Fostering Jaguar Research and Conservation in the Pantanal
LAO CONSERVATION TRUST FOR WILDLIFE
A Safe Haven in a Wildlife Trafficking Hotspot
BELIZE KARST HABITAT CONSERVATION
An Act of CourageThe Revival of a Paper Park
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Cover photo credits: Nikorn Pen
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JOOSJE’S WILDERNESS
COURSE
JAGUAR
IDENTIFICATION
From Aspiration to Reality 16
PROJECT
Ecotourism with PurposeFostering Jaguar Research and Conservation in the Pantanal
THE HERDS A Migration of Artistic Expression
NEW TO NATURE
Popa langur
An Act of CourageThe Revival of a Paper Park 42 WILDLIFE PILOT AT CSL/ZCP Luangwa Valley: Of Aerial Surveys and Vital Collaborations
70 STARGAZER
Stephanie Broekarts
78
88
KINDERGARTEN ROMONYA
A Place Where Change is Not a Promise, But a Deed - and Where Nature Lives Not Beside Us, But Within Us
INFOGRAPHIC
Rights of Nature
90 BRILLIANT BLUE
Making Waves For the Future of Ocean Conservation
98 ENDANGERED SPECIES
Olive Ridley Turtle
102 LAO CONSERVATION TRUST FOR WILDLIFE
A Safe Haven in a Wildlife Trafficking Hotspot
INTRODUCTION
Conservation is a driving force behind all that I do, and the same can be said for everyone here at Ubuntu. The opportunities Ubuntu has given me to connect with some of the leading minds behind successful and innovative conservation ventures has been enlightening and invigorating. It is an incredible responsibility to get to share all of these stories with the world.
In a media landscape often driven by other priorities, the world of ecology and environmental sustainability can often appear fragmented and underdeveloped. Discovering the fascinating stories from all around the world that prove otherwise feels powerful to me, as someone deeply passionate about nature and the people who work tirelessly to protect it.
Ubuntu represents the very best of the hard work of dedicated conservationists around the world, all of whom have stories to share, and the people who work diligently to tell them. I believe that the topics covered by the magazine are of utmost importance in today’s world, yet they often do not get nearly enough publicity, as the urgency to protect our planet intensifies with every passing day. People are starting to grasp the true scope and scale of our environmental issues, and I believe that sharing positive, inspiring stories is the best way to leave a lasting impression with people.
As a native of the North of England, a hugely important topic to me is rewilding: it deeply interests me as a proactive approach to ecosystem balancing, and seeing it in action has opened my eyes to the potential for global ecological recovery. A recent success story in Northumberland is the reintroduction of a small family of beavers to the land, released on a Natural Trust private estate. The hope was that they would travel across the local rivers, using their ‘ecological services’ to help alleviate the pressures of flooding in the area. Beavers, once native to the UK, have not been wild in the country for more than 400 years, having
been hunted nearly to extinction in the late 16th century. These remarkable engineers can create natural infrastructure that benefits both humans and wildlife while improving the flow of the rivers they inhabit. In the summer of 2024, this family of beavers welcomed a kit—the first beaver born in the UK in over four centuries, marking a thrilling milestone in the species’ return to the wild!
Another story involves the reintroduction of the Eurasian Lynx into the deep forests of Northumberland, namely Kielder forest, with the hope that they will help address the issue of deer overpopulation (a prevalent issue in the UK). As humans are the only apex predator in the country’s ecosystems, reintroducing a natural predator like this big cat can help stabilize ecosystems that have long been out of balance. This discussion is ongoing, but I, for one, hope to see these cats back in the forest as soon as possible.
With the beavers of Wallington Estate, the dreams of lynx at Kielder, and even the wild goats of the Cheviot Hills in Northumberland National Park (a completely wild population of ancient, isolated goats with genetics almost identical to their distant ancestors), I feel confident that steps are being taken in the right direction by those who have the power to act in places close to home. Much more needs to be done, but I remain optimistic that so long as there are people that will fight for the wilderness and all that it contains, we can keep it alive and thriving. I am a firm believer in rewilding, and whether it be right on my doorstep or at the furthest corners of the earth, we all have a part to play in making the world a little wilder.
- Nathan Turnbull Journalist Ubuntu Magazine
CORE SKILLS, REAL LESSONS
PERSONAL INSIGHTS FROM A WILDERNESS GUIDE COURSE
Written by Joosje Heringa
SPAIN
CORE SKILLS
“Good morning, Joosje.” It’s 7:00 AM, and our assistant guide is waking us up, just like every morning.
It’s late September in the Spanish Pyrenees, where crisp, chilly nights give way to quickly warming days. We’re settled in a spot overlooking endless mountain peaks and dense forests. I find myself wondering if anything lives here. There must be, because the mysterious calls of an owl kept us company throughout the night. Also, fresh droppings, possibly from a boar, have been found nearby.
It feels comforting to be woken up like this. I know I have to be out of bed fast to make breakfast and be ready for our daily program. No shower, thermos on, boots on, and go.
Over the next three weeks, we’ll dive into the core skills necessary to become a wilderness guide: leadership, interpretive guiding, navigation, first aid, mountain rescue, and survival skills. All of which will be tested in an actual mini-expedition. Let’s get started.
A GRADE 10 BACKPACK
Today is our first day, and the energy is a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation. We gather in a circle to meet our instructor for the next two days, a specialist in leadership. After a quick check-in, where each of us shares how we feel, we’re asked to rate our backpacks as a guide, from 0 to 10.
I glance around at the others: professional packs filled with first aid kits, rain jackets, and all the essentials. Then I look at mine—a Head tennis bag. Regret creeps in, but I try to shake it off. There’s no changing it now. If my backpack isn’t a 10 on the outside, I’ll ensure it’s a 10 on the inside.
Our instructor gives us a clear directive: “Your profession as a guide starts now. Be one.”
This phrase immediately comes back to me in the next hours as we start hiking in the region. Let me set the scene:
On our way back to camp after a day of hiking, we reach a fork in the trail. One path leads uphill, the other down. It’s just me, two teammates, and
Photo credits: Joosje Heringa
our guide—we can’t see the rest of the group. We hesitate. No signs, no obvious clues. No one knows for sure. I speak up: “I saw them go that way,” I say, pointing downhill. My voice is steady and confident. There’s a moment of relief in the group—someone knows. No need for further discussion. We take my word for it and start moving.
We walk. And walk some more. But after a while, we realize we’ve taken the wrong path.
Our guide turns to me, not angry but firm: “Notice what just happened. We all relied on the information you gave.”
Later, I reflect on it. How often does this happen, not just in guiding, but in life? One person speaks with confidence, and we follow. It’s easier that way. Thinking takes effort. Questioning slows things down. We trust what sounds certain because uncertainty feels uncomfortable.
Then there’s another layer: Why did I speak up so quickly? Was I truly sure, or was I filling the silence? Did I feel the need to have an answer rather than admit I didn’t know? My words weren’t based on certainty—they were based on what I thought I saw. However, in guiding, and I think in life as well, acting only on assumptions can mislead you.
The lesson our guide reinforced was clear: Never rely on assumptions. Stay with what is real. Especially in the wilderness. And: be a guide.
FINDING JOY IN THE STORM
It starts to rain—light at first, then heavy, thunder rumbling closer. I look at our guide, and don’t see a flicker of fear, no sign of frustration. He simply observes, then adapts. I suspect the plan was to head back, do other exercises, and have lunch. Not anymore.
“Poles on the other side. Let’s stand there.” Then: “Joosje, start with your favorite dance move. We’ll all follow.”
Seriously? It’s pouring. I’m wet, cold, and miserable. The last thing I feel like doing is dancing. But there’s no escaping this—no warm shelter, no way out. Just rain and the choice to resist or adapt.
Five minutes later, 12 adults are laughing, moving, and shaking off the discomfort. The storm rages, but suddenly, it doesn’t matter.
These are the moments that stay with you.
Photo credits: Joosje Heringa
WILDERNESS FIRST AID + EXPEDITION PREPARATION
Week two is all about wilderness first aid. We start with the basics—checking airways and treating cuts—before moving into the unpredictable: snake bites, allergic reactions, and injuries with no clear cause. The biggest lesson I write down in my notebook:
Everything is context-dependent. Just do your best.
In remote areas, resources are limited, there’s no perfect answer, no textbook scenario, and under pressure, you act differently than you think. Picture this: ten people looking at you for guidance, questions coming from all sides, someone screaming in pain, bystanders calling for attention. You need to keep your head cool.
I hear myself saying: “You, take care of this, and get back to me when you’re finished. You, communicate with emergency services and keep me updated. And you, stay with the group, make sure they don’t come closer.”
The message from the wilderness is clear: set tasks and responsibilities, and focus on what is in front of you.
By afternoon, we shift our focus to expedition preparation For the final week, we’ll embark on a mini-expedition—planned entirely by us. Routes based on coordinates, risk assessments, food, and group gear.
That’s how our days go: mornings filled with theory and hands-on practice, afternoons spent finalizing expedition plans. Good thing we prepared a meal plan before—imagine doing CPR while figuring out who’s making lunch. With just 30 minutes to eat and 11 hungry people, a system is a must.
SITUATIONS PASS, AND SO DOES DISCOMFORT
Towards the end of the first week, we find ourselves in our now-familiar circle after an intense, completely unexpected night. A night where, more than once, I looked around and thought: Are we really doing this? Tying the knots we practiced in the warmth of a house, now, in the dark, standing ankle-deep in water.
I want to say ice-cold water, but that wouldn’t be true. It wasn’t freezing. I’ve learned that cold is my weakness. I wouldn’t say I panic, but when the cold seeps in, so do the thoughts, telling me I can’t handle it. My body starts shaking. I feel the chill creeping into my bones. The only real way to warm up is to move. Don’t just stand there, hoping it’ll pass. Move. Now, jumping jacks feel like a trusted friend.
Photo credits: Joosje Heringa
So here we are, standing in a circle. Wet. Cold. Beanies pulled down, gloves on, bodies still shivering. And in front of us, our new guide. He stands there in shorts, his legs like iron, firmly planted on the ground. No shivering. No signs of discomfort. Just neutrality.
He looks at us and says, “Group, discomfort passes. You’ll get used to it. Do you think I felt comfortable a few minutes ago in this outfit? No, I really didn’t. But you get used to it. And it passes.”
Noted.
NEXT TIME
As we head into the final week, it’s time to put our plans to the test. In my next article, I’ll explore the challenge of packing for a 5-day expedition while balancing weight, nutrition, and practicality with an 11 kg backpack limit. Protein bars or noodles? Sweater or snack?
And then, of course, everything goes exactly according to plan once you’re out there…
More on that in the next article, along with our final lessons: survival skills, setting up camp, making fire in the rain, and knowing when to push through—or when to listen to your limits.
Photo credits: Joosje Heringa
PRACTICAL TIP: PRACTICE NAVIGATION
A fun and easy way to connect with nature is to start with navigation practices. If you don’t have a map and compass to practice in/with your surroundings, use natural navigation. Where exactly do you see the sun coming up or down? From which direction is the wind coming now? Is that north, or east? You can even look closer:
• Branches and leaves: In the Northern Hemisphere, trees tend to grow denser and fuller on the southern side where they receive more light. The northern side might have fewer branches.
• Some flowers, like sunflowers, follow the sun, generally facing east in the morning and west in the evening.
• On which side of the rocks do you see moss/lichens? (In the Northern Hemisphere, moss typically grows more abundantly on the north side of trees and rocks. This is because the north side tends to be cooler and more shaded, providing a more favorable environment for moss growth. In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite is true.) (This is not a perfect rule.)
• Or when it has rained, sometimes only one part of the trunk is wet. Find out from which side the rain came. (In most cases, rain is carried by the wind, so the wet side of the tree will typically face the windward side (the side the wind and rain came from.)
All of these methods help guide your orientation in the wilderness when you don’t have a compass.
Disclaimer:This is a subjective article written from the author’s personal perspective and experiences. The views expressed are based on individual interpretation and may not apply universally.
Photo credits: Joosje Heringa
ECOTOURISM WITH PURPOSEFOSTERING JAGUAR RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION IN THE PANTANAL
Trudging through endless swathes of swamp, syrupy mud cloying to your boots with each step, and a torrid tropical sun beating down through the clouds of mosquitoes is not, by far, the most pleasant experience for any human being.
“They were here,” states José Horacio de Moraes, arriving at a pair of hidden camera traps after six arduous hours of hiking. Nicknamed Juca for short, he believed that the jaguars (Panthera onca) certainly passed this spot, and hoped that the cameras effectively registered them. Juca has seen countless jaguars since his childhood—probably even more jaguars have seen him during his lifetime— and knows the signs of the Americas’ largest cat as few people do.
Written by João Pompeu
Jaguar named Marcela crossing the river
Photos credit: João Pompeu
BRAZIL
Born and raised in Porto Jofre, a small locality by the Cuiabá River in the Northern Pantanal, Juca conducts jaguar observation tours with his boats during the dry season, when jaguars are more easily spotted on the riverbanks or crossing rivers. A handful of local companies manage the boat tours, welcoming an ever-growing number of tourists per season, a large proportion of whom are both amateur and professional photographers. Porto Jofre and its surrounding area are currently thought to be home to the densest jaguar population in the Pantanal, granting it the flashy label of the World’s Ultimate Jaguar Tourism Destination.
So many lenses being pointed at the jaguars inspired Abbie Martin, a zoologist from New York, to establish the non-profit Jaguar Identification Project (JIP) in 2015. A jaguar’s coat is like a human’s fingerprint: they are born with it and it remains the same right up until they die, making identification of individuals relatively easy—if you can spot them. Marrying ecotourism with citizen science, Abbie saw the project “as a way to bridge research and storytelling, and bring people closer to the Pantanal and its jaguars”.
TRUST AND COLLABORATION
In the early days, Abbie worked without the support of the local community as a tourist guide, securing her a seat in a boat and giving her the chance to photograph and catalog jaguars on the river. “One of the hardest challenges,” she says, “was building trust because I am not Brazilian, and I am a woman. It was pretty difficult to gain the confidence of the local guides. Among the tourists and the scientific community it was easier, but slowly, slowly my persistence came off. Every year, they saw me coming back, working hard and doing whatever I could to get out onto the river. I created a network of trust.” Now it’s a completely different story.
“ONE OF THE HARDEST CHALLENGES WAS BUILDING TRUST BECAUSE I AM NOT BRAZILIAN, AND I AM A WOMAN.”
Abbie’s determination eventually allowed the project to have its own boat, then it started drawing in a wider crowd of photographers and volunteers. A decade on, Abbie’s initiative has built the world’s largest database on wild jaguar demographics, largely based on thousands of voluntary photographs. In 2024 alone, the organization received 1876 reports from 128 citizen scientists, an increase of 59% and 29%, respectively, compared with 2023. More importantly than a quantitative increase of the already large database, the more observations, the more qualitative information can be retrieved from the jaguar population of the Northern Pantanal, such as feeding, mating, and other behaviors.
“Last year, we cataloged 43 new individuals out of 137 identified jaguars. We reported behaviors never seen before, like underwater diving as a hunting strategy,” says Abbie. She is referring to two males named Ousado and Manath, an adult and subadult, that developed an unexpected hunting strategy. Further field observations of these jaguars, from both the project researchers and citizen scientists, will shed light on the efficiency of that particular strategy and whether other individuals will be able to successfully adopt this behavior or not.
showing signs of jaguars in a trunk close to the camera traps
Juca
Photo credit: João Pompeu
The Pantanal floodplain in the rainy season
Photo credit: João Pompeu
Since the first year of the Jaguar Identification Project, 419 unique individuals that live in the region and in Encontro das Águas State Park were cataloged. With the gradual increase of the photographic database, Abbie took an important step towards giving this invaluable information back into the hands of the community. A breakthrough in science communication, Abbie launched the annual publication The Jaguar Field Guide, a book now in its eighth edition, containing ecological and behavioral information of 51 males and 76 females, along with photos and names of less commonly spotted individuals in the region.
“The guide is an essential conservation and recreational tool for tourists and tourism guides to instantly recognize the jaguar being observed in the field,” says Helena Aimeé, field researcher and vice president of the organization. “When tourists are able to recognize the individuals they are looking at, they feel more deeply connected to the jaguars and the wild environment they are immersed in.” This way, by becoming citizen scientists and contributors to the project, tourists nourish the database they also benefit from and, more importantly, contribute to the understanding of jaguar ecology and the conservation of the ecosystem as a whole.
INTO THE JAGUAR WETLAND
Being the world’s largest floodplain, jaguar tourism in the Pantanal is done mostly by boat. Porto Jofre sits at the confluence of four major rivers—the Cuiabá, Piquiri, Três Irmãos and São Lourenço—and several corixos (the local term for smaller streams of water). Just one unpaved road connects Porto Jofre with Cuiabá, the capital of Mato Grosso, one of Brazil’s largest states. The road is called the Transpantaneira, literally the “crossing of the Pantanal”, and bears more than 120 bridges, rendering it unsuitable for savannahstyle safaris found across Africa or in other parts of Brazil. Hence, tourism in the region is waterbased.
Whilst the Pantanal’s unique geography creates challenges for wider ecological research, the transport infrastructure it has given rise to has also opened up novel economic opportunities for the local community, especially within ecotourism. Juca used to work in the cattle transport industry for a few of the region’s large ranchers; now he is mostly dedicated to boat expeditions for local travelers, fishing trips, or jaguar-centred ecotourism.
BRAZIL
This shift to ecotourism led the Porto Jofre community to have a completely different relationship with the jaguar and its environment. Whereas before the big cat was seen as a threat to both humans and cattle, now the jaguars are treated with great respect by locals. This is a trend mirrored in Juca’s own life; in his teens, Juca wanted to hunt jaguars. Now he wants to find the animals on the shores to enchant tourists, and is committed to raising awareness of them among visitors.
Juca’s deep-rooted experience and knowledge of the Pantanal’s intricate mosaic of river systems and floodplains, and his personal connection with the jaguar, make him invaluable to the Jaguar Identification Project. Where flooded terrain and impenetrable vegetation might put off many people, Juca is able to lead researchers and volunteers in the field, far from the river channels themselves, to install camera traps and make observations in areas where jaguars have never been studied before.
“You are now entering the Pantanal that no tourist, even local guides, has ever seen”, affirms Juca after disembarking at the start point of a short hike. This expedition is part of the GRID Project, the JIP’s latest endeavor, which aims to establish the first long-term jaguar monitoring project within the Encontros das Águas State Park. Using 17 pairs of camera traps, placed on either side of a gap so that each camera can theoretically capture the image of each side of a jaguar as it passes, the research will cover 28% of the park, which equals 311 square kilometers.
While some of the pairs are close to the rivers and easily accessible by short walks, some of them are several kilometers away, demanding up to six hours hiking one way in pristinelike places with no direct signs of human activities. This is where Juca comes into his own.
“IN HIS TEENS, JUCA WANTED TO HUNT JAGUARS. NOW HE WANTS TO FIND THE ANIMALS ON THE SHORES TO ENCHANT TOURISTS.”
Jaguar by a dead burned tree
Photo credit: João Pompeu
BRAZIL
CURRENT CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES
Despite its remoteness, indirect anthropogenic impacts have found their way into almost every corner of the Pantanal. In the adjacent highlands, where the sources of all the rivers flowing into the floodplain are located, widespread native vegetation removal for large-scale mechanized agriculture is causing a major reduction in the water levels in the Pantanal.
Climate change is thought to be causing increasingly severe and prolonged droughts, making the landscape more susceptible to wildfires. Between 2019 and 2023, almost 40% of the Pantanal was affected by drought-induced wildfires, causing the deaths of millions of animals—including jaguars.
Another problem, directly felt by the GRID Project’s researchers, is buffalo. Introduced to the Pantanal in the 19th century to protect cattle from jaguars, a lack of natural predators has led to uncontrolled population growth. The buffalo are now widespread throughout the floodplain and pose a serious threat to humans. To prevent attacks, camera trap expeditions are usually conducted by large groups of people. Drones are also in use, not only to find the best paths but also to monitor the surrounding area and warn of any encroaching buffalo groups.
Despite these enormous challenges, the JIP’s researchers continue to conduct several field
expeditions throughout the year, led in the field by Juca, to maintain the camera traps and ensure the ongoing research and safeguarding of the jaguars. This long-term perspective is perhaps the most unique aspect of the project. As Abbie explains, “Previous jaguar research projects have only lasted two to four years—the duration of a master’s or doctorate degree.” Meaningful studies of large, long-lived predator populations require a longer timeline, since parameters and results can easily be inaccurate or underestimated.
The lack of information results in either nonexistent or overestimated estimates of population dynamics—in other words, how the number of individuals changes over time in its environment—potentially misrepresenting the species’ conservation status in the Pantanal. This
absence of reliable parameters can misguide conservation strategies, leading to misdirected efforts at a time when they are most critically needed.
“We’re aiming high; in the first few months of the GRID Project, we identified three new individual jaguars in the park, and several intriguing behaviors, including prey carrying, mother-cub interactions, mating pairs, and individuals marking the territory,” says Helena. “We also caught rare footage of other species, such as pumas, ocelots, tapirs, and deer, which will help us to understand the wider picture of the ecosystem response to the wildfires and other environmental disturbances.”
Building on the already successful contributions of citizen science and boat-based field observations,
Operating drones
Photo credit: João Pompeu
BRAZIL
this long-term camera trap grid in more remote areas of the Pantanal will allow them to collect a key missing variable: population density. While their traditional methods have provided valuable insights such as abundance, population growth and survival rates, they cannot accurately measure density. They believe this park—and the waters that protect it—is home to the world’s highest jaguar density, and this project will provide the first precise estimate to support that. Not only this, but samples of feces and fur collected during field campaigns will allow for ongoing assessment of the health status of these jaguars.
By enhancing the understanding of jaguar population dynamics, behavior, and response to environmental pressures such as wildfires and increased tourism, the Jaguar ID Project fills critical data gaps and can support evidence-based decision-making. In turn, this will inform wider conservation decisions and support sustainable tourism practices across the Pantanal.
In the beginning, when Abbie had just a small camera, notebook and perseverance, she had no idea the Jaguar Identification Project would become something so meaningful. She didn’t know exactly where the path would lead, but she knew one thing for certain: she cared deeply for this place. Now, she hopes to inspire similar projects in other regions and build a global community of jaguar observers.
“What Helena and I are trying to do is to expand to different ecosystems with jaguars: Amazon, Cerrado and Southern Pantanal.” She dreams of a time when jaguars are “more than an image for tourists, but as ambassadors for nature, which we all share responsibility for protecting”.
Website www.jaguaridproject.com
Instagram @jaguaridproject
Facebook
@jaguarIDproject
Linkedin @jaguar-identification-project
The crew looking at the latest pictures talken by a camera trap
Photo credit: Jonas Steiner
Abbie on the boat while navigating through the wetlands
Photo credit: Jonas Steiner
A MIGRATION OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
When art is good enough to evoke strong emotions from its observers, it demands attention. That attention will get people talking, and talking is exactly what the people behind The Herds want.
Written by Nathan Turnbull
Creating the hand-made puppets
Photo credit: Ant Strack
SOUTH AFRICA
The Herds is a traveling public art display that is set to take place between April and August 2025, helmed by The Walk Productions, an organization that specializes in ‘large-scale, participatory public art’. As strong believers in environmental protection, these artists and producers banded together following a shared concern around climate change, ecosystem degradation, and a lack of awareness or action from the people that have the power to make real change. The art itself: a series of huge, hand-made puppets of animals most impacted by the climate crisis, beautifully maneuvered by their talented creators on a migratory route through several cities in a Northbound march to the Arctic Circle, beginning in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The goal of the art itself is to get people talking, to make people feel like they have witnessed a symbolic byproduct of climate change with their own eyes, to shock the systems of the majority in a bid to express just how important tackling climate disaster is before it’s too late. It is a huge, bold, daring display of artistic expression that has been made possible by the power of collaboration between talented, passionate creatives.
“A HUGE NUMBER OF REFUGEES IN THE CITIES WE VISITED WERE CLIMATE REFUGEES, PUSHED OUT OF THEIR HOME COUNTRIES AS A DIRECT RESULT OF MAJOR ISSUES THAT CAME WITH THE CHANGING CLIMATE.”
Amir Nizar Zuabi, the project’s founding Artistic Director, is no stranger to using art as a vehicle for change. He was the Artistic Director behind Little Amal, a project by The Walk Productions in 2021 that used a 3.5-meter-tall (12 foot) puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl to illustrate the importance of human rights and encourage a conversation about the global refugee crisis and its impact on people. This project was extremely successful, with Little Amal and her team visiting 193 different locations where she was welcomed with open arms. The performance of walking her through the streets seemed to massively resonate with the masses that came out to see her. During this tour around the world, Amir met a lot of refugees and had a lot of impactful conversations that left a lasting impression on him. One of the most interesting things he discovered is that “a huge number of refugees in the cities we visited were climate refugees, pushed out of their home countries as a direct result of major issues that came with the changing climate”.
As someone with no real experience in conservation, Amir was fascinated. He found himself making an active effort to find out more about the true scope of the climate crisis, and became fixated on
making sure their next project would be centered around climate change. Following the success of Little Amal, he became the overall Artistic Director of The Walk Productions and was determined to express the scientific concerns about the world’s ecosystems that he had discovered. Alongside Producers David Lan and Tracey Seaward and Executive Producer Sarah Loader, they settled on this direction.
Once the path was decided for what would follow Little Amal, the team at The Walk Productions began to think of new ideas that would effectively convey the issue in a way that would resonate with people emotionally. The use of puppets is something that had received a great response with Little Amal, and Amir knew it would be impactful to use them again.
“Puppets are a midway between something completely fake and completely real,” Amir says. “Between a human and, say, a tiger, there is an unbridgeable gap. A human can’t imagine what it would be like to be a tiger, it cannot be imagined or visualized. But human puppeteers can create a tiger, act like one, move like one, and it bridges that gap. Puppets are closer to the human than the animal, and are excellent as a storytelling medium.”
The puppets themselves are created by several teams of collaborating artists from the cities that The Herds will be visiting during their journey. They are made, where possible, with recyclable, eco-friendly materials; namely cardboard, plywood and tires. They have been designed by Ukwanda Puppets and Designs Art Collective, an organization led by artists Siphokazi Mpofu, Luyanda Nogodlwana, and Sipho Ngxola, as well as with The Walk Productions’ Puppeteer and Designer Craig Leo.
The project aims to have as low a carbon footprint as possible, and this has been considered not just for the production of the puppets, but also in terms of transport and digital planning. The elaborate creations have multiple joints, holding points and sections, and can be expertly carried around and
The route from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle
SOUTH AFRICA
moved to emulate authentic animal movement by their puppeteers, having been designed to be zoologically accurate to their respective animal counterparts. The species chosen for the herd are those most likely to be impacted by climate change and global warming, primarily tropical and sub-tropical species such as elephants, antelopes, giraffes etc. The herd will grow as it moves, being joined by species designed in their local natural habitats, such as puppets of Iberian wolves to join in Spain, and green vervet monkeys in Nigeria.
As well as this, The Walk Productions has created a program for young artists to be able to gain
valuable experience while helping bring The Herds to life: ‘The Emerging Company’, which recruits trainee puppeteers and lets them join The Herds over the course of ten weeks of its travel, from Southern Europe to Scandinavia. This scheme benefits both the volunteers, who gain expert training from The Walk Productions’ professional puppeteering team, and the project itself, which gains valuable staff to accompany the puppets along their journey and help deliver the experience. This idea lends itself to the overall values of the project: to create a holistic experience that not only performs outreach for environmentalism, but also helps improve the places it visits by assisting their artistic communities.
Rehearsal with one of the puppets in Cape Town, South Africa
Photo credit: Ant Strack
“BETWEEN A HUMAN AND, SAY, A TIGER, THERE IS AN UNBRIDGEABLE GAP. A HUMAN CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO BE A TIGER, IT CANNOT BE IMAGINED OR VISUALIZED. BUT HUMAN PUPPETEERS CAN CREATE A TIGER, ACT LIKE ONE, MOVE LIKE ONE, AND IT BRIDGES THAT GAP. PUPPETS ARE CLOSER TO THE HUMAN THAN THE ANIMAL, AND ARE EXCELLENT AS A STORYTELLING MEDIUM.”
SOUTH AFRICA
The route that The Herds will be traversing was planned for a combination of political, social and economic reasons. Amir and the team were adamant that they should begin in Kinshasha, the capital of the DRC, immediately next to the Congo River. He mentions that the Congo Basin ‘helped shape the story of humanity’ and stresses the metaphorical significance of beginning this story at the same place that humanity is believed to originate from—the earliest known evidence of human existence was found in the Congo Basin, and so the intention behind this project should be all the more apparent as people witness this stampede of endangered species flee from a place that is synonymous with life.
He also stresses the importance of the journey ending in the Arctic Circle, highlighting the plight that species are suffering there, as well as evoking the imagery of the animals having fled to a place of last resort, an ecosystem wildly different from their own that may be one of the last vestiges of combating climate change, hugely important in its survival to the rest of the world as a whole. The Arctic, too, is undergoing massive decline as temperatures rise, and the puppets in the Herds retreating there and almost ‘running out of places to go’ should create powerful imagery that, hopefully, achieves everything that Amir and the team hope it will.
The stops between the tropical heat of the DRC and the freezing cold of the Arctic include: Lagos (Nigeria), Dakar (Senegal), Marrakesh and Casablanca (Morocco), Malaga, Madrid and Barcelona (Spain), Marseille and Paris (France), Manchester and London (UK), Copenhagen (Denmark), Stockholm (Sweden) and Trondheim (Norway). Each of these were chosen as a result of being host to willing artists that have contributed to the project, a variety of people to be attracted to the event, and are likely to receive good media coverage to make sure that the march is witnessed by as many people as possible.
It can be easy for people to ignore bad news. With the rapid rate of global change, and pessimism looming over major media coverage, sometimes it can feel like burying your head in the sand is the best way to deal with issues bigger than yourself. But some issues warrant gathering wider attention, and this is one of them.
The team behind The Herds clearly believes this too and will make themselves heard by any means necessary. Using art that entertains, fascinates and excites as a medium to deliver difficult and uncomfortable truths is undoubtedly one of the most effective methods to get people to listen, and what better way to accomplish that than with the sheer scale of this herd. Amir himself appreciates that “The Herds will not single-handedly change everything, but I am adamant that they will be witnessed, and if it helps even a little, then that is enough”.
In an age when experts can often be ignored, The Herds is making sure that the message gets across. If you are anywhere near any of the cities involved in the project, it will certainly be a spectacle worth seeing.
Rehearsal with one of the puppets in Cape Town, South Africa
Photo credit: Ant Strack
Langur species similar to the Popa langur near Krabi, Thailand
Photo credits: Fokke Baarssen
NEW TO NATURE POPA LANGUR
Hidden in the forests of a sacred volcano, a newly discovered primate species teeters on the brink of extinction.
Written by Will Westwood
MYANMAR
DISCOVERY
Once thought to be a subspecies of the Phayre’s Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei), the newly recognized Popa langur (Trachypithecus popa) adds to the rich diversity of langurs, a clade encompassing over 20 species. Spread throughout South and Southeast Asia, these folivorous (leaf-eating) arboreal monkeys have a complex and highly specialized evolutionary history. This new addition continues to show how much more is to be discovered.
The discovery of a new species is not solely the privilege of explorers catching glimpses of the unknown and the fantastic. Many species have been hiding in plain sight, and the key to this species was unlocked by a 100-year-old museum specimen in the Natural History Museum in London. A truly international collaboration of researchers and teams from museums, Fauna & Flora International, and Myanmar’s Forestry departments enabled a comparison of historical specimens and skins with fecal samples collected from the wild. This resulted in a detailed genetic comparison—ultimately proving that, indeed, the devil is in the details, or in this case, in the DNA. This research concluded that not one, but two new species (popa and shanicus) had been identified, where previously only one was believed to exist. The discovery has given scientists greater insight into the evolutionary history of one of the most widespread Asian monkeys and has revealed an even more significant decline from the previously believed Endangered status of Phayre’s Leaf Monkey (its previously assumed species) to Critically Endangered—now placed on the brink of extinction.
CHARACTERISTICS
In the high forests of Myanmar, looking up at a rustling in the trees, you may see grey figures loping on long limbs through the branches. Measuring around 60 cm in body length, with an even longer tail dangling below the branch it is perched upon, this medium-sized monkey is notable for its striking white facial patches
“THE DISCOVERY OF A NEW SPECIES IS NOT SOLELY THE PRIVILEGE OF EXPLORERS CATCHING GLIMPSES OF THE UNKNOWN AND THE FANTASTIC.”
outlining its eyes and muzzle, reminiscent of a panda or raccoon mask. Along the Popa langur’s long forearms, the grey gives way to dark black fur, as if dipped in ink from its hands to elbows.
The Popa langur differs from its closely related cousin, the Phayre’s langur (which it was mistaken for until recently), in only a few minor physical traits. The Popa langur is more commonly found in its grey-colored variety and possesses both a more rectangular skull and larger, fiercer canine teeth. However, due to the subtle differences and the rarity of the Popa langur, it would be hard to know for certain if you had glimpsed one through the thick forests of its home.
Like its fellow langur cousins, the Popa langur lives high in the canopy of the trees—an arboreal
species—where it lives in multi-male, multi-female troops. While some langur troops can number up to 30 individuals, the Popa langur lives in smaller family units due to their dwindling numbers and isolated populations. Together, they roam the trees for fresh young leaves and unripe fruits, spending most of their time eating or resting in the hottest hours of the day.
INHABITANTS OF A SACRED MOUNTAIN
The new langur species has been named after the extinct volcano and sacred site that its largest population calls home. Mount Popa hosts an estimated 100 individuals, but they are not the most remarkable residents. The extinct volcano is also home to some of the most important Nats (venerated spirits/gods) and is the most
visited pilgrimage site in Myanmar. The sacred site has long been a protected area, kept from deforestation and development, which in turn offers a much-needed sanctuary for the Popa langur.
Sacred mountains, forests, and groves around the world offer protection for vulnerable species and habitats, from the lowland forests surrounding Shinto temples in Japan to the sacred natural sites of the Anangu people in Australia. Research shows that sacred natural sites can be more resilient and effective than other protective systems that use wardens, rangers, and legal frameworks. However, the strength of these informal systems of protection also leaves them vulnerable to changing values and exploitation if they lack legal recognition.
Mount Popa, Myanmar. Home to an estimated 100 individuals
Photo credits: Christian Offenberg
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Fortunately, Mount Popa, being a nationally significant religious site, has been given both Nature Reserve and National Park status. The combination of cultural reverence and legal protection provides the Popa langur with a secure home for the future—if it can recover…
NEW SPECIES ON THE BRINK
Described in scientific publications only a few years ago, this species was newly discovered but already found to be in a perilous state. Limited in its range and facing anthropogenic threats, fewer than 250 individuals of this primate species are estimated to remain, with some estimates as low as 135.
Like many tropical species, habitat degradation has had a crippling impact on the species’ population and its ability to survive. The clearing of forests due to increased demand for natural resources and land has not only removed food sources and safe habitats for the langur but also introduced new dangers from industry and pollution. Additionally, hunting and the illegal pet trade continue to plague Asian primates, with no exceptions for this species.
It is difficult to estimate whether a species can recover into a viable population from such low numbers. While many species have made remarkable recoveries, primates are at a disadvantage. With long juvenile periods and a high dependence on social learning and group living, primate species not only take longer to reproduce, but the death of key individuals in a troop can have a potentially catastrophic impact on the surviving members. We may be looking at an “extinction debt” scenario, where the damage has already been done.
However, there is hope for this species still. Since its identification, new conservation efforts, including research and awareness campaigns, have been initiated by the government and local
Mount Popa Wildlife Reserve officials, with support from the international community. Recent activity has seen efforts to curb the sale of the species as pets and spread awareness of the threats to its habitat. With continued collaboration and sustained conservation programs, the species has a chance for the future.
The story of the Popa langur highlights the importance of taxonomic research. Not only does it expand our understanding of the world’s biodiversity—a worthy pursuit in itself—but it also plays a crucial role in protecting vulnerable species that might otherwise be overlooked and lost. Names hold power, and giving a species a meaningful name can become a rallying cry—to protect not just that species itself, but its habitat and other wildlife that shares its home.
Common name: Popa langur (Trachypithecus popa)
Habitat: Mount Popa and high evergreen forests, Myanmar
Size: 7 to 8 kilograms
Diet: Folivores
IUCN Red List Status: Critically
Endangered
Population: 135-250 individuals
Langur species similar to the Popa langur near Krabi, Thailand
Photo credits: Fokke Baarssen
An aerial view of the Luangwa Valley, Zambia
Photos credits: Mjose Jozie
Luangwa Valley: Of Aerial Surveys and Vital Collaborations
After years of working as a commercial pilot, Gareth Broekhuizen’s passion for conservation eventually led him to Zambia’s Luangwa Valley, where he now uses his license to fly in the fight against wildlife crime, carnivore conservation, and many other projects run by CSL (Conservation South Luangwa) and ZCP (Zambian Carnivore Program). As a Conservation Technology Manager he’s also responsible for overseeing hardware, software, and systems that provide power, connectivity, communication, information, and intelligence.
Written by Patrizia Baldi
Gareth Broekhuizen
Photos credits: Mjose Jozie
ZAMBIA
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TALK TO US, GARETH! HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND?
I grew up in South Africa. It’s where I went to school until I was 18, and also where I learned to fly. As soon as I finished my training, I went to Zambia, where I worked as a commercial pilot and then safari guide, flying and working between Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana for about 4 years. After Zambia, I moved to Tanzania where I was again working across the region from Tanzania to Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. After 4 years in East Africa, my wife and I decided we wanted to follow our passion for conservation, which brought us back to Zambia, where we first met.
WE’VE PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN AN ARTICLE ON CSL, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WILDLIFE CRIME. IT WILL NOW BE VERY INTERESTING TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO, AS WELL AS THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE LUANGWA VALLEY AND BEYOND. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE WORK OF CSL AND ZCP?
CSL and ZCP work very closely together. We co-host a number of projects in this amazing ecosystem, so it only makes sense that we share assets and staff. Everything we do supports Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife. This high level of collaboration in the Luangwa Valley is very cool since it allows us to achieve much more collectively, than if we were working by ourselves. We’ve recently formed an alliance called the Tetezani Luangwa Alliance, which formally recognizes the collaborative work which has been happening for well over a decade. It consists of three organizations: CSL, ZCP, and Chipembele, a Wildlife Education Trust. Between the three of us, there are certain areas of shared responsibilities, such as human-wildlife coexistence and veterinary work. However, we leave any educational efforts mostly to Chipembele, ZCP is concentrating on carnivore
conservation, and CSL organizes law enforcement work. There are many more organizations we work with, allowing us to focus on what we do best instead of spreading ourselves too thin. This works out well for everyone.
WHAT ARE SOME PROJECTS OF ZCP AND CSL YOU WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT SPECIFICALLY?
CSL has a community department under great leadership, which is doing incredible work in the field of human-wildlife coexistence. Conflict is on the rise because the growing human population is affecting this otherwise intact and fertile ecosystem. Land elsewhere has already been utilized. As opposed to the people who have coexisted with the wildlife in this area for years, people coming in from outside don’t share that same comprehension of its background and history. They’re bringing in livestock and different land use practices. Conflict is probably the biggest challenge we are facing, and it will only get more significant as time goes on.
This is where CSL comes in. Their innovative department works with communities to prevent and deal with conflict and help their coexistence with wildlife. They’ve implemented projects like smelly fences (originally a WildAid idea that uses ingredients such as rotten eggs, buffalo, elephant or cow dung, as well as ginger and turmeric in a mixture that is put in bottles and strung up on fences), in addition to some of the more traditional methods such as electric fences and chili bombing by patrollers, which help deter elephants and hippos from crops. It’s not a fix-all solution, but when used in conjunction with other mitigation devices, it definitely contributes to a positive outcome. CSL also has an armed rapid response unit, which is on standby 24/7 to help with situations of conflict, plus there are various hotlines for people to call in to.
Over and above the community department, which I have only just touched on, at CSL we are proud of having an extensive toolbox that ranges
Hippopotamus are gathered in the Luangwa River, seen from Gareth’s perspective while flying over the area
Photos credits: Mjose Jozie
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from an aerial unit to a great veterinary division with community outreach, wildlife rescue and canine unit for wildlife crime, as well as powerful law enforcement units.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE WILDLIFE AND AREA OF THE LUANGWA VALLEY?
I would say when it comes to wildlife it is extremely diverse. We’re one of the few national parks in Zambia with giraffes, and we have really good numbers of large carnivores.
The Luangwa Valley itself is unique. It’s a vast, continuous ecosystem, which forms part of the Great East African Rift Valley. There are some dramatic geographical boundaries, sometimes up to 1,000 meters high. With four national parks in the valley itself, I reckon you’ve got at least 20,000 square kilometers of protected area. From the air, we’re able to see the movement of lions and packs of wild dogs, which for the latter can span hundreds of kilometers. This is also very much evidence of a connected landscape from a scientific point of view. There is no fencing, which is quite rare for large ecosystems today, and no big tar highways cutting through it, so wildlife is, for the most part, able to move fairly freely.
Within this ecosystem, we have one main water source: the Luangwa River. With about 800 kilometers, it is one of the largest, unaltered (free-flowing) river systems in Southern Africa. The Luangwa River runs all the way from its source in Northeastern Zambia to the bottom of the valley, where it reaches the Zambezi River, supporting a wealth of habitats, people and wildlife on its way. It is the lifeblood of the valley and the main reason for its nutrient-rich environment.
YOU ARE WORKING NOT ONLY FOR CSL, BUT ALSO THE ZAMBIAN CARNIVORE PROGRAM. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT JOB TITLE AND WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
I’m the Conservation Technology Manager and Pilot. I go on early morning flights pretty much five days a week. The technology part entails managing EarthRanger, a very effective domain awareness software used for real-time monitoring, as well as data collection and analysis. We also manage our communications network, comprising a mixture of digital radio communications, be that the repeater installations on the tops of hills and mountains, to the radios in ranger camps, vehicles, and with the patrol teams, as well as satellite communications. We then have various remote sensors, from smart cameras to tracking units and other sensors, that help generate various bits of information on illegal activity in the park. All that hardware and the information it generates are fed into EarthRanger and managed by the conservation technology department. I find that part of
Fixing airplanes is part of Gareth’s job
Photos credits: Rachel Rebibo
Refueling the airplane before take-off
Photos credits: Mjose Jozie
my job very exciting. Then there’s of course all the usual admin stuff like finances and reports, as well as fixing airplanes!
This morning, I left home at 4:45 to take a flight for ZCP just after sunrise. We were tracking large carnivores—lions and wild dogs. They wear two different types of collars, some of which are VHF (Very High Frequency), which emit radio signals that we are able to detect using a receiver and antenna, and some are GPS satellite collars. I was using the last satellite location for the carnivores to fly to the general area where we knew they were last. Once we arrived, we used VHF tracking to locate them in real-time. There’s usually an ecologist sitting in the aircraft next to me, as well as a ranger from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife. Once we get a visual on the animals,
the ecologist takes photos of them. Identifying individuals from a plane is normally very difficult; however, if we take good enough photos of wild dogs, we can identify them by their unique coat patterns. This then helps with studying the population dynamics and ecology of the animals.
WHAT DATA ARE YOU COLLECTING WHILE OBSERVING THE ANIMALS FROM THE AIR?
We aim to count the animals, and look at what species they are preying on—impala, bushbuck, roan antelope, etc. You can generate a whole life history of these carnivores, if you are able to identify them individually—and then do that repeatedly. You might first see them as pups and then again year after year, so you know exactly how old they are. You see them mating, and you are able to uncover how many pups they’ve had, and from that, we can eventually build family trees. This gives us a better overall idea of how successful these packs are, where they’re moving from rainy to dry season, and how they’re interacting with other packs of wild dogs. It can also be interesting to see how they’re moving
in relation to land use changes and how things like diseases from domestic animals affect them. A never-ending flow of information comes from monitoring animals, and ZCP has the longest and largest ongoing multi-site and multi-carnivore study in the world!
Since CSL and ZCP are working very closely with each other, every time I go up in the air for large carnivore research, we’re doing law enforcement as well. It’s important that we provide a regular presence. We’re looking out for signs of poaching and people being in the park illegally. Campfires and drying racks. The animals they’ve potentially poached and dried, the carcasses, and the water points they’ve used. At times, I’m also doing law enforcement-specific flights, but if there are any ad hoc carnivore observations, we note those down as well. It’s always a collaborative effort.
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS IF YOU DO DISCOVER SIGNS OF POACHING?
It all depends on the urgency of the situation. Are we actually seeing people in the bush or are we
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just finding signs that they’ve been there? If we see people on the ground, we immediately call that into the control room. EarthRanger allows them to determine right away where the plane is, and where the vehicles and our various teams are located. They then make the call as to what asset to use to respond to a specific situation.
We’ve got a radioed aircraft, so we’re able to play a coordinating role if we have a live situation. If we only see signs, depending on how fresh they are, we might try and follow their trail. It sounds tricky from the air, but if you know they’ve been in a certain area, you can sometimes figure out what trail or river they are going to use next. That’s a little bit of guesswork, but based on previous experience—and it has worked a number of times before! If it’s old signs, such as week-old carcasses, we just record them and enter the data into SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool), a computer-based platform used as a monitoring and reporting tool for conservation. The data collected helps us plan moving forward: If we find three carcasses and four drying racks in December this year, we might decide to provide a presence in that area next December.
Gareth is often accompanied by an ecologist and ranger during his flights
Photos credits: Chanda Mutuna
WITH HUMAN-WILDLIFE
CONFLICT YOU’VE ALREADY MENTIONED THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE. WHAT ARE SOME OF CSL’S ACHIEVEMENTS YOU’RE REALLY HAPPY ABOUT SO FAR?
I would think that one of the things CSL is most proud of is using the data to figure out where mitigation efforts are most needed. They’re also specifically prioritizing supporting the people who implement suggested mitigation measures, use the hotline, and want to contribute. They work with the community to find out how to best support them. So, it’s not just a random rollout, but rather a relationship-driven approach.
ZAMBIA
In the past, the narrative from the community has quite often been that people show up within half an hour when an elephant is poached. But, if someone gets killed by an elephant, someone’s house gets damaged, or someone’s crops get raided, people might only show up two days later to report what happened, or not show up at all. We were able to drastically change this with our 24/7 response. I think we can be very proud of that. Additionally, if the community sees that they are being helped and taken seriously, they are much more likely to collaborate with us in the future. The fact that CSL’s Rapid Response Unit (RRU) has won the Best Ranger Team Award in last year’s African Conservation Awards, while their K9-Unit was runner-up in the same category, is an added massive achievement. Getting recognized like this definitely helps to keep us going and motivated, because what happens quite easily—especially in a fairly remote area like South Luangwa—is that we get caught in an uphill battle of everyday struggles. Sometimes it takes stepping out of our ecosystem and meeting with others for a conference or workshop to realize that we are doing a good thing here.
In general, there’s quite a bit of exchange happening. I’m currently busy collaborating with the guys in North Luangwa, where we share ideas and focus on best practices. At the moment we’re looking at sharing aspects of our communications network between national parks so that we’re not unnecessarily doubling up.
IS THERE A SPECIFIC GOAL THAT YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO ACHIEVE IN THE NEAR FUTURE?
One that springs to mind is something called a GMP, a general management plan. While the National Parks themselves have some clear rules, the area surrounding a park, called a GMA (game management area), often lacks a management plan. This is problematic because the land use in this buffer zone of coexisting communities and wildlife needs to properly meet the people’s needs as well as the conservation objectives. In the East, immediately adjacent to South Luangwa, you’re looking at an area of about 4,000 square kilometers with no management plan.
Wildlife never really changes the way they’re living. All they basically need is to eat, sleep, and mate. People’s needs, on the other hand, are always changing. People need more of everything. More farmland, more roads, more power, more timber, you name it. Unfortunately, animals don’t have a voice, so we need a plan in place to try and find and maintain a healthy balance—a GMP to dictate land use. Where can you farm? Where can you harvest timber? Where can you build roads, and where do we need to maintain corridors for wildlife to move? Where should hunting take place? And where should photographic safaris be?
We’ve been fighting for this GMP to be put in place for about 15 years now. Reaching this goal would
Electric fences to deter elephants and hippos are being tested to prevent human-wildlife conflict
The Rapid Response Unit has gathered and is ready to go in case of conflict
Photos
Materials are being gathered and transported to create more electric fences
Photos credits: Mjose Jozie
credits: Mjose Jozie
Photos credits: Mjose Jozie
Locals on their way over the dusty tracks of the Luangwa valley
The Luanga River provides life for all the animals and people living in and near the South Luangwa National Park
Photos credits: Mjose Jozie
A large herd of buffalo grazing in the valley
Photos credits: Mjose Jozie
Photos credits: Mjose Jozie
The creation of smelly fences to deter elephants and hippos from crops
Photos credits: Mjose Jozie
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put us in a much better position to enforce. Without it, we’re in a tricky spot outside the park. And what happens outside the park of course affects what happens inside it. That document, and the ability to manage land use in the GMA, could be the single most important thing going forward.
LASTLY, WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WISH PEOPLE KNEW OR CARED ABOUT MORE?
I understand people have needs and not everyone is as fortunate as you and I. But, I would love to live in a world where people were educated about their impact on the environment. I wish they would not only look at their needs for today and tomorrow, but also how their impact on the environment affects their kids and grandkids, and realize that the trajectory that we’re currently on is not a good one. If the human population continues to grow, if we continue converting land for agriculture, growing our livestock herds and chopping down trees for timber and charcoal, our finite resources will run out. And when it does it’s not going to be pretty. Something’s gotta give.
I also wish that people realized that we’re not only a part of nature, but also how much we actually depend on it and its intact ecosystems. And nature now depends on us. It’s a relationship that we need to treasure.
Deep inland in Western Belize lies a unique, pristine forest called Tapir Mountain. Resting at the foothills of the Maya Mountain Massif, the nature reserve is part of a connected forest expanse in which much of Belize’s incredible biodiversity thrives. As the first nature reserve in the country, Tapir Mountain is recognized for its strategic importance for conservation, clean water, and natural beauty. It is comanaged by the Belize Karst Habitat Conservation (BKHC), which Aaron Juan founded to secure the future of Tapir Mountain as a thriving nature reserve. The NGO co-manages with the government to conduct scientific research, monitor illegal activity, and engage with nearby communities around the area.
BKHC seeks not simply to manage the reserve whilst ignoring local communities, but to use the reserve and their knowledge to build a connection between the people and the land. Their goal is “to create a sense of stewardship and shared responsibility for conservation”. We spoke with Jeanne Solis, Protected Area Manager, and Esther Gonzalez, Administrative Assistant, about how Belize Karst Habitat Conservation approaches the difficult task of protecting such a large and interconnected forest area.
Written by Will Westwood
Landscape of Tapir Mountain Photo credit: BKHC
THE RISE AND FALL, AND RISE AGAIN OF TAPIR MOUNTAIN
The wonderfully named Tapir Mountain is located within the Maya Mountain Massif, an expansive 1.25 million acres of connected forest blocks comprising 14 different protected areas. Not only is this area one of the largest intact tropical forests in Central America, but it is also one of the most important freshwater sources for Belize and Guatemala. Thanks to its karstic (limestone) landscape and underground river systems, the mountains are the source of 16 billion liters of fresh water each year. Residing in the lowland foothills, Tapir Mountain is a nature reserve of unique biodiversity and geological interest.
Before the formation of BKHC, and in the early days of Belize’s independence, Tapir Mountain was purchased privately for protection and preservation through a private land purchase, creating the Society Hall Nature Reserve. As the legal structures of Belize matured, the government took an interest in the vast privately owned land, pressuring Society Hall to sell it back into public hands. Eventually, a unique agreement was made, where ownership of the reserve was transferred to the government but leased back to Society Hall for a token fee of $1 per year to continue protecting the forests.
Later, the stewardship was passed to the Belize Audubon Society, the largest conservation charity in the country, and the area was renamed Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve after the country’s national animal. Over time, however, financial constraints and increasing pressure from managing other sites led the Society to step away from its management, leaving Tapir Mountain as a “paper park”— an area that is only protected by law but with no governance, management, or enforcement. This isn’t a unique problem to Belize; often due to a lack of resources or will to enforce the rules, paper parks misrepresent the condition of habitats and can lead to overestimations of species security, as is the case for many marine and oceanic reserves.
With the management of the reserve abandoned in 2015, Aaron Juan, founder of BKHC, was heartbroken to see logging activity encroach on the area and frequently hear gunshots in the forest. Determined to protect the nature reserve, Aaron and a group of tour guides volunteered their time and resources to protect the area from logging and hunting. Esther shared that at one point, “It was very rough for him (Aaron) because he’s going into the forest unarmed and telling these armed loggers, ‘You can’t do that in there,’ but that’s what they did. Eventually, the number of tour guides started to decline, and it ended up just him.” With the other tour guides having given up hope of maintaining the park, Aaron was patrolling the forest alone. But in 2016, Aaron had gained support to officially establish Belize Karst Habitat Conservation as an NGO, 2019 saw the first co-management agreement with the government, and in 2022, secured the funding to grow the organization by hiring the first employees, including Esther. Having grown even more since then, Aaron and the team not only patrol the reserve but also engage in outreach with local communities and conduct scientific research. The revival of Tapir Mountain may speak to the significance of the reserve, but more so speaks to the dedication and passion it takes to protect wildlife and natural habitats—traits which BKHC seems to have in abundance.
The 1000-Foot Falls near Tapir Mountain
Photo credit: BKHC
THE ROLE OF TAPIR MOUNTAIN NATURE RESERVE AND PROTECTED AREAS
The importance of pristine nature reserves to conservation cannot be doubted. While not a new idea, they continue to be arks of biodiversity in ever more developed landscapes. Although new methods in wildlife conservation continue to be developed as humans and wildlife find themselves cohabitating more and more, areas protected from human development remain essential, especially for the most sensitive and vulnerable species. Tapir Mountain itself is an excellent example of the value that cannot be replicated without the management of organizations like BKHC. This can be seen in the presence of rare flora and fauna found in its forests.
The reserve is a continuous tropical lowland forest that stretches over the foothills, dotted with creeks, caves, and valleys between steep hills. Species-rich and varied, the nature reserve is a sanctuary for rare floral species, with over 200 species identified, including endangered
hardwood trees like mahogany and rosewood. Its unique geology and high precipitation have allowed species to flourish, whilst the efforts of Belize Karst Habitat Conservation have provided protection against its degradation.
“IT WAS CALLED TAPIR MOUNTAIN, BUT ON OUR VISITS, WE NEVER SAW ONE. EVENTUALLY, WITH CAMERA TRAPS, WE FOUND THEM. THEY’RE HEALTHY, AND IT REALLY ADDS TO THE NAME OF THE RESERVE.”
Installation of a camera trap
Photo credit: BKHC
In these richly diverse forests are found incredible numbers of mammals, birds, and plant life. Jeanne says that there are “spider monkeys, which are rare in this area, all five of the wild cats that are from Belize, and even otters”. But it is the presence of Belize’s national animal and the mountain’s namesake—the Baird’s Tapir—that brought the biggest excitement. Although they initially alluded to the search efforts of Aaron and the team, the large mammal was finally captured through camera trap imaging placed by the research officer. Confirming the tapir’s presence in the forest foothills of its eponymous namesake was a relief for the team. Jeanne adds, “It was crazy! It was called Tapir Mountain, but on our visits, we never saw one. Eventually, with camera traps, we found them. They’re healthy, and it really adds to the name of the reserve.”
Recently, BKHC detected the presence of river otters, an excellent sign for the health of the forest, given that the otters are only known to live in pristine aquatic habitats. They require clean, clear water to hunt their prey of crustaceans, fish, and other small aquatic animals. It is their dependency on unpolluted water that makes them such useful environmental indicators of water quality in the rivers and lakes of Tapir Mountain.
But the real jewel of Tapir Mountain is the extensive diversity of avian species. The area boasts several rare species, including the strongbilled woodcreeper and Central American pygmy owl, found only in a few other places in Belize. Bird studies in the area have revealed species previously thought to exist in only a very limited area in Belize that seem to be thriving at Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve.
Wildlife observation
Photo credit: BKHC
The abundant and unique biodiversity found at Tapir Mountain can, at least in part, be attributed to the karstic landscape. Karst refers to the eroded geology composed predominantly of limestone; over time, rainwater carves fantastic and dramatic towers, like those found in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. At Tapir Mountain, the nature reserve is littered with caves and caverns, each with streams and rivers which disappear underground only to emerge further down in the foothills. The calcium carbonate-rich soil and porous rock foundations create unique conditions for competition and niches within the ecosystem.
But the wild and stunning landscape of the area doesn’t just benefit wildlife. The watershed provides fresh water to much of Belize’s human population, and the rivers and streams fed from Tapir Mountain are depended on by local villages. Unfortunately, the porous nature of karst means that the water flows quickly through and receives little filtration of any pesticides or agricultural runoff that may have entered upstream, which is exactly why BKHC has taken an active role in monitoring water quality, working with local communities to maintain a healthy relationship and show the benefits of protecting the nature reserve.
“WE ENGAGE WITH BUFFER COMMUNITIES AROUND THESE PROTECTED AREAS TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT CONSERVATION, ENSURING THEY UNDERSTAND WHY LOGGING AND FIRES SHOULD BE CONTROLLED.”
ON THE FRONTLINE OF CONSERVATION
Being on the frontline of conservation doesn’t come without its challenges. Managing over 6,000 acres of mountainous tropical forest terrain with a small team is no mean feat. Like many nature reserves, Tapir Mountain faces a myriad of threats, which BKHC tackles through coordinated research, land management, and education.
One of the biggest threats to Tapir Mountain during the dry season is the increasing intensity of wildfires. A growing global issue, the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires, driven by climate change, destroy habitats that take years to recover, disrupting entire ecosystems. They have always been a natural occurrence in karstic landscapes due to rapid groundwater drainage, which allows fires to spread more easily. However, expanding farmland around Tapir Mountain further increases the risk, as traditional slashand-burn agriculture can ignite uncontrolled fires. Prevention through education is the first line of defense. BKHC works directly with local communities, raising awareness and promoting fire control techniques to protect both people and wildlife.
Sylphina angel (Chorinea sylphina)
Photos credit: BKHC
Beyond wildfires, resource extraction, like timber and pelts, also threatens Tapir Mountain’s delicate ecosystem. While sustainable resource use is possible, some species cannot tolerate human disturbance. Illegal logging is the most common issue, as the forest contains valuable and endangered species like cedar, mahogany, and rosewood. BKHC responds by monitoring and destroying illegal tracks, deterring loggers through patrols. This is a bold yet effective strategy, as those entering the forest illegally are often armed and aggressive. However, BKHC’s strategic monitoring and reporting keep both people and the forest safe. At the heart of BKHC’s approach is working with communities. “We engage with buffer communities around these protected areas to educate them about conservation, ensuring they understand why logging and fires should be controlled,” Jeanne adds.
On top of existing threats to conservation and land management from outside, BKHC finds itself restricted by the government’s legal structure that provides the framework for the reserve’s protection. The nature reserve designation provides valuable legal protection from resource extraction, development, and unsustainable activity, but it also prevents visitors and tourism, limiting a major source of financial stability and wider education/ outreach/awareness. This issue is very familiar to many conservation and wildlife charities all over the world. While other places struggle to balance tourism sustainably, it is clear that there are also challenges in preventing it entirely. The relative benefits and problems associated with ecotourism are hotly debated, but BKHC has found a potential local solution by taking over management of the nearby 1000-Foot Falls, the largest waterfall in Central America. By improving access and developing tourist facilities whilst maintaining a healthy habitat, BKHC hopes not only to inspire visitors but to use funds generated there to expand protection and research at Tapir Mountain.
“THE REVIVAL OF TAPIR MOUNTAIN MAY SPEAK TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESERVE, BUT MORE SO SPEAKS TO THE DEDICATION AND PASSION IT TAKES TO PROTECT WILDLIFE AND NATURAL HABITATS.”
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Belize Karst Habitat Conservation has continued to grow and develop from small beginnings, but they are not done yet. Jeanne shared their long-term plan to expand and develop the areas of protection by “Establishing a presence (at the Thousand Foot Falls) but also making it a place for people to visit”. The team is also attempting to join the two areas into a continuous protected forest, saying they want to “make that connectivity between Tapir Mountain and Thousand Foot Falls, as there is privately owned land between the two and we’ve spoken to the owner about purchasing”. Jeanne and Esther made it clear that BKHC has a passionate and dedicated team to ambitiously expand the reserve and its protection. Managing protected areas is one of the earliest formal
wildlife conservation strategies, and whilst the practice has evolved over the years, it remains a vital means of preserving vulnerable habitats and species. If you are interested in learning more about the organization, Tapir Mountain, and seeing the fruits of Aaron, Jeanne, Esther, and the team’s hard work, their website has published many of their strategies, plans, and data collections for you to read. The mission to protect Tapir Mountain has been built from the ground up by Aaron and Belize Karst Habitat Conservation, from the once precarious “paper park” to the thriving forest it is today. An achievement earned by a passionate team of researchers, rangers, and educators who use modern conservation methods and techniques to preserve a wild Tapir Mountain.
“MANAGING OVER 6,000 ACRES OF MOUNTAINOUS TROPICAL FOREST TERRAIN WITH A SMALL TEAM IS NO MEAN FEAT.”
Website www.belizekarst.org
Instagram @belizekarsthabitatconservation
Facebook
@BelizeKarst
Linkedin
@belize-karst-habitat-conservation
The Belize Karst Habitat Conservation staff raising awareness about their work
Photos credit: BKHC
STEPHANIE BROEKARTS STARGAZER
Instagram @stephaniebroekarts
Website www.stephaniebroekarts.com/photos
A group of maleo’s, a hole-digging bird that’s endemic to Sulawesi. While this species is still critically endangered, there are places where populations have successfully been brought back. Like here, on the Tompatika peninsula, Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Instagram @stephaniebroekarts
Website www.stephaniebroekarts.com/photos A close encounter with a leopard during a safari in Bardiya NP, Nepal. As the populations of leopards and tigers grow, the amount of human-wildlife conflict in the area does as well.
Ever since I was a child, nothing has made me happier than spending time in nature and witnessing animals enjoying their freedom. So, unsurprisingly, a lot of my stories and assignments as a photographer and journalist focus on that. Although I’m originally from the Netherlands, I’m often out exploring our planet’s beauty!
In my work, I approach everything with a sense of love and reverence, whether I’m photographing an elephant, a tree, or a human being. Catching intimate moments between animals is an emotional experience for me, and I love centering people and organizations who contribute positively to conservation.
It’s clear to me that our relationship with our natural environment and all beings in it is deeply disturbed and destructive; that most of us have come to see ourselves as separate from it, instead of evolved as an innate part of it all.
When I’m out in the field, I feel very purposeful. It’s like my educational background in environmental studies, my volunteering experiences at wildlife and nature organizations, and my photography and writing skills come together to create work that can hopefully inspire us to rekindle our connection to all that surrounds us.
- Stephanie Broekarts
A Galapagos land iguana gives a side-eye. It’s one of three species of land iguana endemic to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
A mother and young gelada baboon together in Simien Mountains NP, Ethiopia
Instagram @stephaniebroekarts
Website
www.stephaniebroekarts.com/photos
Photo credits: Adrienn Riesz
At the southern foot of the Mecsek mountain range, Hungary, lies the small village of Romonya, with just 500 inhabitants. Here, the Romonya Kindergarten, run by Adrienn Riesz, implements a special form of environmental education. The names of the kindergarten groups alone say it all: Margaret, Tulip and Kingcup; three unique plants. It’s not just these names; children at the Romonya Kindergarten are taught about nature’s systems, interactions with wildlife and the impact of the human world on them. They are given the opportunity to become responsible, nature-loving and nature-conserving young people. Adrienn’s lessons go farther than the nursery yard; they reach the banks of the village stream, the shade of the old tree with its bird boxes and even the flower-filled fields and meadows around Romonya. She reunites the human world with nature and in doing so, sows the seeds for a positive, sustainable future.
Written by Boglárka Amrein Tamásné Miskolczi
Photo credits: Adrienn Riesz
So what is the power of this construction? How can we step outside our anthropogenic world to reconnect with Mother Nature and the countless treasures she provides? Can we really plant the seeds of responsible thinking and action in the souls of our youngest children, and is there a chance that they will retain this as they grow up?
A PROJECT CLOSE TO HEART
I spoke to Adrienn Riesz, head of the Romonya Kindergarten, whose personal commitment is driving this change. Adrienn has been running the institution for 13 years, and choosing a career as a kindergarten teacher was much more than a professional or life-planning decision for her. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved working with children, and I’ve always felt that there was a special connection between us. Children are curious, honest and interested in every little thing, which is very inspiring for me. Their genuine interest and enthusiasm motivated me as an educator to support them in their development and help them to explore the world. I wanted to provide children with an environment where they felt safe, where they could be understood and their needs addressed, where they could express their creativity, and where they could learn about how the world works, the laws of nature and how to become responsible, aware adults,” she recalled the initial steps.
Environmental education was particularly important to Adrienn because she felt that future generations should be prepared not only to learn at school, but also to take responsibility for our planet. “The greatest joy for me is to see how children develop and make connections with each other and the world around them. For example, when a young child creates their own idea or solution for the first time, or when I see curiosity in their eyes, when they discover a new concept, a new experience, when they rescue an insect, I feel I am in the right place,” she said.
It’s no coincidence that Adrienn has such a close connection to nature: “Since my childhood, I have lived in a village where our playground was the woods and fields. I met many creatures
in my childhood. My first active experience as a teacher was also conceived in nature, when at the kindergarten on Esperanto Street, a squirrel ran around the yard among the children, and we could observe the rich bird life in the yard. I was ashamed to admit how few species I recognized,” she recalls.
Adrienn is a firm believer in the importance of connecting with nature, that it is fundamental to children’s physical and emotional development and helps them gain a deeper understanding of how the world works. She adds, “Spending time in nature is not just limited to exercise and fresh air, but also helps develop creativity, problemsolving skills and social skills through sensory and perceptual development. In addition, experiences in nature help to develop emotional balance, reduce stress and increase awareness.”
Adrienn was later able to pass these ideas on to the Romonyai Kindergarten’s teaching staff, so it became a common goal that the children in the institution would grow up to be able to think independently and behave empathetically towards each other and their environment. The aim of introducing an environmentally aware approach in kindergartens was to expose children to the basics of sustainability, conservation and environmental awareness as early as possible, not only in a theoretical way, but also through practical experiences that help them to understand and internalize these values.
“THIS REALLY HIT HOME FOR ME WHEN I BECAME A MOTHER AND STARTED TO THINK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY IN A DIFFERENT AND MORE RESPONSIBLE WAY. I FELT THAT I HAD TO SAVE THE WORLD FOR MY CHILD AND THE CHILDREN ENTRUSTED TO ME.”
Children are curiously looking up as one of their teachers climbs in a tree.
Photo credit: Adrienn Riesz
HUNGARY
BUILT WITH NATURE IN MIND
It is an inspiring story: this one rural kindergarten, overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles such as parental disinterest and lack of awareness from the wider community, has had widereaching, positive impacts and achievements.
“As Hungary’s first Feather Friendly kindergarten with bird collision protection, we are trying to set anexampletoallinstitutionsandindividualsabout how many creatures’ lives are endangered by our dailydecisionsandactionswithoutourknowledge. How many of us are aware of the threat to our migratory birds posed by the ever-increasing surface area of urban glass? Many people don’t even know why it’s important to put out insect hotels, or how composting is an essential part of the garden cycle. Here, the children have created their own small garden where they are actively involved in planting, tending and observing the plants. We have a seedling exchange program, we distribute flower seeds in recycled paper, we participate in tree planting programs—which is such a successful part of our environmental education program that we have organized and carried out most of the tree planting in public spaces in the municipality. Think about it: when these trees grow up and the children return as adults, they can rest in the shade of the trees they have brought to life.”
The Romonyai Kindergarten has several titles: ‘Perpetual Green Kindergarten’ and ‘BirdFriendly Garden’, which not only confirms their environmental awareness, but also an official recognition of their efforts in environmental education at a national level. Adrienn has also incorporated the UN’s sustainability principles into the annual program, so in addition to direct connections with nature, the children can learn about areas such as the importance of eating local, seasonal food and saving energy. They will learn how to separate their rubbish, and why recycling, protecting living things and valuing each other are necessary—simple examples that will help them understand the basics of sustainability.
“THIS KIND OF APPROACH AND WORK REALLY SHAPES THE FUTURE, AND I AM SURE THAT THESE EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS WILL BE DECISIVE FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILDREN AND THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT.”
Learning about nature through arts and crafts Photo credit: Adrienn Riesz
But what could be the secret of such a successful program? How can change be initiated, and what is needed to make it last? They seem like difficult questions, but Adrienn can answer them immediately and with the ease of experience: “The key is leading by example. An eco-conscious lifestyle cannot only be taught, it must also be lived. If children see that you are actively participating in restoring nature, it will be much easier for them to take on its value from you. Children watch adults and learn from them how to treat the environment responsibly. But the most important thing is courage. Environmental awareness is present in everyday life, in every little decision. Behavior patterns are easy for children to learn when they see them consistently present in our lives.
Another important element is playful learning. As children learn best through play, this is also how we try to integrate environmental awareness into their everyday lives. The activities are organized in a way that children enjoy. Learning should be fun and good for the soul!
The power of community and cooperation should not be overlooked. Children work together on environmentally conscious tasks such as tending the garden, picking up litter together, and making toys with recycled materials. This helps them to realize that living an environmentally responsible lifestyle is not only an individual responsibility but also a community responsibility.
And one more thing we must not forget: the role of kindergartens is crucial not only in raising children’s environmental awareness, but also in strengthening the environmental awareness of families. Through children, the idea of conscious living can reach the immediate family environment, so that sustainability and love of nature are not only present within the walls of the nursery school, but also in the everyday life of households.”
At first, not all parents were supportive of Adrienn’s initiatives, but Adrienn and her husband persisted—for example by sneaking information into parents’ meetings and organizing “green
Children at Kindergarten Romonya learn how to plant flowers and other plants in the soil.
Photo credit: Adrienn Riesz
family days” to encourage families to partake. “We were persistent in reminding them that the right choices and actions lead to visible results, and this frequent repetition helped them to eventually become habitual.”
Thanks to perseverance and commitment, the Romonya Kindergarten has managed to develop an environmentally conscious approach that has become truly internalized by both children and parents. “I feel that we have managed to lay the foundations that will become an important value for future generations. Community planting, birdwatching, birdhouse planting and energy efficiency are slowly becoming part of families’ everyday lives—so we can influence generations through children.”
Small team, big results, far-reaching impact. Perhaps that’s how you could describe everything that happens in this tiny village in a few words. And where there’s commitment and a genuine will to do something, there will always be dreams and goals—and that’s no different for Adrienn and her family.
“I would like to expand the contacts of the kindergarten and exchange experiences with other institutions and organizations that are similarly committed to our future. This would provide exciting opportunities not only for teachers but also for children to understand global environmental issues, while also helping to develop a sense of belonging to an international community. I would like to bring as many exciting, informative and forward-thinking programs and opportunities as possible to children and their families, and to demonstrate that human action based on respect for nature and a sustainable future is a positive building block.”
Website www.romonyaiovoda.blogspot.com
E-mail romonyaovi@gmail.com
A large variety of activities are done at Kindergarten Romonya to teach children about nature and how to responsibly and sustainably take care of it
Photo credit: Adrienn Riesz
RIGHTS OF NATURE
In 1972, a theoretical law paper asked a simple, yet thought-evoking question, Should Trees have Standing? Philosophized by Professor Oliver Stone, this paper would go on to create the base arguments for Rights of Nature, a legal paradigm shift which combines Indigenous Worldviews with Western Law protections to better protect the natural environment.
Indigenous Perspectives:
Recognize a world where nature is alive and interconnected with humanity. Long-term decisions are made with environmental health in mind, and cultural and spiritual traditions underpin this sustainability.
Western Perspectives:
Foundational views see nature as separate from human systems. Assumptions are made that Earth’s resources are limitless which is reinforced by man-made institutions. This has fueled the planetary environmental crisis.
Sustainable land management ensures biodiverse forests
Respect for natural limits leads to thriving fisheries
Interconnectedness between people and nature results in climate stability
A Growing Movement
Deforestation and habitat loss as a result of overextraction
Industrial pollution which leads to air and water contamination
Planetary systems collapse led by the infinite growth mindset
Since 2008, hundreds of different Rights of Nature initiatives have been launched at the local, state, and national levels. A few have seen Rights of Nature enshrined in constitutions, others have passed new laws, and some have used courts to grow the movement.
National Rights of Nature Law incorporating Nature’s rights to exist and persist
Mar Menoor Lagoon is the first ecosystem in Europe to be granted legal personhood
THE LEGAL DIVIDE
Who has rights?
Our laws are a collective social contract, they are no more than the rules which we have agreed upon. Legal instruments such as Rights, exist to ensure these rules are followed.
Nature is seen only as property, not as a holder of rights.
Because of this, only humans, corporations, and governments are legal entities with the right to be defended in court.
Western Law
Recognizes nature’s right to exist and be protected.
When an ecosystem becomes a legal entity by being granted legal personhood, it has the ability to be represented in court by agreed upon ‘guardians’.
Rights of Nature
Current environmental laws aim to manage harm instead of stopping destruction.
Harm is measured in monetary value to humans. If harm is found, only legal entities (humans & their creations) are compensated.
Harm is measured in courts by how actions infringe upon nature’s rights.
If harm is found, the ecosystem is ‘compensated’ in the form of restoration activities or further conservation efforts. The ultimate aim here is to create real sustainability.
Collectively we can agree to change the rules in which we conduct ourselves, granting rights to previously ‘rightless’ entities is the natural historical progression of western law.
Legal Progression
It wasn’t until the 1900’s that women were given the right to vote, now there is no argument about its moral validity.
What if the next entity to be given rights was nature?
Shifting our mindset = Protecting our
future
By embracing Rights of Nature, we can effectively combat climate change and biodiversity loss. Integrating Indigenous knowledge with legal frameworks ensures long-term sustainability. The key challenge now is how to incorporate these vital principles into global policy to secure a healthier planet for future generations.
While there have been many promising initiatives launched around the world, several important questions remain around the movement. What may be perhaps the most important, is who is responsible for ensuring that Nature’s Rights are protected?
Written by Thijs Montalvo
MAKING
What if children could be inspired to create innovative solutions to global problems from an early age? Could we build a brighter future by igniting a passion for our oceans in today’s youth? This is what Omar Hussein and the team at the Brilliant Blue Challenge are on a mission to achieve. They have created a program aimed at guiding young people into becoming tomorrow’s leaders and innovators in ocean science.
Originally from Alexandria, Egypt, Omar describes himself as a born explorer. He began his career in software development but quickly discovered he was more drawn to working with people than machines. Soon after graduating, Omar became a teaching assistant at a university, further sparking his love of working with people and in education.
Written by Cara Blackburn
Photo credits: Romona Robbins
“US ALEXANDRIANS, WE’RE BORN EXPLORERS–WE’RE CURIOUS.”
After soul-searching in nature, Omar realized his calling was to make a meaningful impact. Driven to do more, he moved to Lebanon, where he started a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education social enterprise with a goal of empowering youth talents in underserved communities. One of the programs run by his social enterprise even saw a team of refugees win an international robotics competition. It was a proud moment, which reinforced his belief in the transformative power of education and the untapped potential within underserved communities. This achievement propelled his commitment to creating opportunities for those often overlooked, ultimately guiding him toward his work in empowering youth within the blue economy.
DISCOVERING THE BLUE ECONOMY
The blue economy is a concept that refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources to provide jobs and livelihoods for communities while preserving ocean health. The ocean provides us with a wealth of resources, such as fish, minerals, and renewable energy. Not to mention, they absorb a significant proportion of global carbon dioxide emissions. It’s crucial that humans maintain a reciprocal relationship with the ocean for the health of our planet and all of its inhabitants, including ourselves.
After ten years in Lebanon, Omar was ready for his next adventure—Canada was calling. He had recently discovered the global rise of the blue
Photo credit: Brilliant Labs
economy, and with Canada emerging as a leading hub in the sector, not to mention his wife being from there, it felt like a natural next move. He had always admired Canada and felt its culture and values aligned closely with his own. It was too big an opportunity to miss out on. And given his lifelong fascination with the ocean, shifting his focus to the blue economy seemed only natural.
While exploring the blue economy, Omar discovered a disconnect between the sector and youth engagement. He saw an opportunity to connect with students at younger ages, to help them build skills and spark their interest before reaching university level—when it might be too late. This insight led Omar to join forces with one of Canada’s leading educational organizations, Brilliant Labs, to create a program that would bridge this gap.
Brilliant Labs is all about sparking curiosity in youth. They have programs across the board from AI to robotics, engaging youth through innovation challenges, and activities. They also provide schools with dynamic resources, encouraging students to explore and pursue innovation. However, they hadn’t yet ventured into the blue economy—that’s where Omar’s expertise came in. Given his previous experience in youth engagement and education, the collaboration was a natural fit. And so, Brilliant Blue was born as a program within Brilliant Labs.
The Brilliant Blue team is now on a mission to become a global hub for ocean education. Hosting competitions, hackathons, scholarships, and internships, and with Omar’s experience and network, globalization has already begun. The blue economy is an industry where there is something for everyone, regardless of their interests and skills. With a program like Brilliant Blue, talent can be identified early and nurtured, helping to build the skills needed for the future.
CHALLENGING THE INNOVATORS OF TOMORROW
As the Program Director, Omar is responsible for conducting outreach to students, educators, academic and industry partners, and startups. He quickly realized in this venture, that people resist exploring new avenues, preferring to stick with the status quo. “The issue is kids don’t know about the blue economy, and if you target universitylevel students, it’s too late. There are other ocean programs, but they don’t create pathways or future careers. These kids need to be challenged to be engaged, not just spoken to—it doesn’t work.”
“THESE KIDS NEED TO BE CHALLENGED TO BE ENGAGED, NOT JUST SPOKEN TO—IT DOESN’T WORK.”
CANADA
“The Sea Hive” is a micro-ecosystem used to examine how one species can feed off the waste of another
The Brilliant Blue Challenge is an innovation competition for 12 to 18-year-olds, where they work in small groups (up to five). They choose one of three categories: Marine renewable energy, where students are asked to conceptualize ways to generate power that is sustainable and environmentally friendly. Marine autonomous systems, where teams will prototype a system that helps to perform tasks and explore the depths of the ocean. And, lastly, healthy marine life, where teams develop a system that improves the quality of ocean ecosystems. The groups are challenged to find a solution within their chosen category, write a business plan, and present it to a panel of industry professionals. If successful, they can gain access to incubators–programs that provide resources, mentorship, and support to help to grow their new businesses.
One team from Halifax, Nova Scotia created “The Sea Hive”, a two-compartment box designed to examine the micro-ecosystems in the ocean, which highlighted the importance of maintaining our ocean species. They conducted a monthlong experiment by keeping blue mussels on one side alone and blue mussels on the other side with seaweed. The mussels in the side without the seaweed were significantly less healthy, as the kelp absorbs the carbon dioxide the mussels release. This team won the Productive Ocean Award, received access to incubators, and were all offered internships and scholarships. One team member, Mayar, even joined the Brilliant Blue team. One year ago, these girls had never heard of the blue economy, and now they are making a direct impact on it.
Photo credit: Brilliant Labs
Mayar shares: “What really interests me about the blue economy is how it brings together things like sustainability, innovation, and community impact—especially around ocean health. I think there’s so much potential in that space to make a real difference, and it’s something I’ve grown more passionate about over time, especially because I grew up near the ocean.
I actually took part in the first-ever Brilliant Blue Challenge in 2023, which was such a cool experience. It got me thinking about how we can use creative solutions to tackle ocean-related problems. Now, I’m involved as a student intern helping to plan an annual challenge with Brilliant Labs, which is super exciting, It’s kind of full circle for me—going from being a participant to now helping behind the scenes. One of the reasons I wanted to contribute is because I really want to step towards a brighter future within the blue economy.
I’m hoping that through this role, I can help make the experience just as inspiring for other students as it was for me, and keep learning more about how future generations can brainstorm and tackle the challenge of protecting our oceans going forward.”
“The travelers of the blue forest” was one of the teams competing in the Brilliant Blue Challenge
credit: Brilliant Labs
“WHAT REALLY INTERESTS ME ABOUT THE BLUE ECONOMY IS HOW IT BRINGS TOGETHER THINGS LIKE SUSTAINABILITY, INNOVATION, AND COMMUNITY IMPACT— ESPECIALLY AROUND OCEAN HEALTH.”
When determining the categories for the challenge, the Brilliant Blue team sought expert input. They didn’t want to guess what the industry needed. So, they formed a committee of academics and governmental professionals and even consulted with the UN Ocean Decade to pinpoint where the gaps were. There is always scope to add more categories in the future, but it’s crucial that they have career pathways for the students.
While the challenge is for 12 to 18-year-olds, the team focuses primarily on 15 to 18-yearolds, as they are the next generation of workers and entrepreneurs. With the younger ones, the program focuses on career exploration. High school is a critical stage where young people begin deciding their future careers, making it essential to engage them early.
Photo
SHAPING A GENERATION OF CHANGEMAKERS
When it comes to getting young people interested in the competition, the interest is already there, and Omar primarily approaches educators through the school system or other similar programs. The challenge, however, is that many educators simply lack the capacity to participate. For the students who do have the opportunity to participate, Omar is never surprised by the solutions the students come up with. “They are more impressive than we think, than we give them credit for. Teenagers have a lot of potential. Sometimes, they are even better than experienced professionals. They are not just kids,” Omar shares.
“TEENAGERS HAVE A LOT OF POTENTIAL. THEY ARE NOT JUST KIDS.”
Brilliant Blue aims to grow into a global program shaping the future workforce of the blue economy. It’s not just about raising awareness, it’s about building a generation of young people actively creating solutions for our oceans. By engaging youth early, the goal is to create a strong pipeline of talent ready to meet the challenges and opportunities of the blue economy. The challenge is now open with opportunities for youth to participate in both Canadian and international programs. One
While young people are eager and ready to participate, the real challenge lies in finding academic, government, and industry partners willing to support them. Youth engagement isn’t the problem, what’s missing are the organizations ready to invest in early talent and help open the door to real opportunities. Engaging partners who can create opportunities, who are willing to take a chance on tomorrow’s leaders—that’s the difficulty.
Omar’s story is less about being inspired by nature, but about being inspired by people. He sees the limitless potential in today’s youth and wants to give them as much opportunity as possible to allow them to grow, flourish, and make a real difference for our oceans. It’s people like Omar and programs like Brilliant Blue that can shape an entire generation of future changemakers.
One of the smallest and most abundant sea turtles in the world, olive ridley sea turtles live in the tropical regions of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Despite their abundance, olive ridleys are threatened by skin and meat harvesting, bycatch, and marine pollution.
CHARACTERISTICS
The name, olive ridley, was given to them for the color of their heart-shaped shells, which, as hatchlings, start out gray and become olive green as they grow. They have one or two visible claws on each of their paddle-like flippers, and are the second smallest turtle species in the world.
Olive ridleys have an omnivorous diet, eating a range of food from algae to crabs, shrimp, and fish. These turtles are solitary in nature, enjoying the open, big blue oceans by themselves. However, they migrate over thousands of kilometers every year for the rare and incredible arribada.
Arribada (the Spanish word for “arrival”) is when large groups of female turtles return to the beaches where they hatched from their nest. It is one of nature’s most impressive phenomena, unique to the olive ridley and its relative, the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. Along coasts in Mexico, India, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama and more, tens of thousands of females arrive at once in waves to nest a staggering one hundred eggs per clutch! By nesting all at once, the sheer number of eggs and hatchlings can overwhelm predators, ensuring that a significant portion survives.
This synchronized, mass nesting spectacle is a unique occasion, but how it is triggered is unknown, as arribada can happen several times a year at any given site—and we don’t have a definitive answer on how and why, yet.
Written by Marc Kranendonk
SHORT LIST OF FACTS
• Species: L. olivacea
• Genus: Lepidochelys
• Weight: Up to 45 kilograms
• Length: 60 - 75 centimeters
• Olive ridleys can live up to 50 years old
• Male olive ridleys are distinguishable from females by the tail sticking out beyond their carapace
• IUCN Red List status: Endangered (EN) in Mexico’s Pacific coast and Vulnerable (VU) for all other populations
HISTORICAL THREATS AND POPULATION DECLINE
FISHING BYCATCH
One of the primary threats to sea turtles throughout the world’s oceans is unintended bycatch in fishing equipment. This is happening as of recently as 2025, where in Chennai, Southern India, more than 600 olive ridley turtles have suffered fatal injuries due to overfishing. Olive ridleys are mostly vulnerable to swallowing hooks and getting their flippers entangled in the nets. This vulnerability stems from their feeding behavior, migration patterns, and anatomy.
Olive ridleys eat a wide variety of prey, and are prone to biting baited hooks used in longline fishing. They travel vast distances between feeding and nesting grounds, often crossing areas with intense fishing activity, especially in coastal regions where trawl nets are common. Their relatively small and flexible flippers can easily be entangled in nets, and the struggle after being caught often worsens the entanglement. Combining the three factors, human fishing activity has devastated olive ridley populations, a trend that has also affected other sea turtle species across the world.
OCEAN POLLUTION
Coastline and offshore pollution are a major threat to the marine habitats of olive ridleys. Material waste and debris, such as balloons and plastic bags, can be mistaken for prey. To an olive ridley, the floating plastic bag looks like a jellyfish—one of their many food sources—and once ingested, the plastic can block their digestive system, causing major and often fatal internal injuries.
HARVESTING OF TURTLES AND EGGS
Another primary cause of their worldwide population decline has been the ongoing collection of eggs and the killing of adult females on nesting beaches—especially during arribada.
Indigenous coastal groups have hunted turtles and collected their eggs for centuries as a food source. However, this was for local consumption and due to the relatively low human population and limited technological means, it had little impact on the global olive ridley population size.
The increase in human demand for protein and the economic opportunities led to intensive harvesting practices beyond a sustainable
COSTA RICA AND NICARAGUA
PANAMA
a black market delicacy in some cultures. Illegal trade has been particularly problematic in Latin America.
CONSERVATION EFFORTS
STATUS OF OLIVE RIDLEY
POPULATIONS
“ARRIBADA (THE SPANISH WORD FOR ‘ARRIVAL’) IS WHEN LARGE GROUPS OF FEMALE TURTLES RETURN TO THE BEACHES WHERE THEY HATCHED FROM THEIR NEST.”
As a migratory sea species, accurate data on olive ridley population estimates are hard to measure, making it difficult to know the exact decline in numbers. However, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Natural Resources Red List, there has been a 30 to 50 percent decline in the olive ridley population size across the world. Breeding colony populations along the Pacific Coast of Mexico are listed by IUCN as endangered, while all other global populations are listed as vulnerable.
Since 1977, NOAA fisheries and the US Fish & Wildlife Service have listed sea turtles under the ESA (Endangered Species Act). Both the NOAA and the US Fish & Wildlife Service have been monitoring olive ridley populations and have worked to address the threats that have impacted their population numbers.
For example, innovations in fishing gear, such as the introduction of turtle exclusion devices (TEDs), and the changes to fishing practices, like the closure of certain areas during nesting and hatching seasons. Additionally, nesting beaches in Mexico have been turned into reserves for species and are protected for long-term conservation.
manner. For example, between the 1960s and 1980s, tens of thousands of olive ridleys were killed annually in Mexico for their hides, as a substitute for crocodile leather. Despite the introduction of legal protection since the 1970s, turtle eggs are
Despite the overall reduction in the global population, conservation efforts have yielded positive results in the past few years. On the Rushikulya river in India, one of the largest arribadas recently happened with around 400,000 to 500,000 olive ridleys nesting over a few days. Along the Pacific coast in Guatemala, a 16-year study that ran from 2003 to 2018 showed a clear increase in nesting abundance of olive ridley turtles. Positive trends such as these underline the importance of sustained conservation initiatives in supporting the recovery and stability of olive ridley sea turtle populations.
INDIA
Drone footage of the new LCTW location being built
It was the most beautiful building site I had ever seen; the scenic backdrop of Phou Khao Khouay National Park frames the piles of stone and metal rods the team uses to recreate their beloved wildlife sanctuary. A slight mist hung in the air as the sun shone down, illuminating the towering trees amongst the rubble. I could already hear the gibbons calling and scanned my surroundings in search of them, instead finding Jeremy Phan, Director of the Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife, walking over to greet me. His positive energy is infectious as he approaches with a broad, enthusiastic smile.
Written by Lorraine Miller
Photo credits: Jason Savage
The wildlife rescue center was relocated from the bustling city of Ban Keun after the land was repossessed by the government, spurring the move of hundreds of animals to this more rural location.
“The relocation of LCTW was one of the most challenging and difficult periods in my life,” Jeremy explains. “We had already lived in Laos for five years, at the old site, when we were told to move. It felt like everything we had achieved and the $150,000 spent on the site had all been for nothing. We had not only improved animal husbandry practices, but animal habitats, guest activities, educational programs, introduced Laos’ first Natural History Museum, and Illegal Wildlife Trade Education Center, and much more.”
LAOS
Jeremy and his team had only 18 months to find a new home for animals from bears to gibbons, build an entirely new facility, and move the animals, equipment, and supplies needed. And they needed to find enough money to achieve this impossible task, too.
“Through sheer determination, extremely generous donors and partners, an amazing team, and a bit of luck, we were able to move safely. We have set up at our new location right on the edge of Phou Khao Khouay National Park,” says Jeremy. “The relocation tested the limits of me; being a leader and manager, my personal relationships, and much more, and I hope that I came out on the other side better for it.”
Some of the staff at LCTW
Photo credits: LCTW
A PLACE OF SANCTUARY
The Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife (LCTW) is a multi-species rescue and rehabilitation center located in Asia’s wildlife trafficking hotspot. Though knowledge of the country’s geography evades many, Laos sits as a crucial corridor in the wildlife trade—the sale or exchange of wild animals and plants—serving as an illegal gateway between Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and China.
The Trust works with authorities and nongovernmental organizations to investigate wildlife crime and rescue wildlife in need, which are then taken to the sanctuary to be rehabilitated and, if possible, be released back into the wild. Any animal deemed unsuitable for release will remain at the sanctuary and given the highest standard of care for the rest of their lives. The new sanctuary is set to be bigger and better than its predecessor, incorporating not only new features but educational components to elicit behavioral change, ensuring the wildlife of Laos has a brighter future.
A CHANCE ENCOUNTER
Jeremy’s career with wildlife began after a chance encounter with a professor from Ohio University during a study abroad trip in Uganda. “Dr. Nancy Stevens was teaching the primate part of the course, and I was completely enthralled by her knowledge, passion for primates, science, and her eloquent way of speaking about the subjects. I was lucky enough to be taken under her wing, and she suggested the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre as a place to potentially fulfill my internship credit.”
Jeremy was soon on his way to Northern Vietnam to volunteer in the hopes of contributing to practical conservation. “It was definitely a life-changing experience for me as it further instilled into my mind that ‘boots on the ground’ conservation work with wildlife is what I wanted to do, and, more specifically, that I wanted to do it in Southeast Asia.”
After completing his MSc in Environmental Studies at Ohio State University, Jeremy dove headfirst into a career as a zookeeper, gaining valuable
husbandry experience at both the Kansas City Zoo and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
Though he loved working closely with a wide variety of species, he longed to contribute more to conservation. He educated guests on a daily basis on the threats to these species in the wild, but knew he needed to take action if he was going to contribute in a more field-based capacity.
When he saw an advertisement for Center Manager at the Laos Conservation Trust for Wildlife, Jeremy and his husband Sam packed up their home and moved their lives across the Pacific, to the bustling capital city of Vientiane.
“The move certainly happened fast, and I consider myself extremely lucky that my partner, Sam, is patient and adaptable and was willing to make this giant leap of faith with me to pursue my
dream in a country that neither of us had ever traveled to.”
A PRIME LOCATION
The original site of LCTW was set in a busy, central location, to meet the needs of the trafficked wildlife that were regularly smuggled across its borders. But after a few short years of managing the rescue center there, Jeremy faced the seemingly impossible task of moving the entire facility 60 kilometers southeast. More than 500 animals had to either find new homes or be moved to this new site.
“Although the time during the move was extremely stressful, it seemed to put LCTW in a better position to carry out its mission.
Jeremy, his husband Sam and son Kirby
Photo credits: LCTW
Indo-Chinese Grey langur Rescue (Diego)
Photo credits: LCTW
We are now part of the forest,” Jeremy says, pointing out the size of the new gibbon enclosure as we continue to wander around the site. Being surrounded by forests doesn’t just mean the wildlife trust can utilize the area for some of their releases, but also allows them to feel more connected to their work and invite others to do the same. The sanctuary regularly runs education programs at the site where students can feel immersed in the natural world and explore the nature found right on their doorstep, fostering a deeper sense of responsibility to protect it.
“There is no doubt the facilities here are much better for both the animals and the animal care staff,” he adds, as we pass several purposebuilt accommodations and the foundations of a brand-new veterinary clinic. I tentatively scale
a steep rocky slope up to the large, forested bear enclosures as Jeremy easily navigates the uneven terrain in his worn flip-flops. He tells me the stories of each bear as we pass by and how they came to the sanctuary. Lives full of trauma and suffering, leaving lasting behavioral effects the animals may never recover from. But watching these bears feeding, socializing, and climbing trees in their forested habitat, I realize Jeremy and his team have certainly created the perfect environment for these animals to have the best chance of a bright future.
“One of my most memorable rescues was that of a Northern white-cheeked gibbon named Ped Noi, which translates to ‘little spicy’ in Lao,” Jeremy recounts. “We received a tip-off of this baby gibbon being sold on Facebook in a Northern
province of Laos. We immediately reported it to the Provincial Office of Forestry Inspection. After a few days, they confiscated her, and we embarked on a twelve-hour journey to rescue her.”
Ped Noi was a special case because even though she was very young, she did not find comfort in being around or with humans. “We were able to take a much more hands-off approach with her than we usually can with infant primates, which will hopefully give her a better chance to be released in the wild.”
A PLACE OF PROMISE AND CHALLENGES
Laos is known to be one of the 10 most biodiverse regions in the world, but is sadly also home to some of the world’s most endangered wildlife.
Species such as pangolins, elephants, bears, turtles, and primates are traded domestically and trafficked internationally, utilizing the country’s centralized, landlocked location as a major hub to other countries in Southeast Asia.
Laos’ war-torn history and political unrest make this country one of Southeast Asia’s poorest countries, forcing many people to resort to illegal activity, such as trading in endangered wildlife, as a vital source of income to feed their families.
But it is Jeremy’s mission to not only create a safe haven for rescued wildlife but to address the root causes of these issues via education and community outreach programs, encouraging the people of Laos to take stewardship over their incredibly rich biodiversity.
“ONE OF MY MOST MEMORABLE RESCUES WAS THAT OF A NORTHERN WHITECHEEKED GIBBON NAMED PED NOI, WHICH TRANSLATES TO ‘LITTLE SPICY’ IN LAO.”
Photos left: Ped Noi’s rescue.
Photos right: Ped Noi today.
Photo credits: LCTW
“All of us have a responsibility to protect nature, and if I can help people secure a future for their local wildlife, I will have done my job… isn’t that right, Kirby?” Jeremy says as he scoops up the two-year-old Lao boy running towards him. He introduces me to his son and tells me that not only is this place his workplace and passion, but also his home.
I look up the hill to a modest house where Jeremy and his family live, to be available to support the animal rescue and care teams of LCTW around the clock. Jeremy gestures to the forests around us and explains that the sanctuary is surrounded by a vast area of prime wildlife habitat, so rescues that do not require rehabilitation can be immediately released. I look around in awe of the thick, tropical forest harboring a variety of
“ALL OF US HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT NATURE, AND IF I CAN HELP PEOPLE SECURE A FUTURE FOR THEIR LOCAL WILDLIFE, I WILL HAVE DONE MY JOB…”
ecosystems for a vast array of wildlife, from insects to elephants. Threatened species, like civets, can take advantage of a soft release program whereby they can receive supplementary feeding whilst becoming accustomed to life back in the wild before venturing further afield. Wildlife kept in human care for an extended period or animals returning to new areas will need time to learn about their new homes: where neighboring territories are, what predators may be in the area, and where the best food and water sources are. “This vital knowledge is critical to an individual’s survival, so by providing them with additional food and water sources, we allow reintroduced wildlife to accumulate this knowledge slowly for a better chance of survival.”
“This is the supplementary feeding platform for one of our owls who was released several months ago,” he says, tapping a large wooden stand. “We are down to only offering a small feed once a day if she needs it, but most of the time, she is off on her own.”
“I think it’s fantastic that we can offer these animals a second chance at a fulfilling life, free from pain and suffering, and have made great progress in the standard of care we provide. But as an organization and a community, we need to address the root causes of devastating human actions such as trading in endangered wildlife. We are incredibly focused on engaging with Lao people and will always educate and support communities where we can, to relieve their dependence on such activities.”
Pangolin health check
Photo credits: LCTW
Siamese crocodile babies are part of our conservation breeding program
Photo credits: LCTW
COLOFON
DIRECTOR
Manon Verijdt
ART DIRECTOR
Arina van Londen
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Vincent Seydoux
Arina van Londen
Jacinta Breijer
CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER
Tobias van Krieken
ILLUSTRATOR
Stefán Pétursson
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Tobias van Krieken, Joosje Heringa, Nathan Turnbull, Thijs Montalvo, Patrizia Baldi, Marc Kranendonk
Cara Blackburn, Will Westwood Boglárka Amrein Tamásné Miskolczi
Katy Ellis, Rina Herzl
SOCIAL MEDIA
Joosje Heringa
Santiago Fioretti
CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EDITION
Stephanie Broekarts, Adrienn Riesz, Amir Nizar Zuabi
João Pompeu, Abbie Martin, Helena Aimeé, José Horacio de Moraes (Juca), Gareth Broekhuizen
Jeremy Phan, Lorraine Miller, Jeanne Solis
Esther Gonzalez, Omar Hussein, Mayar Ibrabah and thanks to all contributing photographers! CONTACT DETAILS UBUNTU MAGAZINE partnerships@ubuntumagazine.com | advertising@ubuntumagazine.com
