Toyota reaching out into Africa again
Nine years ago saw the first ever Eco Challenge with many 4x4 teams taking part in one of the greatest adventures in Southern Africa. Over the years, Gerhard Groenewald and his team started supporting several conservation projects, enabling researchers with limited funds and sometimes no wheels to reach the remote areas where much needed research had to be done. With this was born the vision to use the 4x4 as a tool to support conservation. One of these projects was the SARCA Reptile project with Marius Burger or the “Slangman” as he became known. In later years the Game Ranger’s Association of Africa (GRAA) and the South African Wildlife College (SAWC) became involved in the project to assist with people in conservation. The organisers came to know their mighty task in conserving wildlife and the environment in Africa. They have empowered many game rangers and conservation managers throughout Southern Africa.
After seven very successful years of 4x4 Eco Challenge’s, talks were held in 2007 between SAWC, the organisers of the event (Gerhard and Elmarie Groenewald from the Klipbokkop Mountain Reserve), Toyota South Africa, the Peace Parks Foundation and SanParks. The end result was the rebirth of the Eco Challenge as the Toyota 4x4 Conservation Outreach. On 3 August 2008 14 Toyotas (Hiluxes, Fortuners and Land Cruisers) left Twanana near Mopanie in the Kruger National Park to visit 14 national parks and transfrontier parks in five countries.
On 1 October 2009 the Outreach sets off again, in effect for the ninth time. The focus for this year will be on Zimbabwe and Malawi. Incidentally, Malawi is the ninth country that the Outreach will visit. The project, however, is still getting bigger. Focus will not only be on conservation, but on the environment of the transfrontier and national parks visited. SAWC gets the opportunity to visit nearly 40 past students in their places of work – Parks scattered all over Zimbabwe and Malawi. Meeting up with past students the SAWC will conduct a monitoring and evaluation exercise of how well the past students have been able to implement skills learnt at SAWC. In addition, new training needs will be identified and this will help the parks develop a skills development plan.
Alongside SAWC, the Wildlife and Environment Society of Southern Africa (WESSA), the oldest (since 1926) and largest non-government membership based environment organisation will conduct programs with local communities on water quality and avoiding deforestation. WESSA's vision is to achieve a Southern Africa which is wisely managed by all to ensure long-term environmental sustainability.
Due to the focal change towards environmental issues, the Outreach will in future be known as the Toyota Enviro Outreach.
An example environmental project is Dr Michelle van der Bank from the Plant Molecular Systematics Laboratory of the Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology at the University of Johannesburg that will join the Toyota Enviro Outreach to conduct a research program on trees at Mana Pools that have been in an enclosure for a period of time. The Outreach will also visit the farm of Allan Savory near Vic Falls to witness the holistic resource management that he specialises in.
“I personally feel that this is a dream come true,” says Theresa Sowry, executive training manager of the SAWC. “Our staff gets to know our students on a very individual level. Tracking their progress, meeting and doing environmental training with them in their own countries will be like visiting old friends!”
For more information about the Toyota Enviro Outreach visit www.toyotaoutreach.co.za, http://www.wildlifecollege.org.za, http://www.klipbokkop.co.za, http://www.wildlifesociety.org.za and http://www.toyota.co.za.
RouteMap:
30 September: Arrival at Southern Africa Wildlife College
1 October: Leave for Zimbabwe via Mozambique, Sleep Zimbabwe Wildlife College, Masvingo
2 October: Tete, en-route
3 October: Cape Maclear
4 – 5 October: Kasungu National Park
6-7 October: Cape Maclear
8 October: Harare
9 – 11 October: Mana Pools
12 October: En-route / Chizarira
13 – 15 October: Hwange
16
October
: Wildlife College Zimbabwe, Mashvingo
17 – 19 October: Gonarezhou
20 October: SAWC
21 October: Depart
