Mihingo Lodge, part III: Kids acting out in the name of conservation
March 19, 2008
That afternoon, we joined resident manager Kate Ward in a trip into the village to observe an environmental conservation class that she teaches at the primary school.
A volunteer teacher who uses Honey Fund dollars for supplies, Kate talks with the children about the National Park and the value of its animal population to the community as a natural resource… Continue reading
Mihingo Lodge, part II: Take care of your neighbors, scavengers though they may be
March 19, 2008
I probably should have let them know that I can be very hard to wake up.
I came to at 5:45 AM with the voice of hotel proprietor Ralph at my door courteously PLEADING for me to rise so that our group could get underway for hyena tracking. It requires an early roll call as the best way to catch a… Continue reading
Mihingo Lodge, part I: High style, low impact - everybody wins
March 19, 2008
From Nile Safari Lodge, we caught a lift back into Kampala for the night. We were met the next morning by Mihingo Lodge proprietor, Ralph Schenk, who spirited us westward toward the lodge and Lake Mburo National Park.
Conversation in the car was lively and Ralph, who is also co-owner of Banana Boat craft stores with his partner Suni, is an… Continue reading
Nile Safari Lodge: Take me to the river
March 19, 2008
We loaded up Rhino Fund Uganda’s seasoned Land Cruiser, strapped our gear to the roof rack + headed to Nile Safari Lodge. We relished a few stretches of tarmac, though our path was primarily hard packed dirt as we passed through small towns and herds of massive- horned Ugandan cattle on our drive toward Masindi.
Our route traversed a portion… Continue reading
Ziwa Ranch Rhino Sanctuary: Becoming okay with the AK…47, that is.
March 7, 2008
We headed north on the Kampala/Gulu road toward the Ziwa Ranch Rhino Sanctuary.
The day was moving to dusk and as we drove toward park headquarters. The day patrol rangers bike toward us as they close their shifts. Charged with protecting the rhinos from poachers, rangers must have equal footing in confrontations – explaining the AK-47s slung over their shoulders as they slowly pedaled toward the main gate - they smile… Continue reading
Papercraft: Some call it rubbish; we call it renewal
March 6, 2008
Harriet turned the car from the paved main road onto hard packed dirt. Driving toward the workshop, Harriet waves at a man carrying an empty canvas bag that smiles and nods back at her. “that man, he supplies us with the banana leaves we use for the paper”.
Papercraft is an employee-owned recycled + natural papermaking business that promotes self-sufficiency for its employees, many of whom are women who are given… Continue reading
Arrival in Africa
March 5, 2008
Heathrow to Nairobi….as our second nighttime flight came to a close, I repeated the word “Africa” quietly. Does one ever believe they are REALLY going to Africa until they actually set foot on the soil? I certainly hadn’t… it had always seemed an impossibly distant exotic place, legendarily filled with the beautiful and dangerous where many of recent history’s most catastrophic episodes played out in crises of poverty, disease and… Continue reading
The Green Living Project Team – pleased to meet you
March 4, 2008
Rob Holmes: Founder, Green Living Project
A renaissance man in convertible pants, Rob is a whip-smart but unassuming straight-shooter. Author and executor of Trails.com’s marketing and business strategies, Rob has also aided leading conservation nonprofit organizations in strategic planning, marketing, sales and business development. In addition, Mr. Holmes is a Hell of a photojournalist + lecturer whose work has focused on social, environmental and sustainability projects in his travels to… Continue reading