CHEETAH CONSERVATION BOTSWANA

  • Home
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • About Cheetahs
    • Founders
    • Where We Are
    • Supporters
    • Collaborators
    • Contact Us
  • What we do
    • Scientific Research
    • Farming For Conservation
    • Engagement & Awareness
    • Communities for Conservation
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Log a Cheetah Sighting
    • Work with CCB
    • Study with CCB
    • Fundraising
  • Resources
    • Annual Reports
    • Financial Reports
    • Educational Resources
    • Information for Farmers
    • Photo Gallery
  • News
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • Home
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • About Cheetahs
    • Founders
    • Where We Are
    • Supporters
    • Collaborators
    • Contact Us
  • What we do
    • Scientific Research
    • Farming For Conservation
    • Engagement & Awareness
    • Communities for Conservation
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Log a Cheetah Sighting
    • Work with CCB
    • Study with CCB
    • Fundraising
  • Resources
    • Annual Reports
    • Financial Reports
    • Educational Resources
    • Information for Farmers
    • Photo Gallery
  • News
  • Donate
  • Shop

Natural and cultural resource review completed at last!

5/28/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​The Kalahari San have traditions spanning millennia involving the sustainable utilisation of their natural resources. Whether it’s a tiny leaf barely sprouting out of the ground indicating a large underground tuber that contains water, or the thorny “devil’s claw” vine, whose seed pods make a tea that cures a variety of ailments; treasures like these veld products as well as culturally significant sites and historical sites are scattered amongst the western Kalahari conservation corridor more plentifully than the cheetahs or people who move through the area. And yet, the conservation of this landscape will benefit all the natural assets here, as well as the people, their indigenous knowledge, culture and histories. For several years, CCB has been supporting the Xwiskurusa Natural Resource Community Trust who oversee community developments in the villages of Kacgae, East Hanahai and West Hanahai, including helping them to update their Land Use Management Plan – an important document that paves the way on their future development path and helps them secure their leases on the semi-protected GH10 “Wildlife Management Area”. In order to update this plan, and to build a thorough understanding of the natural and cultural resources available to the communities, six expeditions were planned to survey sections of the 1.2 million hectares of the Wildlife Management Area. 
 
Back in early 2022, we started the process with a six-day workshop held with 22 community members to train them in surveying and data recording techniques so that they would have the capacity to conduct these challenging surveys. On the 12th May, the first expedition team headed out to the bush on foot for the first week-long expedition. CCB staff assisted with logistical planning and supplying resources, including helping expedition members source food for the trip, donkeys to carry equipment, and burying drums of water in strategic places along their route so that they didn’t succumb to dehydration in what is sometimes referred to as the “great thirstland”. After over 12 months of hard work, planning, surveying, data collection, analyses and reporting, we are proud to report that the last expedition was completed in April. Incredible plant and animal life was recorded across the area, but some of the notable treasures discovered included a fossilised riverbed, mineral licks used by animals over such long periods that they have created caves, archaeological artifacts such as pipes made of bone, boulders where traditional hunters sharpened their spears for generations, leaving deep indentations in the rock and even graves of two adventurers whose plane crashed in the area in 1968. These discoveries were so remarkable that they sparked an investigation by a team from the Department of National Museums and Monuments who went on to declare a particular portion of the Okwa River Valley as a site of significant cultural heritage. This is an important development, as the area is currently under consideration for land use change to cattleposts and grazing lands, despite the communities ongoing lease of the area. 
 
The natural and cultural resource reviews have been a rigorous and demanding exercise for all involved, but has generated great excitement amongst participants, the communities and CCB alike. Following the final expedition, a debriefing meeting was organised for participants surveys in Kacgae, to reflect on the planning and execution of the surveys. Now the data has been captured, it will be used by the communities to update the land use management plan for GH10, which will serve as a roadmap for development for these communities for many years to come. 
Picture
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    join our mailing list

    Search

    Archives

    March 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    May 2024
    January 2024
    November 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    March 2010
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    March 2009
    January 2009
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    February 2008
    January 2008
    December 2007
    November 2007
    October 2007
    April 2007

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture
Website by LiveImpact Nonprofit Technology