All In for Rhinos: World Rhino Day Video

Check out this fabulous video showing all of the amazing international World Rhino Day events!

Children Show They Care in Colour

What would WRD be without the Rhino Song?

After all the fun and excitement of World Rhino Day itself on 22nd September we have now had a chance to get to some of the schools who joined in by plastering their walls, halls, windows, notice boards and anything else in reach with beautiful colour pictures and slogans.

Many schools held classes or assemblies on the 5 Rhino species, the threat that they are under and the complete waste of killing beautiful animals for horns that have no medicinal properties at all.  Thanks to the educators of Zimbabwe the children of Zimbabwe are leading the way when it comes to Rhino Awareness campaigns!  On behalf of Rhino everywhere and all the people who care about them:  A big thank you!

 We are still spotting cars sporting this year's Rhino Horn is NOT Medicine posters in their back windows!  Hope that we are not the only ones and that the message is getting across loud and clear!

WORLD RHINO DAY: A SUCCESS!

It has been a very busy couple of weeks leading up to World Rhino Day:  We have worked closely with Zimbabwe National Parks offices to make this year's World Rhino Day count!

The day brought music, inspiring speeches and art to Harare's Africa Unity Square.

The day began with students, National Parks staff, NGOs and rhino lovers gathering at Town House (City Hall).  With posters reading "I love Rhino", "Rhino horn is NOT medicine" and “Save the Rhino” (amongst others) the group began their parade.

 

Leading the march was the Police band playing some very rousing march music. The parade wove its way through the city centre into Africa Unity Square where the celebrations continued.  Leaflets featuring the slogan “Rhino Horn is NOT Medicine”  were handed out to those watching along the way with the request that they be displayed in shop windows, taxis, cars ... anywhere they might be seen ... until the end of the month at least.

  

Music continued to play a key role in Harare's Rhino Day celebrations.

The nation's favourite musician Oliver Mutukudzi had dignitaries (including Minister and Archbishop!) and crowds bopping for rhinos with his rhythmic and inspiring rhino themed music.  Passerby's stopped to  join in and the party grew.  One rhino lover spontaneously stopped in to contribute by playing his mbira!  A group of children stoop up to sing their own song:  "Join Hands for Rhino"....

All this could have combined to overshadow Minister of Environment, Minister Nhema's, speech and yet thanks to the  sobering realities facing the world's rhino; it did not:

"It is a day for everyone to share stories, photos and ideas about wildlife and rhino species in particular. Unless concerted and collaborative efforts are made to salvage endangered animals from the current onslaught the beautiful animals may become extinct. A loss of one species in the world makes the world poorer and diminishes the capacity of the environment to operate optimally".

Minister Nhema and invited dignatories who included Director General of National Parks, Vitalis Chadenga, senior officials and Ambassadors then looked at a display of children's posters and art made especially for World Rhino Day.  These gorgeous artworks represented the special involvement and project of Chishakwe for World Rhino Day as has been mentioned in previous posts.

Proceedings finally wrapped up at lunch time with everybody feeling very inspired by what they had seen and heard and already talking about next year's World Rhino Day.  Of course the important thing is to keep Rhino in our hearts and minds for all the days in between now and then and think about ways we can all help with Rhino Conservation.

Bush Camp (Boot camp?)

Fifteen boys and one girl between the ages of 9 and 11 have recently completed a one week bush camp at Chishakwe.

The kids arrived from Harare in a state of high excitement with boxes of sugary treats in their tuck boxes.  The first thing the instructors did was confiscate the sugary treats.  They were a little less excited after that ... but not much!

The wake up call and dawn exercise session on the first day came as rather a shock to some of the children.

The next few days saw them gathered in a whirl of activity.  Hours spent in the bush:  Tracking, making twine from bark, trapping, fishing, visiting a rare wild dog den site ... learning about the bush, about animals, about birds ... learning evasive action techniques to stay safe.

In between there was the obstacle course, initiative tests, volley ball and swimming.

Some of the nights were busy too.  There was a night drive with a spot light,  time spent listening to night sounds, question time around the fire.

Despite the fact that the instructors were necessarily strict and there were not menu options for those who did not like a particular food item; the children seemed to have a wonderful experience.  Certainly if the feedback we have received since camp is anything to go by they had a ball despite the fact that they were challenged and in a totally foreign (for most of them) environment.

PS:  The instructors survived the experience too! ;)

On a tracking exercise

September is World Rhino Day Month!

September is also Spring month in Southern Africa so  we thought that this yellow Rhino could do as a Spring  celebration as well as a reminder that World Rhino Day is coming up on 22nd September.  Don't forget to join the World Rhino Day 2011 page on Facebook and to join in by posting some of your ideas and letting us know how you are celebrating World Rhino Day this year!

August Events

Wow!  Somehow it is already September and August has gone!  It was a very busy month and had zoomed by before we had time to write up some of the highlights on the blog ... so here goes ... Sorry a little late so not really breaking news.

The Chishakwe Soccer Shield Final was played on Saturday 6th August (Wow, time certainly has flown!) between the Black Bulls and the All Stars.  It was an exciting and hard fought match; very much enjoyed by the spectators who at time took a very participatory attitude and had to be asked to leave the field.

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Fans!

The All Stars won the match 4 goals to 2; a popular result as the match was played in their home village.

The All Star Victors with the shield

Dates have already been set for next year's event and it looks like there will be almost double the amount of teams entering.

Chishakwe hosted a three day environmental education workshop for teachers in the two schools we work in Muvava and Uteke.  We were greatly assisted by the African Wildlife Conservation Fund who presented materials specific to carnivores and who provided funding for a UK based teacher to assist with hosting the workshop.

Reviewing materials for presentation

Attending a talk on endangered animals

August was also the month of Chishakwe Managers Nicky and Duke's Birthday.  They had a party at their house which was well attended by many conservancy members.  The radios were rather silent next day ... nothing to do with the tequila shots of course ...