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Eco
Success Stories from our Archives
Namibia's
Kalahari Desert Bushmen
by Karen
Hoffman
Ecotourism: Intu Afrika. A rare opportunity to learn from
the Bushmen themselves about their hunter-gatherer
traditions and the ecosystem of the Kalahari desert awaits
travelers to INTU AFRIKA'S Kalahari Game Reserve in Namibia.
For thousands of years, Bushmen were an integral part of the
ecosystem of the Kalahari. As the area was colonized, the
Bushmen were driven out and forced to live outside their
traditional hunting areas. No longer able to hunt, the
Bushmen were reduced to living on government handouts. INTU
AFRIKA, under the direction of two South African
anthropologists, Michael and Bets Daibar, invited 40 !Kung
Bushmen to reestablish a self-sustainable community on the
company's Kalahari Game Reserve.
Continued.
Kaggam
Kamma: A Journey Back In Time
I noted that our destination
for day two of the Cape Country Tour was a Private game
Reserve called "Kagga Kamma. Not expecting anything too far
beyond the ordinary, after a rugged 3 hour motor trip from
Cape Town, I was little prepared for the amazing 'moonscape'
of this spectacular hideout in the rugged Cedarburg
Mountains. It was a site that could easily be the movie set
for "Jurassic Park" or "Planet of the Apes." As twilight
approached, many of the odd rock shapes cast weird shadows,
taking the form of wild animals or strange spirit
creatures.
Continued.
Guarding
Africa's Wildlife Empire
by Jerry W. Bird
Africa's Animal Empire filled the scene, then fanned out in
all directions on the far horizon; to the Tanzania - Kenya
border, or to Lake Victoria and beyond. And what performers
these four legged actors were; prancing about like tv
wrestlers, snorting and butting heads, as if they knew they
were the star performers of our show. On a rocky knoll
nearby, a pride of lions lolled lazily, like cruise
passengers on deck chairs, surveying the situation, as they
stood by for the evening dinner gong. Staring at us
curiously, this shaggy crew was perfectly cast for the scene
to follow, as were the two cheetahs lying couched in the
tall grass near the Serengeti airport. Continued.
Amex Monument
Watch in Africa
The World
Monuments Watch was created in 1995. The program solicits
nominations from the Ministries of Culture around the world,
from all US embassies, from international, national and
local preservation groups, and from American Express offices
worldwide. The nomination process is also open to individual
citizens as a means of encouraging private activism. An
independent panel of international experts in architecture,
travel, archaeology, conservation, and related fields
selects sites for inclusion in the biennial World Monuments
Watch Lists of 100 Most Endangered Sites. Continued.
Peace Through
Tourism
by Louis
D'Amore
We believe that tourism can have
a profound impact on creating a climate for peace by
generating economic growth and stable employment. Tourism
also educates travelers about other cultures, thereby
fostering understanding. While world leaders often meet to
discuss opportunities for peace, it's rare that they would
view a single industry as playing such a powerful role in
sustaining Global Summit of Peace through Tourism.
Continued.
Tourism-
Introduction to Ecology
by Harold Gordon
Tourism is now a
major source of foreign currency for Kenya and Tanzania; it
provides jobs throughout East Africa and has served as an
introduction to ecology. A safari traveler's impression of
animals changes drastically ; no more will her or she accept
a world without the elephant, rhino, cheetah or other
endangered species; the seals of the Galapagos, the mountain
gorilla of Rwanda, the birds of New Guinea, or the whales of
the Cape. There's a new and vital interest in their
surroundings. Continued.
Central African
Republic's Pristine Parklands
by Muguette Goufrani
Everything you may have read about this equatorial area for
years in National Geographic , or in countless story books
about Africa, is right here. Without a doubt, the Central
African Republic (CAR) has some of the most pristine
National Parks in all of Africa. Pygmies guide you through
virgin forests that are the domain of forest elephants and
rare lowland gorillas. The dense rain forests literally
'explode' as the sky fills with colorful, exotic butterflies
&emdash; and out on the sweeping plains you can encounter
elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and a host of other
species you may not see anywhere else. We visited the
Dzanga-Sangha Reserve which has some of the highest
densities of lowland gorillas and elephant of anywhere in
Africa. Continued.
Seychelles: A
World Leader in Conservation
by Muguette Goufrani
Seychelles
Islands group is in the forefront in terms of conservation
of land, culture and wildlife. While I have praised this
beautiful part of the word to friends from near and far as a
'dream destination,' most travelers have yet to experience
its pleasures. The Seychelles Archipelago, located in the
Indian Ocean east of Kenya, has an fascinating history and
culture. French is widely spoken, and the Seychelles is part
of La
Francophonie.
The area includes 42 granite islands and 73 coral atolls,
with tourism centered on the more easily accessible granite
islands-especially Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. The latter
are covered in lush tropical vegetation and are ringed by
pristine white sand beaches. Continued.
Gabon
Preserves Coastal Wetlands and
Marshes
by Muguette Goufrani
Thanks to mineral
wealth and a relatively low population growth, Gabon is
better off financially than most of Africa. This fact is
reflected in their care and attention to basic ecological
concerns. For example, the vast coastal wetlands and
marshes, are still largely intact. Gabon, hosted the Africa
Travel Association (ATA) International Congress in 1980.
Continued.
News about
Environment Tanzania (Entan 21)
by Charles Kileo
Environment Tanzania 21 is a non-profit environment Non
Governmental Organization (NGO) established in Tanzania in
1996. It is a community service oriented trustee for the
promotion of environmental awareness and environmental
protection, though grassroots-based programs of involving
and educating the community. Entan 21 is based in Dodoma,
Tanzania and will expand its activities to other areas of
the country as its environmental message
spreads.
Continued.
Building
Bridges to Peace Through Tourism
by Hon. Mike Afedi Gizo
In the Kakum National Forest near Ghana's famous Gold
Coast, are 6 rope bridges that are popular with tourists,
and for most, a challenge to cross. While these bridges
swing and sway in the breeze, far above the forest floor,
all fears a visitor encounters are strictly mental. Each
interlocking bridge is safe and secure, and each relates to
a goal we want to achieve with this week's 21st Century
Agenda for Peace Through Tourism. Continued.
Many more stories to
come on this web site and in our magazines
Africa
Travel and
Eco-Adventure
World.
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