RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The Endangered Wildlife Trust fully supports the efforts of our government to stem the rate of transmission of the COVID-19 virus and is committed to playing our part in being a responsible global citizen.
As a result, the EWT head office will remain closed from Wednesday, 18 March, and we will not be engaging in any public events, meetings or gatherings. The EWT will, however, continue to operate at full steam, albeit from different locations.
Our staff are available on email and cell phone, and will hold meetings via various platforms such as Skype and Zoom. Our field staff remain committed to providing mission critical field services and support to our partners as required.
We wish all affected people a speedy recovery over this time, and we remain committed to seeing our beautiful country prosper once this difficult time has passed.
For more information please contact ewt@ewt.org.za
RISK, REPUTATION AND REPORTING: DOES BUSINESS HAVE A BIODIVERSITY BLIND SPOT?
Megan Murison, Programme Officer, EWT National Biodiversity and Business Network
MeganM@ewt.org.za
Often the link between biodiversity and business can be difficult to identify. On 18 February 2020, the EWT’s National Biodiversity and Business Network (NBBN) hosted their annual Indaba under the theme of risk and reputation. The biodiversity economy of South Africa encompasses business and economic activities that either directly depend on biodiversity for their core business or that contribute to the conservation of biodiversity through their activities. Therefore, the aim of the Indaba was to provide a knowledge sharing platform to explore biodiversity relating to:
- risk management and oversight
- reputation management
- increasing stakeholder activism
- sustainable financing disclosure and reporting
The keynote speaker was Chief Directorate: Biodiversity Specialist Monitoring and Services, Wadzi Mandivenyi, who highlighted the desperate need for business to become aware of the risks as well as the benefits of biodiversity to their activities. Notable presentations included those by the JSE Limited’s Shameela Soobramoney, Reputation Matter’s Regine le Roux, and Tracey Davies of Just Share. The Indaba was well attended, with over 60 participants representing a wide variety of business sectors. The NBBN, as well as its partners, recognise the importance of biodiversity to business and aims to build the capacity of business to act as a positive force for the conservation of biodiversity in South Africa.
POWERING PARTNERSHIPS IN AFRICA
Lourens Leeuwner, Manager, EWT Wildlife and Energy Programme
LourensL@ewt.org.za
The EWT’s Wildlife and Energy Programme (WEP) was recently contracted by Power Africa, a USAID-funded development programme, to set up utility and NGO partnerships in Africa. The focus of this project is to optimise electricity supply through reduced wildlife interactions and is modelled on the long-standing partnership between the EWT and Eskom.
Lourens Leeuwner, WEP Manager, and Constant Hoogstad, Senior Manager: Industry Partnerships, travelled to Kenya in February to meet with Kenya Generation (Kengen), Kenya transmission company (Ketraco), the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) as well as Kenya Power and Lighting Corporation (KPLC). Unlike South Africa, where all aspects of electricity generation, transmission and distribution are controlled by Eskom, the responsibility lies with a number of different entities in Kenya. This makes it quite challenging to drive change within the respective organisations.
In order to address the numerous topics surrounding wildlife and electricity infrastructure interactions, the EWT co-hosted a conference, Designing Linear Infrastructure for Sustainable Outcomes in conjunction with Ewaso Lions, the Grevy’s Zebra Trust, Africa Conservation Centre, Centre for Large Landscape Conservation and the Development Corridor Partnership. The three-day workshop, hosted in Nairobi, exposed delegates to the benefits of utilities and NGOs partnering together to work towards a common goal. This could not have come at a better time as Kenya is in the midst of a massive linear infrastructure development drive. The scale of development is almost overwhelming, and concerns have been raised around power line routing and structure design. During the energy sector breakaway session, we had the opportunity to engage at length with representatives from various entities, including consultants, utilities and other wildlife NGOs. The message was clear: designing infrastructure in a wildlife friendly manner right at the beginning of a project will optimise the quality of supply to utilities while ensuring minimal impact on wildlife. After two days in the boardroom, delegates had the opportunity to get out into the field, and a number of electrical structures were inspected and discussed.
This inaugural engagement in Kenya is the start of a much bigger mission by the WEP team. We are planning to set up numerous engagements across Africa and guide utilities towards best practice. By setting up partnerships between local NGOs and utilities, we hope to promote sustainable development practices in Africa, with the ultimate goal of having wildlife friendly electricity networks across Africa.
LEAVING A LEGACY
The EWT relies on bequests both large and small to ensure that we continue fulfilling our vision of a healthy planet and an equitable world that values and sustains the diversity of all life. None of us can avoid the need to have an up-to-date will, ensuring that our last wishes are carried out and our legacy is continued in the way that we would choose. Including a bequest to an organisation like the EWT that you have supported in your lifetime, or that you would have liked to support, is a way to bring meaning and purpose to a life well-lived, and know that you have left the legacy of a better planet for future generations. We assure you that your legacy will make a lasting impact to the benefit of all who inhabit our beautiful country.
Your bequest will help us to…
- Empower communities to live and work in harmony with nature
- Increase safe space for Cheetahs and Wild Dogs in South Africa and beyond
- Conserve grasslands and wetlands to secure our critical water sources
- Ensure our iconic raptors remain in the skies
- Raise awareness and create connections between young people and their natural environment through our schools programmes, developing the guardians of the future
… and so much more!
Should you choose to remember the EWT in your will, you are not only helping the EWT to secure the futures of dozens of Endangered species for years to come, but you could also be providing tax benefits to your loved ones. Section 4(h) of the Estate Duty Act determines that bequests made to public benefit organisations such as the EWT should first be deducted from the nett value of your estate before estate duty is determined. This means that remembering the EWT in your will could exempt your estate from estate duty.
We are proud to be working with Capital Legacy to make leaving a legacy even easier. With a wealth of knowledge and expertise, Capital Legacy provides you with client-centric and excellence-driven service when it comes to drafting your Will, taking care of the administration of Trusts and administering your Estate in the event of your death. Capital Legacy are also the innovators of the Legacy Protection Plan™, an insurance product that completely protects your beneficiaries from the legal fees and expenses that arise when you pass away. Capital Legacy is also committed to protecting forever, together, and for every Legacy Protection Plan™ referral they receive from the EWT, they’ll be making a donation to the organisation. Find out more at https://ewt.org/get-involved/get-involved-leave-a-legacy/ or contact TammyB@ewt.org.za
TRAINING TACKLES WILDLIFE POISONING
André Botha, Manager, EWT Vultures for Africa Programme
AndreB@ewt.org.za The EWT’s Vultures for Africa Programme (VFA) has been involved in a number of Wildlife Poisoning Response Workshops at various locations in southern and east Africa during the period December 2019-February 2020. More than 100 trainees from a range of conservation organisations in Botswana, Zambia, Uganda and Tanzania participated in five workshops lead by the VFA Programme Manager André Botha. During this training, learners are provided with a comprehensive background on the drivers, motives and methods people use to poison wildlife, then we focus on enabling them to confidently assess situations on the ground to positively determine whether a poisoning incident is taking place, how to appropriately and rapidly respond to it by means of effective scene management, investigation and decontamination. We lastly work with them to draft Wildlife Poisoning Response Plans for the areas that they operate in and provide support in terms of sourcing equipment to safely conduct the management and investigation of scenes. Feedback from training recipients was very positive and we have received invitations to return for further training in Uganda and Tanzania later in the year. Another exciting development for the programme is an invitation from Cambodia to conduct similar training during two workshops in that country during March 2020. Further training interventions are also planned for the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, supported by the British government’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, and the Khutse Game Reserve in Botswana, in March and April respectively. The EWT has also received a firm commitment from the Junta Andalusia in Spain to assist with the development of training capacity to train poison detection dogs at various sites in Africa in the coming months. There currently are no such dogs deployed anywhere in Africa, and this ability will significantly strengthen the preventative and responsive ability of conservationists on the ground to reduce the prevalence and impact of wildlife poisoning on vultures and other species.
The work of VFA is supported by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
SAVING CRANES TO SAVE WETLANDS
Jimmy Muheebwa, Uganda Project Coordinator, and Janine Rennie, Southern Drakensberg Field Officer, EWT/ICF African Crane Conservation Programme
JimmyM@ewt.org.za and JanineR@ewt.org.za
Celebrated annually on 2 February, World Wetlands Day aims to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and the planet. Wetlands are declining three times faster than forests the world over, so there is a need to sound the drums of warning against their unsustainable abuse.
The global theme for World Wetlands Day 2020 was Wetlands and Biodiversity, while in Uganda, a national theme of Life thrives in wetlands; protect them was selected, offering an opportunity to highlight both the unique biodiversity found in these ecosystems, and the need to reduce human dependence on wetland-based resources which could negatively impact this biodiversity. In Uganda, the African Crane Conservation Programme (ACCP) is using the Grey Crowned Crane as a flagship species to raise awareness for wetlands. The team was thrilled to participate in a World Wetlands Day event in Bushenyi on 7 February 2020, highlighting the crane and wetlands conservation work being implemented by the Endangered Wildlife Trust/International Crane Foundation/Nature Uganda partnership. Members of the community were also present to showcase how they conserve wetlands and the biodiversity found in these habitats, and to learn from their counterparts involved in similar work elsewhere in the country.
The team braved the hot sun, displaying their messages of enhancing the protection of the Grey Crowned Crane on a 1.5 km march from Nyaruzinga wetland to the exhibition grounds, where they then set up an exhibit showcasing the economic value of wetlands. The role of Conservation Agreements in ensuring community buy-in for this work was also highlighted. Of course, Uganda was not the only place the ACCP celebrated World Wetlands Day. The ACCP across Africa celebrated by participating in indabas, presentations, radio talk shows, clean up campaigns, restoration work, crane monitoring, community outreach and education and sharing the crane message. Activities included:
South Africa
- Participated in the Edendale Mall Mini Wetland Indaba held in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), a busy mall situated adjacent to a wetland, which is set in an urban area with high density of people adjacent. This indaba focused on learning from one another, sharing successes and failures and networking.
- Hosted a stand at the 6th Provincial World Wetland Day in Matatiele, Eastern Cape. This event had over 500 participants from local schools, community members, municipality through to government officials and the MEC.
- Launched a community giving back campaign in the Mqatsheni area in Underberg, KZN. The aim of the campaign is for local community members to assist the local high school in any way they possibly can either through extra lessons, training, support, or being a mentor.
- Started an Eco Brick project in the Mqatsheni area to showcase the various uses of the bricks, with the aim of building a house in the area and showing what residents can do with their waste instead of just dumping it into the streams and wetlands.
- Gave a talk at Kwachibikhulu Primary School, which included a wetland clean up in Chrisiesmeer Protected Environment.
Senegal
- Celebrated World Wetlands Day in Koussabel with 20 primary school teachers, showing them around the project area, the resident cranes, and highlighting the importance of the ACCP project in the area.
- Conducted Black Crowned Crane nest surveys in Koussabel islands and Baila river and wetlands with the ACCP trained Eco Rangers to record all the nest sites in the area.
Zambia
- Officially launched the 2018 Kafue Flats Aerial Survey Report which draws attention to the Kafue Flats Restoration Programme in Zambia.
- Acted as part of the organising committee for the World Wetlands Day celebration festival, which was held in the Lochinvar National Park in Zambia. Our team hosted the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Jean Kapata MP, who officiated at the official celebration with the team moderating the discussions and highlighted the Kafue Flats Restoration Programme as contributing to the Wetlands Policy.
Kenya
- Took part in interviews on a local Kenyan radio station, speaking about the importance of wetlands, why we need to celebrate them, and the work that the ACCP is doing in Kenya to protect our wetlands and the birds who are dependent on them.
