The life’s work of Namibian community conservation pioneer Garth Owen-Smith will be remembered and honoured this week when four conservancy field workers from the Zambezi and Kunene Regions receive Namibia’s first annual GOSCARs – the Grass-Roots Owen-Smith Community Rangers Awards.
How wildlife crime affects the trafficked, the offspring and the planet
Whenever wildlife crime is mentioned, one thinks how it always resonates with dangers of species extinction, loss of biodiversity, threats to human life. Images of either dead animals or their products displayed in markets or people shelves further intrench these ideas. However, little light is shed on the effects wildlife trafficking has on the offspring of the trafficked animal, especially the world’s most trafficked mammal – the pangolin.
The past year was one of learning and adapting for NACSO and all its partners. Despite the negative impacts of Covid-19, conservation work in Namibia continued. Before 2021 came to an end, NACSO members together with the Ministry of Environment Forestry and Tourism, came together for a three-day workshop to share successes and challenges as well as plan and budget for this new year. Extensive work goes into ensuring that the wheels of the CBNRM program keep turning. Good collaboration, teamwork, and teambuilding are important contributors to this success.
On 3 December 2021 in Namibia’s far northwestern Opuwo, conservation NGOs such as Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) together with Namibia Development Trust (NDT), and Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC), celebrated the perseverance and hard work of the Kunene Women for Conservation group.
The celebration took place during their annual agenda planning meeting that was facilitated by the three organisations under the theme “Improving Governance in the National Community-based Natural Resource Management Programme project”.
As we wrap up our annual work and celebrate our conservation successes despite the challenges, first and foremost, we would like to thank all the frontline workers on the ground who work – and walk – in the field to monitor and protect our natural resources, including the conservancy game guards, conservancy lion or rhino rangers, fish guards or community resource monitor.
On 18 November 2018, Rhino Rangers were honoured for their critical contribution to the protection of the world’s largest free-ranging black rhino population in Twyfelfontein at the Uibasen conservancy office. 41 Rhino Rangers in the Kunene and Erongo regions of north-western Namibia were honoured at the 2nd Annual Kunene Rhino Awards for their tireless work to protect the country’s free-ranging black rhino.
Congratulations to the man of the hour, Simson!Uri-≠Khob for winning the Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa, in recognition of the 30 years he has worked to save black rhinos, and in his role as Chief Executive Officer of Save the Rhino Trust in Nambia (SRT).
This is a lifetime achievement award that recognizes outstanding dedication and exceptional contribution to conservation in Africa. Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, who launched the annual TUSK Conservation Awards in 2013 in his role as royal patron of the Tusk Trust, handed over the awards with honour and a few words, “our wildlife plays a vital role in keeping nature in balance and maintaining this precious cycle of life.” Said his Royal Highness.
Namibia, Windhoek, 11 November 2021 – On behalf of the Partner States of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA), I am pleased to announce the launch of the first ever KAZA-wide coordinated aerial survey of elephants. Our Coordinating Ministries represent the Republics of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe where this survey will be conducted. This is a demonstration of our concerted efforts to implement the KAZA Treaty, which calls for regionally integrated approaches towards harmonizing policies, strategies, and practices for managing shared natural resources straddling the international borders of KAZA Partner States.
Founder members of the Community Leaders Network of Southern Africa (CLN) met in Namibia’s capital city, Windhoek at Avani Hotels from 18-22 October to formalize the network.
The GOSCARs (the Grassroots Owen-Smith Community Ranger Awards – to be presented annually to up to three top-performing Namibian conservancy game guards, conservancy lion or rhino rangers, community forest guards, fish guards or community resource monitors) are still open for nominations.
The Namibian Organic Association (NOA) and the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) conducted a horticulture training to various small-scale farmers and farmer-trainers from 23-30 September 2021.
Two incredible Namibian facilitators, Mr Erastus Ndungu from Lima Farms in Katima, a commercial organic vegetable producer, agroforestry specialist and facilitator, as well as Mrs Wiebke Volkmann, from Earth Wise Enterprise, an accredited holistic management trainer, long term community facilitator and passionate organic gardener, over the 3 workshops managed to train over 79 small-scale farmers around Rundu, Kongola and Katima Mulilo.
