Why recycling for conservation is no waste of time

The sun was already fierce, and it had yet to hit noon. Despite the heat, the streets of Livingstone, Zambia, were alive with people. Songs filled the air, gangs of children chattered excitedly, women in bright chitenge skirts smiled and joined the teeming throng of humans.   This was not a festival. It was a community litter pick. Along with hundreds of other community

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African conservation efforts hit by Covid-19, illegal trade under scrutiny

COVID-19’s arrival in Africa will have disastrous repercussions for the local staff employed in conservation and the animals they protect. It does, however, highlight the danger of illegal wildlife trading and adds pressure for governments to act.   Throughout Africa, conservation and wildlife tourism is primarily staffed by local Africans; guides, anti-poaching units, educators, drivers, cleaners, chefs, to name but a few. These people rely on the income to

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Women for Conservation | Luwi Nguluka

In conservation, a gender gap can be evident, with women being under-represented in many countries. Often, the barrier to entry is not due to a lack of intelligence and education for the science roles, or a lack of strength for the fieldwork, but a lack of respect and belief from others. Females face stereotypical perceptions

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If you don’t ask you don’t get – network and skill share to achieve your goals: An Interview with filmmaker Lacy Wittman

It takes courage to ask for help. Even more so when that person is a stranger. Harder still to ask for expensive equipment, or request accommodation and travel expenses. But, by doing just that, filmmaker and photographer Lacy Wittman managed to turn her passion for elephants into an ongoing adventure and part-time career, at little

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Nature’s ninjas – the front line in conservation: An interview with Global Conservation Force’s president Mike Veale

As we march into 2018, news from the conservation front-line is bleak. The earth is teetering towards its sixth mass global extinction – this time, as a direct result of human interference. Meanwhile, wildlife is the fourth most profitable trafficking crime after humans, weapons and drugs. And, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

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Corporate to conservation, how business know-how can land you your dream job: An interview with African Impact’s Business Manger Stuart Isham Fairbairns

In theory, the cut and thrust of the corporate world is a far cry from the ideal of the conservation industry. But, conservation is a business, and the skills that make a multi-national corporate thrive, can be utilised to boost conservation projects, too. Prior to 2014, Stuart Isham Fairbairns, the Kruger Business Manager for African

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Want to be a conservation journalist? Find a niche or two, don’t be afraid to make a stand and strap yourself in – it’s going to be bumpy ride: An interview with conservation journalist Jeremy Hance

Five years ago, conservation journalist Jeremy Hance found himself on a research project in the Dominican Republic. He was deep inside a forest and night had fallen. In his hand was a bag which contained a solenodon – a venomous shrew-like mammal, which had been caught to be collared for a research study. Typically, this

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Volunteering forced me to re-evaluate my life: An interview with Wild Tomorrow Fund Executive Director John Steward

It was only supposed to be a month-long vacation but, for Wild Tomorrow Fund Founder and Executive Director, John Steward, a volunteer placement with Wildlife ACT in South Africa resulted in a complete re-evaluation and life overhaul. After witnessing the plight of African wildlife due to dwindling habitat and illegal poaching, Steward walked away from

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Educating the younger generation vital for conservation; an interview with Wild Volunteers’ founder Anton Roberts

The human population is growing at an alarming rate – in April this year there was an estimated 7.5 billion people living on the planet, placing a substantial burden on the earth’s resources as they compete for land and food. As such, over population is having an increasingly detrimental impact on habitat and wildlife numbers

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