WILD

Project Report from Isandlwana

EDUCATION: EDUPEG: 7 Schools within the programme at present but the project is not really achieving the required results. It appears that most schools are only using the materials when the Edu-peg educators visit the village and are not really integrating this into their daily teaching plans. This is very frustrating as it is a question of relying on the teachers themselves to drive the project. Complaints were received from Edu-peg that the Wild ward assistants were not available to assist with translation when workshops were held and that Elizabeth can not split herself between classes. They also wanted ... Read More

Resolution 43: The need to better integrate human food production and wilderness/nature conservation

Download: English Discuss this resolution on the WILD Forums > WHEREAS The future of agriculture and feeding the world’s human population is closely linked to protecting and sustaining wilderness and wildlife, and to appropriate climate change strategy; Both old and new methods of food production need to be utilized, helping increase production while utilizing safe and sustainable technique, supplies, and practices; THEREFORE It is of vital importance to the future of wilderness and biodiversity that the climate change, nature conservation, and protected area communities work closely with the food producing sector at all levels. IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED: Low impact techniques such as no-till and other scientifically proven ... Read More

World AIDS Day – A Message from Umzi Wethu

Today the world acknowledges the remarkable recent progress in HIV/AIDS awareness, detection, and remediation. As the Wilderness Network commends this progress, it remains confronted daily with the reality of the stigma, denial, and continued contraction of HIV at an alarming rate in areas of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Here, where the Wilderness Foundation (Africa)  is based, unmitigated poverty leads to the despair and hopelessness that underlies the epidemic. Read More

Human, Economic and Environmental Losses from Hydroelectric Dam Explosion

On August 17, a terrible explosion rocked a turbine hall inside the massive Sayano-Shushenskiy hydroelectric dam along the Yenisey River in the Khakassia Republic of Siberia within the Russian Federation. As of this writing, the death toll of workers may be as high as seventy-six. In addition to the questions of maintenance, safety and rescue efforts, and the economic impact of this event, issues of environmental impact are also prominent. The explosion apparently released forty tons of transformer oil into the Yenisey River, an oil spill that could make its way downstream all the way to the Arctic if not ... Read More

Capacity Building Collaboration with EARTH University

One of WILD's main priorities is capacity building - training people and giving them opportunities to work for a sustainable future.  Over the past several years, WILD has collaborated with EARTH University in Costa Rica to provide promising students a meaningful educational experience and the skills needed to be the next generation of conservation leaders. EARTH's mission - "to prepare leaders with ethical values and contribute to the sustainable development of the humid tropics and to construct a prosperous and just society," is fulfilled by their holistic approach to education.  Students are immersed into experiential learning, entrepreneurial enterprise, critical thinking and ... Read More

TATA Steel Continues Construction: Olive Ridley Sea Turtles’s at Risk

News from the Dhamra Port, Orissa: "We are absolutely delighted to see the turtles return to Gahirmatha in tune with their annual sojourn after giving the region a miss in 2007-2008 turtle season." said Ashish Fernandes, Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace India. "However, this episode of mass-nesting cannot be used as a smoke screen by port promoters in projecting that all is fine. It would be dangerous to assume so since this nesting does not mean that the turtles and the adjoining ecologically sensitive areas, including the Bitharkanika National Park are safe. Our concerns, shared by scientists, academics and other conservationists over ... Read More

Our Fragile Planet

This breath-taking slide show of images taken by astronaut Sunita Williams shows the fragility of our planet earth.  It illustrates, without a doubt, how the human footprint is over-taking the wild and nature places.  The updated images of earth at night are an urgent and visual documentation of the need to protect and sustain wilderness.  The epicenters of human life (big cities) are large, compact areas of light, and few large tracts of land are void of light, electricity and human impact.  Today, sandwiched in between Earth Day and Mother's Day, let's all promise to celebrate and be kind to ... Read More

The Patience it Takes…

I tried to call you yesterday but you were in a meeting. I have asked Andre to stop at the school if he has a chance going by that way with the lodge camera and take some pictures for us. The builders tell me they would have finished the classroom by Friday. I am impressed as I only got materials on site last Thursday. It was not without incident however........On Wednesday I had a site meeting with our builder, Mr Ngobese, (one of Elizabeth's neighbours), and his assistant at the school. Of course the Prinicipal was not ... Read More

AmaDiba Coastal Residents Take a Stand Against Dune Mining Plans

"It's a classic showdown that has rural villagers and traditional leaders on the Wild Coast tackling the South African government for not protecting their land against mining practices which they consider exploitative and rapacious," (Kockott, Sunday Tribune). The Wild Coast, a breathtaking and richly bio-diverse region on the South African Coast, has battled nearly constant threats from mining. The promise of heavy mineral sands, typically consisting of industrial metals and precious stones such as diamonds, sapphires and other gemstones, keeps the interest of international mining companies. What hasn't kept the interest of these mining giants is the impact of extractive ... Read More

World Heritage Site in Iraq

The Marshlands of Mesopotamia are being considered as a World Heritage Site. It is possible that by 2011 the marshlands could officially be added to the list. There is a plan being created in order to further restore the area. Located in Iraq, 90% of these wetlands were destroyed during the reign of Saddam Hussein. The United Nations and other local organizations have helped restore the wetlands back to their natural state. So far they have restored about 60% of the area. This is so great for the people native to the marshlands!  The Iraqi government is also in the process of ... Read More