Bulletin #05/06-16 May/June Edition 2016.
This Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species or RAGES is a Rotarian Action Group and operates in accordance with Rotary International policy but is not an agency of, or controlled by Rotary International.
The RAGES booth prior to the opening of the House of Friendship
1. MAY/JUNE CHAIR REPORT
G ‘ day
I did try to get a bulletin out for May however due to attending the Rotary International Convention, RICON 2016, in Seoul late May and June I was unable to do so, my apologies. I have also bee attending a few change over dinners lately and my time has been fully used.
Seoul was very hectic and RAGES manned a booth in the House of Friendship, my special thanks to PDG Barbara Shayeb-Helou for doing so much work on our stand. Many thanks also to PRIVP Anne L. Matthews and RIBI President Eve Conway for their support throughout the Convention.
Our booth was unfortunately tucked away at the very end of the House of Friendship and as a result the visitor participation was low for a Convention of this size. Sydney 2014 was half the size but twice the volume of enquiries.
We will be present at Atlanta RICON 2017 and I urge all of you to attend this one. I am also calling for support to help us man the RAGES booth at Atlanta. Atlanta will also see the first AGM to vote in a new board and Chair. Our current term of 3 years will be over on June 30th 2017.
We will be asking for nominations from you, our members, to join the RAGES Board and to look at appointing a new Chair. Nominations for the Board and Chair will be called for prior to the 2017 Atlanta RICON. It will still include the current Board who are re-nominated for another term.
We have many enquiries on how RAGES Can help with projects on the ground. We are not a fund raising group but a group that puts Rotary and Rotaract Clubs in touch with projects on the ground that need support. It is then up to the clubs seeking support and the clubs that need the support to work together. That is to mobilize Rotarians, Rotaractors and their partners to work together for several projects that we have identified that need pour support.
I have been appointed as District Governor for District 9700 for 2018-2019 and my training starts now. However I will remain with RAGES as Chair until June 30th 2017 and an avid supporter during my terms as DGN, DGE and DG. I also firmly believe that being a Governor will help with our work for RAGES.
We are now closing on on 400 members a good result however we need to get many many more ot join us as our work has not really begun.
Please feel free to contribute to this newsletter as I do need help in getting it to publication and your stories are very welcome.
Yours in Rotary
DGN John Glassford
RAGES Chair 2014 -2017
Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species
Rotary Club of Coolamon District 9700
New South Wales, Australia
LATEST NEWS JUST IN
This from Debbie Mair a RAGES member from the Rotary Club of Hutt City in New Zealand.
The Fonterra milk powder we negotiated has arrived at Sepilok & the trial has begun. It feels good to contribute
I’m booking flights to visit Sepilok at the end of the Fonterra Milk Powder Trial. The plan is to visit for a 7 days in the 1st week of August. I’ll represent RAGES, Rotary Action Group for Endangered Species I plan to take some supplements over for the elephants.
I’ll collate all the information that is gathered and meet with Fonterra management to discuss options. There may be some small ingredient/supplement changes to make to the milk powder at the factory source. I’ll take some photos and send to you. Laura, vet at Sepilok has asked that i bring for the elephants: Virgin coconut oil Multivitamin seven seas Calcium tablets.
TIME FOR ACTION HELP WANTED NOW.
We have been going full steam for 12 months now following our slow birth as a Rotarian Action Group. We have one Rotary International Convention under our belts and we move on to Atlanta 2017.
We have several projects that need help with awareness as well as fund raising.
Please email me for details of where and when you, your club, or your District can become involved. There are two excellent projects now up and away needing help. Both have Rotary Clubs involved.
- The Chipembere Rhino Foundation and the RISK Boxes. South Africa.
- The Pygmy Orphan Elephant project. Malaysia and New Zealand.
- Roots & Shoots Kenya Mobile Conservation Libraries
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION SEOUL 2016
Most of you would have read about the RI Convention by now and some of you were there!
Our booth was well received by the other Action Groups alongside us, behind and in front of us.
With RIBI President Eve Conway.
The traffic was low as I explained above however we had quality visitors as most had to seek us out.
The RAGES Break Out Session was moderated by PRIVP Anne L.Matthews with PDG Barbara Shayeb-Helou and RIBI President Eve Conway and myself on the discussion panel. I made a power point presentation and we had a full room of very interested delegates. Considering RAGES had teh last break out session just before the closing ceremony we did well to fill the room.
The Break Out session with PRIVP Anne L. Matthews moderating.
MONGOLIA AND THE MAZAALAI BEAR.
The above photo is of a young lady Binderiya Tulga from the Rotaract Club of Nairamdal in Mongolia. Binderiya and her fellow Rotaractor Oyumaa Davaajav visited the RAGES booth and joined RAGES.
They are looking for support for this critically endangered bear the Mazaalai bear as well as the White Tigers of the Mongolian Mountains. Both passionate young women who need our support and I would love to be able to put you in touch with them if you want to join their cause.
The Mongolian Gobi Bear, shown here in the wild, is one of the world’s most endangered animal species.
In late 2012 Mongolia’s Ministry of Environment and Green Development designated 2013 as The Year of Protecting the Gobi Bear, a critically endangered native species whose extant population was most recently numbered at 22. Mongolia prohibited Gobi Bear hunting as far back as 1953, but more recently environmental degradation of its habitat has been cited as a major reason for its decline.
To address this issue, and to frame it in terms laymen around the world can understand, Asia Blog welcomes Damdin Tsogtbaatar, Mongolia’s former Minister for Nature, Environment and Tourism and former State Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to explain what’s at stake in the survival of this extraordinary mammal.
The first impression one gets upon hearing about the Gobi Desert is one of endless, lifeless terrain sizzling with heat and buffetted by sandstorms. The reality is far from that, however. The Mongolian Gobi nurtures a few rare animals — like the wild Bactrian Camel, the Przewalski’s Horse, the saiga antelope, and the snow leopard — whose populations range from the hundreds to only a few thousand. But judged by the risk of extinction, none of them matches the Gobi Bear (Ursus arctos gobiensis), which the locals call Mazaalai.
MORE HERE.
KENTON-ON-SEA PRIMARY SCHOOL SUPPORTS RAGES.
2 June 2016 KENTON PRIMARY EARLYACT SUPPORTS RHINO CONSERVANCY
Representatives of the Rotary Club of Kenton on Sea were invited to attend the final Assembly of term at The Kenton Primary School where Grade 7 learners, who are members of Rotary Earlyact, had organised a collection of non perishable goods from all Grades at the school, in support of RAGES ( Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species). The collection was done in the form of a competition between the grades and Rotarian Ginny Reed announced the winners – Grade 7, with grades 5 and 6 coming in 2nd and 3rd respectively.
The proceeds of this most successful project, generously supported by staff and parents, were handed over to Rotarian Jo Wilmot, who is closely linked to the Save the Rhino project and the Chipembere Rhino Project, a worldwide organisation campaigning for the protection of rhinos. It was in 2012 that the Rotary Club of Kenton on Sea began its Save the Rhino project, as a result of poaching on our doorstep at Kariega and further afield. Rotary is truly proud of the efforts of our young learners at Kenton Primary. The tinned goods will be dispersed to a selection of reserves, whose identity will remain unknown, for the continued protection of this endangered species.
RAGES Director Jo Wilmot exchanging club Banners with Coolamon.
BACK FROM EDGE OF EXTINCTION
At least 16 Amur leopard cubs have been spotted in a Russian nature preserve this spring — evidence of a strong recovery for a species that numbered only 30 left in the wild less than ten years ago.
Camera traps have photographed the new arrivals at the Land of the Leopard National Park as they play and hunt. Russia established the park in 2012 specifically to protect the critically endangered cats, and by last year, their numbers had doubled over their lowest point in 2007.
AMUR LEOPARD
FOOTNOTE
Seven deadly sins: the rare animals the Chinese middle class love to eat
It’s the dark side of China’s stunning rise as a world economic powerhouse – a binge trade in rare and endangered animals for bogus traditional medicine and flashy displays of wealth.
The trend is repeated across Asia, where cashed-up nouveau riche with a taste for luxury are fuelling a booming black market trade in animal parts, with catastrophic consequences.
The United Nations last week warned of an “irreparable loss” in a sobering new report ahead of a global summit on world wildlife crime in September.
Seven species are especially under threat.
“The world’s most trafficked animal no one has heard of”
Nature’s answer to a medieval knight in armour, a pangolin is a scaly anteater with scythe-like claws that wobbles along on its hind legs and rolls in a ball when threatened.
But the pangolin’s armoured defence has a cost…………
Read more Here:
HOPE UPDATE
— HOPE’S PATIENCE —
This rhino called Hope has had many many operations this past year. And while there are those who say that her wounds are too extensive and the money spent on her too much… there are also those who say that we cannot give up on a rhino who wants to live. Whenever the nurses and vets take a quick peek under her protective covering, this is what lies under there. What are those eyes saying to you?
“I’ve been incredibly privileged to film several of Hope’s procedures for STROOP and I’ve always noticed how meticulously Johan (Dr Marais) documents each operation with his camera. I have missed this particular shot a few times because he moves so quickly but on this last procedure of Hope’s I was ready.
It’s one simple shot, but it was important for me to get this moment when all her bandages are off and her wound has been cleaned of detritus and maggots, because many people have said how they cannot look at Hope’s face because of the brutality of her poaching.
Well, hopefully this is “sanitised” enough for people to look…”
— Susan Scott, filmmaker along with Bonné de Bod of STROOP – die film on location filming Hope the poached surviving rhino being cared for by Saving The Survivors – NPC
— with Johan Marais andSusan Scott.
RAGES FACEBOOK PAGE
Still getting a lot of visits to our Facebook site.
Click on the logo below and join us please on Facebook.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 61 2 6927 6027 {61 is the code for Australia}.
Postal: 22 Moore Street, GANMAIN, NEW SOUTH WALES 2701, AUSTRALIA.