community representatives in the village of Bere to consider the need and value of setting up an informal playgroup, similar to the successful one we oversee in nearby Kacgae. Following an internal assessment, Bere stakeholders reported to CCB and LTP that up to 46 children between ages 2 - 5 years are not being captured by the existing early childhood education facilities in the village. Working together with LTP, community members and relevant stakeholders, it was decided that the best approach would be to bolster the capacity of the existing community preschool so that it would have the ability to take on more children. Two existing preschool staff and two additional women from the community were selected for training as LTP “mamas” – ladies who will be responsible for delivering the LTP curriculum. Late in April, the new mamas were transported 500km to Botswana’s capital city to undertake training in the LTP playgroup curriculum, which emphasises respect for self, others and the environment. This training included refresher training for our Kacgae mamas as well as first aid training for all the ladies. The Bere mamas delivered their first LTP session on 8th May. We are excited to help expand the reach of this wonderful initiative!
Together with our technical partners at Learn to Play (LTP), consultations were held with
community representatives in the village of Bere to consider the need and value of setting up an informal playgroup, similar to the successful one we oversee in nearby Kacgae. Following an internal assessment, Bere stakeholders reported to CCB and LTP that up to 46 children between ages 2 - 5 years are not being captured by the existing early childhood education facilities in the village. Working together with LTP, community members and relevant stakeholders, it was decided that the best approach would be to bolster the capacity of the existing community preschool so that it would have the ability to take on more children. Two existing preschool staff and two additional women from the community were selected for training as LTP “mamas” – ladies who will be responsible for delivering the LTP curriculum. Late in April, the new mamas were transported 500km to Botswana’s capital city to undertake training in the LTP playgroup curriculum, which emphasises respect for self, others and the environment. This training included refresher training for our Kacgae mamas as well as first aid training for all the ladies. The Bere mamas delivered their first LTP session on 8th May. We are excited to help expand the reach of this wonderful initiative!
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CCB attends the International Human Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Conference in Oxford4/10/2023 The largest international conference dedicated to human-wildlife conflict was recently held in Oxford, UK from 30th March - 1st April. Alongside the 700 participants from over 70 countries from across the globe was CCB’s Jane Horgan, who presented on our activities and findings and co-moderated a panel on environmental education. Jane reported that the conference was a roaring success, with experts from the field including government representatives, consultants, academics and non-government organisation practitioners all sharing experiences, innovations, challenges and effective solutions to human-wildlife conflict.
In light of human-wildlife conflict being written into international policy framework for the first time in the UN’s Convention of Biological Diversity 2022, the conference was organised by the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Specialist Group. Co-hosted with the GEF-funded and World Bank-led Global Wildlife Program and Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), the conference provided a forum for information exchange and fruitful discussions and workshops on a variety of topics from ecology and animal behaviour to economics, psychology, and anthropology. Jane particularly enjoyed the keynote addresses by WildCRU founder David Macdonald and current WildCRU Director Amy Dickman, as well as a panel discussion about reflecting on failures. With practitioners working with everything from lions and sharks to gorillas and elephants, some discussions were specialised to specific species groups or geographical areas. What Jane found most intriguing was the surprising similarities between the challenges and solutions to conflict found across vastly different geographical areas and species. It is these similarities that inspired the IUCN SSC HWC Specialist Group to develop the first ever international guidelines for tackling HWC. Launched on the first day of the conference, the Guidelines outlines foundational principles and practical guidance for best practice in human-wildlife conflict mitigation. The Guidelines highlight common themes in tackling human-wildlife conflict issues, such as drivers of conflict, policy considerations, livelihoods, community and stakeholder involvement, indigenous knowledge and effectively assessing conflict and conflict mitigation. Another general theme of the conference was the need for additional resources to be dedicated to human-wildlife conflict alleviation. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) calls for a commitment to mobilise at least $200 billion a year by 2030 to close the biodiversity financial gap, which is estimated to currently be a staggering $700 billion per year. International governments of developed countries recently committed to $5.33 billion to halt biodiversity decline in developing nations as part of the 8th phase of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which will run from 2023 to 2026. So long as these funds filter down to practitioners on the ground, they will go a long way to helping implement effective solutions for sustainable mitigation of human-wildlife conflict. CCB’s commitment to finding ethical and feasible solutions for human-wildlife conflict has made us a leader in this field. Our attendance at this conference equips us with the most up-to-date knowledge of innovations and developments in the field and helps strengthen networks within the human-wildlife conflict and space for improved effectiveness. CCB would like to extend our thanks to conference organiser James Stevens and the team at the IUCN Human Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Specialist Group for inviting us to take part in this momentous conference. I’m Yvonne Tshiamo Baisang, and I’m currently doing my internship with Cheetah Conservation Botswana at their Ghanzi Camp. I have been here for six months now. Being someone who has grown up in Ghanzi, it has been quite an experience to see what conservationists in the area are involved with on a daily basis. While I studied my Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences at the University of Botswana, joining the University of Botswana Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society (UBWECs) felt like a natural extension of my interests in conservation. This was one of the reasons I wanted to be part of the CCB community, because I wanted to continue contributing towards wildlife conservation, as well as better understand cheetahs’ welfare. Knowing that common stories about cheetahs paint a dire picture, I thought of this as a great opportunity to make a difference as far as cheetah conservation is concerned.
Since I began working at CCB, I have gained a lot of knowledge, including how to set up and maintain camera traps in commercial farms as well as near the Bere and Kacgae cattle posts. Opportunities like going on off-road excursions, camping in the wilderness, and the challenge of single-handedly setting up my own tent have been some of the most intriguing aspects. Finally, I have had the opportunity to learn more about, and appreciate, the various animal species that can be found in and around the Ghanzi region. The skills I've obtained at CCB thus far, and will continue to gain, will be essential in my research journey because I intend to continue my studies and pursue a career in research. My first CCB Annual Planning Meeting experience at Limpopo River Lodge will always be one of my favorite CCB memories – especially the cross country travel part of it. What’s more, I got to learn more about local animals and plants, spoor (footprint) tracking, and connect informally with a lot of the members of staff. Thobo Motlhoka of Botswana-based newspaper, The Telegraph, paid a visit to our Ghanzi Field Camp to learn more about the work we do with farming communities. Having spent some time on the ground with our Farming for Conservation team, he offers his insights in a feature you can read here.
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