Namibian Cub Scouts Visit Cheetah Conservation Fund
Twenty- five Namibian Cub Scouts from Otjiwarongo and Windhoek spent the weekend at Cheetah Conservation Fund’s (CCF) international field and research station near Otjiwarongo from 1-3 April. During their stay they learned about the cheetah and its fight for survival, while working in groups and engaging in various activities to gain futher knowledge about the conservation of the species’. The Cheetah Conservation Fund is dedicated to saving the cheetah and its environment through research, education, and conservation, and all of the activities centered on those three aspects of CCF’s work.
During the “Cheetah Run,” the children watched in awe as CCF’s cheetahs chased a lure around the enclosure at speeds of 70 km/h, although they can reach speeds of 110 km/h. At the CCF Education Centre, the Scouts learned about CCF’s research and about interactions between humans, wildlife, and livestock, as well as strategies for preventing conflict with predators. They were then split into groups, which rotated around to three stations set up around the facility. At the “Kill ID” station, scouts had to find three fibreglass goats |
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in a field and identify which predator had attacked each one. Another station taught the Cub Scouts about the job and relationship between the goats and the livestock guarding dogs that protect them from predators. The Scouts then watched a demonstration on how a scat detection dog finds cheetah scat in the bush.
A long day in the sun was followed by an art project led by CCF’s Patricia Munene. The children were split into different groups working together to write a letter to the cheetah. The letter was set in the future as if there are no more cheetahs left. The children begged and pleaded with the cheetah to come back, even giving the cheetah gifts to remember its life on earth. Many of the children drew pictures for the cheetah and brought items from the cheetahs’ natural habitat to add with their letters. “They are our future leaders and we have to instil the seed of conservation in their minds,” Patricia said “If you plant the seed now, later they will think of conservation”. After the children were finished they presented their letters and then sang a song about cheetahs written by one of CCF’s international course participants from Zambia.
The objective of CCF’s Research and Education Center is to teach young Namibians the value of sustainable practices in environment and conservation from an early age. The Center allows students to be exposed to CCF’s integrated research programmes on the cheetah’s ecology, habitat and prey base, and the demonstration of CCF’s non-lethal livestock/predator management techniques. The Fund's education programme and cheetah museum displays are designed around CCF scientific research findings and provide detailed information about the cheetah; its history, physiology, importance within the ecosystem, conflict with humans, and what CCF is doing to ensure the species’ survival for future generations.
A long day in the sun was followed by an art project led by CCF’s Patricia Munene. The children were split into different groups working together to write a letter to the cheetah. The letter was set in the future as if there are no more cheetahs left. The children begged and pleaded with the cheetah to come back, even giving the cheetah gifts to remember its life on earth. Many of the children drew pictures for the cheetah and brought items from the cheetahs’ natural habitat to add with their letters. “They are our future leaders and we have to instil the seed of conservation in their minds,” Patricia said “If you plant the seed now, later they will think of conservation”. After the children were finished they presented their letters and then sang a song about cheetahs written by one of CCF’s international course participants from Zambia.
The objective of CCF’s Research and Education Center is to teach young Namibians the value of sustainable practices in environment and conservation from an early age. The Center allows students to be exposed to CCF’s integrated research programmes on the cheetah’s ecology, habitat and prey base, and the demonstration of CCF’s non-lethal livestock/predator management techniques. The Fund's education programme and cheetah museum displays are designed around CCF scientific research findings and provide detailed information about the cheetah; its history, physiology, importance within the ecosystem, conflict with humans, and what CCF is doing to ensure the species’ survival for future generations.
Editor’s notes:
• The Cheetah Conservation Fund is a Namibian non-profit trust dedicated to the long-term survival of the cheetah and its ecosystems. The Fund’s activities include working actively with Namibian farmers, schools, and communities, as well as conducting international research on cheetah demographics, ecology, biology, and the human impacts affecting cheetah survival.
• The CCF Education Team present three-day environmental courses for groups with overnight accommodation provided at the CCF educational campsites. All participants are exposed to CCF research and conservation efforts via presentations, and to the Namibian farmland ecosystem through the cheetah museum, nature trail and game drives. Team-building activities are designed to highlight the importance of team efforts in conservation. Role-play, art and drama are also included in the programmes and include scenarios of livestock and predator management. Since 2000, over 15,000 students have participated in these courses. In addition to school groups, regional youth groups, youth officials, teachers, health officials and farmers, participate in specially designed programs at CCF’s Center
• If you would like more information on Scouts of Namibia or CCF’s research and education work, please contact CCF at:
For more information:
Cheetah Conservation FundPO Box 1755, OtjiwarongoTel (in Namibia): (067) 306225Tel (international): (264-67) 306225Fax: (067) 306247E-mail: [email protected]Website: http://www.cheetah.org/
• The Cheetah Conservation Fund is a Namibian non-profit trust dedicated to the long-term survival of the cheetah and its ecosystems. The Fund’s activities include working actively with Namibian farmers, schools, and communities, as well as conducting international research on cheetah demographics, ecology, biology, and the human impacts affecting cheetah survival.
• The CCF Education Team present three-day environmental courses for groups with overnight accommodation provided at the CCF educational campsites. All participants are exposed to CCF research and conservation efforts via presentations, and to the Namibian farmland ecosystem through the cheetah museum, nature trail and game drives. Team-building activities are designed to highlight the importance of team efforts in conservation. Role-play, art and drama are also included in the programmes and include scenarios of livestock and predator management. Since 2000, over 15,000 students have participated in these courses. In addition to school groups, regional youth groups, youth officials, teachers, health officials and farmers, participate in specially designed programs at CCF’s Center
• If you would like more information on Scouts of Namibia or CCF’s research and education work, please contact CCF at:
For more information:
Cheetah Conservation FundPO Box 1755, OtjiwarongoTel (in Namibia): (067) 306225Tel (international): (264-67) 306225Fax: (067) 306247E-mail: [email protected]Website: http://www.cheetah.org/