Friends of Hwange Trust Screensaver

Working on Chirundu.com, I get a lot of requests for me to publish appeals for help for the many charities in Zimbabwe and for the most part, I am happy to do what ever I can to help.

The other day one came in that really struck a cord with me as wildlife and particularly the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe is close to my heart as it is where I first really got interested in wildlife photography. It is also where after spending a week there with a guide, I for the first time knew that I would really like to become a field guide (safari guide).

That is why I am posting about the Friends of Hwange Trust (FOH), who need your help:

The riends of Hwange Trust is a group of dedicated Zimbabwean conservationists who have taken into their own hands the care of the wild animals and maintenance, particularly water supply, of Zimbabwe’s largest national park.

Since 2005, FOH has been responsible for 10 key northern waterholes in Hwange National Park. These are Kennedy One, Kennedy Two, Makwa, Sinanga, Tshebe Tshebe, Mabuya Mabena, Shumba, Tshompani, Inyantue and Shapi.

Because of the price of diesel (a single borehole engine uses around 500 litres a month) alternative methods of pumping have been explored. Since 2007, five Poldaw windmills have been established at Kennedy One, Shumba, Mabuya Mabena, Shapi and Tshompani waterholes. Whilst the windmills are robust and affordable, their pumping capacities are limited. Their function is to provide a head start for the waterholes so that they are at least as full as possible by the start of the long dry season, thereby reducing diesel requirements for the drier months.

In the dry season (July – November) the pressure for available water increases, especially from elephant. The Lister engines are kept running continuously and the need for diesel is at its maximum.

How you can help
Link South Africa, a company in New Zealand is selling a wildlife screensaver to raise money for The Friends of Hwange Trust.

So please sacrifice a couple of coffees this week, spend 10 Kiwi Dollars downloading our screensaver, and help The Friends of Hwange Trust save many many animal lives in Zimbabwe, while you get to enjoy Zimbabwe’s beautiful wildlife on your computer screen every day!

Click here For more information and to download the screensaver

Related Links

• Friends of Hwange Trust Website
• For a list of all the Zimbabwe Charities on Chirundu.com
• The Chirundu.com Profile on Link South Africa

Flame Lily ( Gloriosa superba )

Flame Lily ( Gloriosa superba )
Originally uploaded by rickinzim

Gloriosa superba
Common name: Flame Lily
Family: Colchicaceae

The Flame Lily is a wild deciduous perennial, that is the national flower of Zimbabwe. It is a protected plant species, and there is a law prohibiting the picking of them.

Zimbabwe Photography 2010

I have been away in Zimbabwe for a while:

I am very lucky in that every year I go home to Zimbabwe, I usually spend most of the time in the Zambezi valley and mostly on Lake Kariba, where apart from the excellent fishing, I can spend loads of time on my hobby: wildlife photography.

Kariba for me has it all:
Wonderful scenery including some of the best sunrises and sunsets you could ever hope to photograph.
Plenty of mammals and is especially good for elephant photography.
Birds - This is where Kariba really excels, there is a huge variety of mostly water birds, but if you go a little walk, many land species as well.

If you want to see a few of the photos I took on the trip, take a look at my photos of my Zimbabwe trip 2010

Canoeing Down The Zambezi River

I found this video found on YouTube this morning which brings back many fond memories of our honeymoon, where we went on the exact same trip, canoeing from Chirundu down to Nyamepi Camp in Mana Pools. It was excellent and a trip that I would really like to do again one day.

Like everyone, I just hope Zimbabwe can return to normal one day...