Where are your donations going?
ULINZI AFRICA FOUNDATION
Funding Ranger Patrol
We directly fund the support of Raabia Hawa and her rangers who are in the field on a daily basis removing snares, protecting wildlife, and making arrests when they can through their patrol efforts. The Ulinzi Africa Foundation is East Africa’s first non-profit dedicated to focusing on ranger welfare, facilitation and empowerment with an aim to enhance wildlife protection and conservation. To learn more about their anti-poaching efforts please visit http://walkwithrangers.org/
PROJECTS
FUNDING THE DAILY CARE OF BABY RHINO ORPHANS:
The Legend Rhino Orphanage is a registered non-profit company based on the Limpopo Province. The orphanage is the first specialist, dedicated, non-commercial center that cares for orphaned or injured baby rhinos with the only aim of releasing them back into the wild. It was created as the result of a lack of a specialized place for rearing baby rhinos left orphaned as a consequence of the current poaching crisis which feeds the illegal trade in horns.
Baby rhinos are hand-reared by the rehabilitation staff, a milk substitute is fed as well as supplementary food. See them getting bottle fed here. Exercise is encouraged by daily walks in which the rhinos also have the opportunity to graze and browse in the bush. The rhinos are split in groups according to ages and how depending they are on their human moms. Natural behavior such as playing and wallowing are highly encouraged and are developed normally if rhinos are socialized with other rhinos. Health checks, diets and medical problems are treated by specialized veterinary staff. Human contact is restricted to prevent the imprinting of rhinos to humans and in the future turn them into problem animals when in adulthood. To see the work click here
ELEPHANT CONSERVATION PROJECTS:
We directly fund projects with our partners, Amboseli Trust for Elephants, that help maintain the balance in Amboseli National Park. Part of protecting elephants is reducing human-wildlife conflict – to make sure that the people who live alongside them do not kill or harm them. As long as the local communities see a benefit in having elephants share their land the elephants remain relatively safe from spearing or poaching. The Park itself is tiny, way too small for elephants. The elephants in Amboseli spend 70% of their time in Community land around the Park which is inhabited by Masaai people. The future of elephants in Africa really depends on the human attitude towards them. The biggest threat to elephants (even bigger then poaching) is the loss of their habitat. Human population growth is leading to land being developed very quickly, and this is what we as conservationists need to think about looking to the future. By supporting students, and educating the local communities, we are empowering and educating the very people who are custodians of the elephants in Amboseli. This projects incorporates the bigger picture of the challenges of conserving wildlife in Africa. ATE also builds elephant watering holes outside the park, to prevent them from going to human wells and falling in, drowning or getting killed from conflict issues.
INVESTING IN PEOPLE = INVEST IN CONSERVATION OF ELEPHANTS
From the funds raised at our end-of-year benefit, we were able to fund a student in a KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service) training college who is studying Wildlife Conservation. His father lives on the border of the National Park and his livestock do occasionally get killed by elephants. To prevent him from spearing elephants in retaliation we are supporting his sons fees and in return he tolerates the loss of his livelihood and keeps the peace between humans and elephants in his area.
“Without community participation there is simply no future for wildlife.” – Amboseli Trust For Elephants
LION CONSERVATION PROJECTS:
in partnership with
We help fund Lion Conservation projects with our partners, Born Free. We allocate funds to assist with programs in West & Central Africa, where lions are most critically endangered, to help boost populations. The West-African lion is actually a different sub-species than the South-African lion and thus it is important to maintain their gene pool. This requires working with local communities, and implementing measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict like “Lion-proof bomas” (safe places to house villager’s livestock at night to stop lions from preying on easy goats, sheep or cattle).
We are also assisting Born Free in getting the African Lion listed as “endangered” and not merely “threatened” as currently listed. This will help wild populations by making the import of their parts illegal. This should deter American hunters from going to Africa to “trophy hunt” since they can’t bring back the parts into the U.S., thus having a significant impact for lion conservation.
In addition to working with Born Free, our Wildlife Director, David Enden, currently works with organizations across the U.S. to address the issues with the private ownership of big cats. He is a huge advocate for better protections for Big Cats in captivity and strengthening laws to stop the black market trade of cubs and the “pay-to-pet” industries that exploit these animals. Tim Harrison (of the Org: Outreach for Animals, Documentary: Elephant in the Living Room) currently works with, and mentors him on a weekly basis.
SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS:
Knowledge = Power
We give school presentations at elementary and middle schools on ecosystems and the importance of every species to the web-of-life. We then go into a specific species, such as elephants and/or lions, and their role and importance to the ecosystem. We give an interactive, engaging presentation that is sure to be a memorable one. They learn about fun facts, behaviors, threats to the species and what is being done for conservation. At then end, they are left hopeful and inspired with ways they can help, and things they can do everyday to better protect our earth and it’s inhabitants.
We also give high school presentations, with our high school Animal Rights Ambassador, Chelsea. We talk about the environmental impacts of our current food system and then go in to the ethics aspects of mass factory farming animals. It’s incredible to witness a room filled with jaw-dropped faces as they see pictures and hear things that no one has ever shown or told them in their lives, yet it pertains to something they do everyday, at least 3 times a day: eat. They leave feeling empowered, knowing they can make a difference in the world with their everyday choices.
To have Generation Awakening come to your (or your child’s) school please get in touch by filling out the CONTACT form, or sending an email to info@generationawakening.org.
Acres for Animals– Save Species on the brink of Extinction
Scientists estimate that between 150 and 200 species of life become extinct every 24 hours. – United Nations Environment Programme
With the threat of extinction facing our world’s most amazing species, our Acres for Animals campaign is one of top priorities due to it’s urgency and importance.
Objectives:
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To raise awareness and funds for endangered animals and collaborate with other organizations and governments to acquire and/or preserve land for conservation.
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To develop strategic plans to implement conservation measures which include: employing and training rangers, educating surrounding local communities and gaining their support, and keeping up public and government interest in protecting them.
Goals:
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To safeguard wild lands and protect elephants, lions, tigers, chimpanzees, and other species from poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.
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To make Acres for Animals the largest, most comprehensive and collaborative project in conservation of this generation.
Past projects include:
-"WILD & FREE" Campaign - to stop the round-ups of America's wild horses
-"Collaring an elephant with WESSA & Save the Elephants for research on migrational paths, and land areas most important for conservation
-Rescuing a cougar and lion from confinement in someone’s backyard to give a new life at a sanctuary with Outreach for Animals