RAGES NEWS EDITION 02-13
Bulletin #02 September 2013.
You are all invited to contribute and become authors and we are looking for an editor. John Glassford will be the editor until someone takes over the position. We are looking for critique, ideas and suggestions for the monthly news.
1. CHAIR REPORT
Thanks to Jo Wilmot and Sharon Flynn for their contributions this month, much appreciated. It has been a busy month in South Africa at Kenton-on-Sea and the work being done by Dr Will Fowlds including his trip to the Royal Geographical Society in London recently.
There has been a lot of traffic on Facebook and I will list some of the pages at the end of this bulletin. There are also some amazing people getting on board with the elephants and rhinos and the conservation of these two species. I will also list some of the notable projects and their web sites.
We still have not heard from Rotary International on the progress of our RAGES application. The RI board meets in October but I do not know if our application has passed the committee stage as yet.
The Rhino Run at Kenton-on-Sea looks like it was a huge success story below.
October 4th is World Elephant Walk Day. Too late for us to have organised one walk however I am sure that we will look at joining in next year. However you can join in on a Digital Walk here:
DIGITAL WALK FOR THE ELEPHANTS
OR Take part in the walk in a city near you if possible:
World Elephant Walk Day
Please keep up the rage for RAGES and do not hesitate to send me your ideas and your stories. I am convinced that this is one area that Rotary can provide support for those on the ground around the world in the conservation of our endangered species.
2. RAGES MEMBER’S ACTIVITIES LATEST NEWS
THE RHINO RUN KENTON-ON-SEA
Kenton-on-Sea was the 6th route of the National Rhino Run held on WORLD RHINO DAY, 22nd of September 2013. An amazing 513 participants completed the course – this was the largest amount of entrants country-wide.
Other events were held in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth. There were 3 routes on offer … 6km, 12km or 20km through scenic beach and bush terrain including the magnificent Kenton Eco Estate, with the start at Kenton-on-Sea’s magnificent Blue Flag Beach.
Celebrity participants included Dr Will Fowlds and family of Investec Rhino Lifeline and Brent and Chantelle Cook and family of Chipembere Rhino Foundation. Amongst the participants, teams from Kingswood College, St Andrews Prep, DSG and St Andrews College, students from Stenden and Rhodes University, Kowie Striders and Kenton Pharmacy took part.
The event is the brainchild of Free Spirit Adventures and was inspired by the tragic poaching of three Rhinos at the Kariega Game Reserve near Kenton in 2012. Against all odds, one of the Rhino, Thandi survived this brutal incident and is still an inspiration, and symbol of hope and strength for the massive anti-rhino poaching movement. Free Spirit Adventures hope to unite an entire country of trail runners in the war on rhino poaching, and at the same time grow the sport of trail running.
Beneficiaries for the event are Chipembere Rhino Foundation, Wilderness Foundation Forever Wild’s Injection Fund and OSCAP. Rooting-for-Rhino are proud to be working with the Sunshine Coast Tourism Team in collaboration with Free Spirit Adventures. An event such as this one, requires a lot planning and sponsorship.
Special thanks to volunteers from Kenton Rotary Club and I GO STUDENT Travel and all the other volunteers who pitched in to make the event the successes that it was, including Margie Siegers, Gaz Worrell & Caroline McIntosh, Dave Stott, the life guards and the water safety team and to Homewoods for hosting the event. Sponsors included Sibuya Game Reserve, Fat Fish B&B, Stanleys Restaurant, Colonial Affair,
The House Kitchen & Cellar, Voila, River Rooster Self-Catering Chalets, Burksies Port Alfred, Woolworths Port Alfred, Ron from El Diablo Port Alfred & Root72, BOS Ice Tea, Twizza & Vibrant Aqua with Robbie’s Bottle Store & Prestons for the finishing drinks, Mega Build It and Kenton Spar. Final results were not available at the time of this press release, for more information check the website …
www.rhinorun.co.za
DON’T LET OUR RHINOS RUN OUT OF TIME!
3. MEET OUR MEMBERS SHARON FLYNN
Above Richard and Sharon Flynn with grand daughter Kiyalyn.
Sharon is from the Rotary Club of Jersey City. The oldest service club in Jersey City the club was chartered on August 1, 1916. For nearly 100 years, the Rotary Club has supported all facets of Jersey City life. RC Jersey City on Facebook Now Sharon has been very active with her emails and for her concern for the rhinos and elephants in particular and I include here one email received from Sharon which has some great links:
Extinction Countdown Home
22 Links for World Rhino Day as Poaching Levels Shoot Past 2012′s Deadly Record
By John R. Platt | September 22, 2013 |
- The main World Rhino Day site
- Local events at zoos and other institutions around the globe
- World Rhino Day on Facebook
- The ongoing #iam4rhinos Twitter storm
Current rhino news:
- As of yesterday, September 21, 688 rhinos have been poached so far this year in South Africa. That’s 2o more than in all of 2012, which itself was an all-time record.
- The U.S. just added the southern white rhino to the Endangered Species list, the last rhino species to gain that protection.
- Vietnam has become one of the main end-points for rhino horns. Here’s an interview with a proud Vietnamese businessman who takes rhino horn because it makes him look important
Rhino conservation and education:
- How to teach rhinos and conservation (The Guardian)
- Information on all five rhino species from Save the Rhinos
- Current rhino population figures
- Teacher resources from the International Rhino Foundation
And finally, here are most of my articles about rhinos (including the obituaries for two subspecies that have been poached into extinction in recent years):
- Rhino Poaching: An Extinction Crisis
- As Rhino Poaching Surges, South Africa Proposes Legalized Trade in Precious Horns
- Poachers Drive Javan Rhino to Extinction in Vietnam
- Western Black Rhino Extinct
- Crowd-Funded Drones Could Help Protect Kenyan Rhinos
- The Most Eagerly Awaited Rhino Porn of All Time [Video]
- 160 Video Cameras to Help Monitor Last 35 Javan Rhinos
- Video: 2 Rhinos Fight for Life after Their Horns Are Chopped Off
- Rare Northern White Rhino Dies of Old Age–and Then There Were 7…
- To Save the Sumatran Rhino, Zoo Will Attempt to Mate Brother and Sister
- Hunter Allowed to Import Rhino Trophy into U.S. for First Time in 33 Years
Tragically, I seem to write about rhinos more than any other group of endangered species. I hope that I will not have to report on the extinctions of any more rhino species or subspecies any time soon. Unfortunately, even on World Rhino Day, I am not hopeful. Photo by Mike Richardson via Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license
4. SAVE AFRICA RHINO FOUNDATION.
Does the Supply Chain Care?
Save Africa Rhino Foundation.
5. SOME PHOTOS FROM SEPTEMBER.
Just some random photos that I find on Facebook and on the Internet
A. Rhinos
The last known rhinoceroses in Mozambique have been wiped out by poachers apparently working in cahoots with the game rangers responsible for protecting them, it has emerged. Full story below:
Last rhinos in Mozambique killed by poachers
B. Elephants
Following a large number of rescues recently, we would like to share with you this photograph of four of our newest and youngest arrivals.
Mshindi, Shujaa, Empaash and Kamok are led down into the bush at the orphanage. This little baby group are all doing well, with lots of walking and playing, to emulate exactly what they would be doing in the wild.
As ever, this is a critical time for the babies as they adjust to their new surroundings both physically and emotionally.
Please, if you can, donate today to ensure we can provide these new calves with the love and care they desperately need to one day return to the wild:
http://
C. Orangutans
Tripa, in the province of Aceh, Sumatra, is home to one of only six remaining populations of the Critically Endangered Sumatran orangutan and also has amongst the highest densities of orangutans anywhere in the world. Palm oil companies are destroying the forest here at an alarming rate as shown by the photo. The total destruction of the remaining forest is predicted within less than five years if appropriate action is not implemented quickly. The Orangutan Project is supporting the intricate legal and political work involved with the conservation of Tripa and the greater forests of Aceh, which involves the following objectives –
– Empower communities to politically engage on the spatial
plan by drawing links of ‘cause and effect’ from the likely
deforestation and its potential to natural disasters including
flooding.
– Field mobilisation to uncover and highlight illegal activities.
– Boost legal capacity and monitor legal proceedings including
ongoing meetings and communication of news and
developments to the public.
– Enhance communications and campaign outreach by liaising
with global and national networks for action and
mobilisation.
6. NEWS FROM AFRICA
The tragic events of the 22nd September at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi have a direct link to poaching of both elephant and rhino by Al Shabaab. They call it White Gold and it is said that 40% of Al Shabaab’s funds come form blood ivory and rhino horns.
The deadly path of conflict ivory starts with the slaughter of innocent animals and ends in the slaughter of innocent people.
It is a source of funding for terrorist organizations that transcends cruelty. It is the ‘white gold’ for African jihad, white for its colour and gold for its value. If we fail to act now, militant groups like al-Shabaab will lay down their roots deep in the African landscape, destroying its heritage for generations to come.
Dangerous and unpredictable, al-Shabaab’s involvement in ivory trade brings with it an alarming dimension, a dimension the world cannot afford to ignore.’’
Al Shabaab and Blood Ivory
We are with Kenya and send our condolences to all those who lost their lives that day in Nairobi. We will be there in April 2015 no worries!
7. Dr. WILLIAM FOWLDS
I wish everyone had the opportunity to enjoy a moment like this.
Royal Geographical Society launch of Voices of Conservation. What an amazing evening it was. Supported by Investec Rhino Lifeline, Mantis, TUSK, Born Free, digital explorer, Bear Grylls and many more. It was very inspirational experience the response to the rhino crisis. We are trusting that many good things will be born out of this event. (Quote: Day 14 post poaching: , “Themba and Thandi, surrounded by all we value in nature, live on as icons of animal suffering and the determination to survive. They stand guard at the gate, one strong and one weak, that will lead to the demise of thousands more species because of our apathy. They are adopted, as champions of a cause which goes far beyond “Saving the Rhino” They continue to inspire.
TUSK
8. SOME LINKS OF INTEREST.
- TUSK Prince William Patron
- Clinton Global Initiative $80 million to African Wildlife Foundation
- 14 Facts on Wildlife Trafficking
- Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Kenya
- Rhino Girl Blog
9. FACEBOOK LINKS:
1. IAPWF
2. Save Our Rhino
3. Jim Justus Nyamu
4. Rooting for Rhino
5. Michael North
10. SUMMARY
We are all Rotarians on this list and as such I am sure that you all who receive this bulletin will want to take action. The best thing that you can do right now is to give a talk to your club and then to a club close by and recruit members for RAGES for our long term future.
Please also do not forget our two main projects that we can work on right now and those are The Rotary Club of Kenton on Sea in Port Elizabeth and the David Sheldrick Project in Nairobi.
I have also started planning the Mount Kenya adventure and we are looking for climbers or hikers to take part in April 2015. Please contact me if you are interested or know of some one who is. They do not have to be Rotarians.
Mount Kenya 2015 DETAILS Here.
We are raising funds for our Education and AIDS orphans projects in Africa as well as Legacy Australia. Why not join us to raise funds for our RAGES projects as well?
Do not hesitate to email me or call me with your ideas for raising awareness and funds fro our endorsed projects. I will be away most of October building however I will be on line most mornings.
Yours in Rotary
John Glassford Chair Proposed RAGES.
Email [email protected]
61 2 6927 6027
