development, empowered local people are making a vital contribution to Nyika’s protection, whilst staying safe and effective on the job.
A leisurely wander through Limpopo National Park on their day off to search for wild dogs sets Bruce Missing and Delport Botma on an unexpected course! The dogs have moved into the park of their own accord, and collars send signals that they’re on the move. Now it’s just a question of finding them.
In Guengo community, Maputo National Park is driving a conservation-friendly agriculture and water security project for local farmers. Access to water, and vital farming supplies and guidance, are ensuring healthy crop yields and secure, alternative llivelihoods. This initiative is empowering communities and ensuring their wellbeing, whilst protecting the land on which they depend.
In Limpopo and Banhine national parks, Stronghold Rescue and Relief are providing vital medical training to rangers at the frontlines of conservation, supporting the work of Peace Parks Foundation. From theory and practice to equipment and canines, this course is contributing to the ongoing upskilling of rangers operating in challenging environments in the field.
In vast and remote protected areas, keeping track of wildlife and people is a complex operation; Zinave National Park’s long-range radio technology is helping to overcome the challenges of park management. Phumlani explains the power of communication towers and demonstrates the courage it takes to keep them maintained.
At the SA College for Tourism, new students are embarking on an exciting orientation week. Grounded and inspired by games, tours and building new connections, they have great expectations for the year ahead and the opportunities that lie beyond in the world of eco-tourism.
The lives and livelihoods of Inhaca Island’s bakers are being transformed, and the landscape protected. Signifying a major milestone, they are now able to repay gas ovens distributed to them in 2022, relieving the pressure of searching for woody fuel and keeping mangroves safe from deforestation.