Conservation Storytelling with Matt Blair

It has been a long time since getting a podcast out there, but here is the first for 2021! This episode is a continuation from the Walk Luangwa 2020 expedition where a small group of us walked 350km through the Luangwa Valley in aid of community and conservation organisations in the Luangwa that had previously relied on tourism bed-levies to be able to continue their operations. During the 17 days it took us we had numerous guests join us for portions of the expedition; from beneficiaries from these organisations, to custodians of the Valley.

John Coppinger is one of those custodians of the Valley whose career spans close on 40 years in tourism in the Luangwa. During our short conversation he gives us a bit of a glimpse into what the Valley once was, and how he sees tourism as having its role in conservation efforts.  Previously a commercial pilot before starting guiding in the Luangwa, together with his wife Carol, they created Remote Africa Safaris in the mid-90's.

A few days earlier we had been walking along the Mwaleshi River where Nick Ridden (Remote Africa Safaris Operations Manager) pointed out the bones of the structures that would have been their Mwaleshi Camp. This was the first time in 30 years since being established that their camp was not opening due to the pandemic's impact on tourism.

To learn more about John or their family run business:

“We live in a very dynamic world. We can't be doing the same things we have done for years in the name of staying true to the mission. You know, you move and adapt and change as things present themselves.” Thandiwe Mweetwa, Project Manager, Zambian Carnivore Programme.

It has been a long time, but the podcast is finally back and there are a lot of conversations to share from the last 5 months of remote travel through Zambia. Thank you for your constant support, especially to our Patreon supporters who make this podcast possible.

This week’s conversation is with Thandiwe Mweeta. Thandiwe joined us on the Walk Luangwa expedition on day 12 on behalf of the Zambian Carnivore Programme which was one of the direct beneficiaries for the proceeds that are being raised from the walk.

This week my conversation explores new initiatives that surround the conservation sector in Africa. The complexities behind conservation are often misunderstood or completely ignored. How do we encourage an audience that otherwise would not have an interest in some of the issues facing conservation in Africa to start paying attention? By using “sport for conservation” the idea was born to integrate conservation messaging through an online trivia game where famous sports-people from Southern Africa would compete against each other, providing entertainment and important messaging.

“The biggest problems about conservation right now is it is not nearly inclusive enough of local people. The same problems existed in Asia, and in India, where the local people feel alienated and excluded. From national parks, from problems that are supposedly needing solutions, they don't, they don't feel the ownership of it...conservation needs to accept that Africa is a landscape and the people of Africa are a part of the landscape. Africa has the most diverse assemblages off of herbivores and carnivores of all continents. And that's for a reason because the people that are living with that wildlife are conservationists.” - Merlyn Nomusa Nkomo, Ornithologist.

“...at the end of the day, we all really have a common cause, which is to save the wilderness landscape and alleviate poverty on the outskirts of these wilderness areas...and we're all very passionate people about the wildlife and our communities. We're passionate about tourism.” - Beks Ndlovu, CEO African Bush Camps.

How do tourism operators contribute to conservation efforts? My conversation with Beks Ndlovu of African Bush Camps and Katja Quasdorf of Hideaways explores how tourism funds support conservation initiatives, and assist in the continuation of conservation implementing partners like the Conservation and Wildlife Fund (CWF) in the Hwange region.

African Bush Camps was founded by professional guide Beks Ndlovu, and Katja Quasdorf is one of the founders of Hideaways.

The history of the Kafre National Park in Zambia goes back as far as the 1920’s, long before it was formally declared a National Park. To raise awareness for the park, Phil and his friend Jeff decided to walk 100 miles to commemorate 100 years of the declared park’s existence.

Camping with simple bedrolls in the open and carrying all their supplies for the trek, Phil takes us through some of the experiences of the walk including climbing Kafue’s highest mountain, a hippo crashing through the camp, and the layout and beauty of the Kafue National Park.

"Its human behaviour that keeps causing these pandemics...and its our impact on the natural world that we must address...if we protect the natural world and our biodiversity, and we respect it, then we won't be having these issues." - Rachael Cooper-Bohannon, Founder, Bats Without Borders.

"The Lower Zambezi community is a very low income community...they are not going to be able to sustain their livelihoods anymore, and so we fear that this is going to lead to a rise in poaching." - Nikita Iyengar, General Manager.

One of the most publicised topics that has been centred around COVID-19 is the effect it has had on the tourism industry. With travel international travel restrictions firmly in place through most countries, the tourism sector is facing a major setback.

Without the tourism most lodges and camps have had to either delay their opening dates, or face not open at all. But what does this mean for organisations that rely on the contributions from international tourism to continue their conservation efforts?

My guest this week is Nikita Iyengar who is the General Manager of Conservation Lower Zambezi in Zambia. She will be talking about the work that they are doing in the Lower Zambezi region, but also what the closure of the camps and lodges means for community members who have become reliant on employment as a primary livelihood income, and how their operations have been restricted without tourism contributions from the operators in the region.

***This podcast is completely self-funded***