BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND OUTREACH IN BOTSWANA with Dr. Kathy Alexander and Dr. Mark Vandewalle
October 22, 2012
Hosted by Eli Weiss
[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]
Guest Information
Episode Description
Today we'll have an on the ground look at multilayered conservation in Botswana. We have special Guests Dr. Kathy Alexander and Dr. Mark Vandewalle, whom together have founded and are directors of the CARACAL Biodiversity Center in Kasane, Botswana. CARACAL is a field based educational and research center that focuses on strengthening rural livelihoods, developing community approaches to mitigation of human-wildlife conflict, and securing the health of the ecosystems on which we all depend. CARACAL is the only indigenous conservation and rural development NGO in the Chobe Linyanti Kwando Wetlands within the Botswana component of the Zambezi Basin. This facility provides first class field laboratory and supporting research into the health of the ecosystems and wildlife in the area with the development of the first regional Wildlife Health Laboratory with both molecular genetics and bacteriological capabilities.
Our Wild World
Monday at 8 AM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
An informative and lively opportunity for listeners of all ages to learn about and raise awareness of contemporary challenges in wildlife and environmental conservation, both in Africa and parallels in the U.S., while also providing direct avenues to a variety of projects to personally take action and get involved.
While our project focus covers sub-Saharan Africa, the results of what we accomplish have global impacts, and further, how we choose to live daily will have impacts upon the future of Africa, our world’s wildlife and people. Our topics will cover a variety of themes including current news, what you can do now, what conservation and sustainability actually mean, how poverty impacts sustainablilty, foreign aid, book reviews, animal behavior, photography, living with wildlife in your back yard, interviews with renowned experts, and your questions and answers. Our Wild World is broadcast live every Monday at 8 AM Pacific Time on the VoiceAmerica Variety Channel.
Eli Weiss
A photographer, philanthropist and Wildlife Conservationist, Eli Weiss grew up in Illinois, Wyoming and Colorado, attended university in Colorado and the UK, and after spending time in Aspen from 1963-1979 she settled in Woody Creek, where, in 2000 she founded the non-profit WildiZe Foundation. In Founding Wildize, Weiss was able to combine her love of photography, art, nature, environmental ethics and conservation in such a way as to benefit our planet. The Foundation serves individuals and educational institutions dedicated to the conservation of wildlife, wildlife habitats and the indigenous cultures of Africa and raises awareness through on-the-ground projects and education both in Africa and the United States. Their mission is to establish direct relationships to projects in sub-Saharan Africa, offering targeted grant funding that support conservation efforts, educational programs and sustainable indigenous economies. Several times per year, Weiss visits the Foundation's grantees across sub-Saharan Africa, developing ongoing programs and building new, long-term relationships. Weiss has worked with experts and leaders in the field of conservation, administering over 2.5 million dollars of public and private grant funding across 75 grantees from specialists to community groups, giving her a well-rounded depth of knowledge critical to raising awareness of the various issues and toward implementing solid solutions based on science, the environment and culture.
