San-Parks Bush Camp June 2022

 

From the UK to Scotland 2022

 

Here's a snippet of my trip to the UK and Scotland this year!

My Trip to Egypt

 

Jutten Island- Pelican Watch 

The Pelican Watch programme (PW) is a SANParks management strategy in the West Coast National Park (WCNP) aimed at controlling predation by Great White Pelicans on Cape Gannet and Cape Cormorant nestlings in the breeding colonies on Jutten and Malgas Islands in Saldanha Bay.

The programme requires teams of volunteers working in 7-day shifts (Monday to Monday) on the islands during the seabird breeding season. The task is to physically chase pelicans that come onto the islands away from the breeding colonies and off the islands.

The primary objective of PW is to protect the nestlings and juveniles of Cape Cormorants (Jutten) Cape Gannets (Malgas) and allow these birds to fledge their young.

PW duty on the islands is not for the fastidious, the sensitive, or those with mobility challenges. Age is not a problem given a moderate level of fitness. People in their 70’s do it regularly. It is, however, without exaggeration, a unique experience. There are not many opportunities elsewhere for the non-specialist or the non-professional to live and work in a teeming bird colony and the intimacy of one’s association with the birds and the closeness of one’s experience of their day-to-day lives is truly memorable. There is also the personal reward of doing something very tangible, necessary and very worthwhile in protecting the upcoming generation of our seabirds from a real and present threat - and a large man-induced threat at that.

 A Day as an Honorary SANS Park Ranger

The SANParks Honorary Rangers is a group of unpaid volunteers who give freely of their time to support wildlife conservation in South Africa’s National Parks.

This last weekend was a snare removal weekend at the Kruger National park.

Myself and other Honorary rangers set out to remove snares along the fence line. Our teams were based at the Phabeni gate worked our way along the fence line to find snares. We were accompanied by armed SANParks rangers, just in case, any brave animals decided to approach. The fence line is a popular place to find snares as it is easiest for people to access the area.

We collected over 200 snares and also removed invasive alien plants along the Sabie River.

It is operations like this that prevent further harm to our indigenous wild animals. If you want to become an honorary ranger, all you need to do is volunteer your time. You can also support their efforts at Donate - SANParks Honorary Rangers (sanparksvolunteers.org) 

 A day on the Golf Course

Team Building

 Team Building

It is worth making the distinction between "teambuilding" as an activity and "team building" as a process.

 Teambuilding activities typically involve a retreat of some sort (an activity outside the formal work environment), typically organized with help from external consultants, with a series of communication, trust, and mutual understanding activities that can let people experience effective teamwork in a low risk environment. "Team building" as a process is the long term building of the team, from disparate individuals into a high performing team. 

In regards to negotiations within a team one can look at the ‘Game Theory’ as a competitive game which can be summarized by its underlying theory "the prisoner's dilemma". 

Here's a quick 2 min video on what this is if you've never heard of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJCGTNIwmv8[/embed]So 

 Beneficial Interests for Youth

"Civilization is in danger when youth neglect to interest themselves in ethics, sociology, eugenics, philosophy, the fine arts, religion, and cosmology."   111:4.4 (1220.3)

 

 

A Thought to Ponder from The Urantia Book

 Highly Recommended Video on Happiness

https://youtu.be/GXy__kBVq1M

In memory of Ennio Morricone (RIP)

One of the greatest modern day composers passed away on the 6 July 2020. One of his greatest work was the sound track of the movie 'The Mission" ( Main Theme )... or live performance  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oag1Dfa1e_E

And of course the theme of "Once upon a time in the West", which I was listening to the morning before he died !! Enjoy below !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC20KY QxtWs

Your Love - Dulce Pontes, Ennio Morricone (Once Upon a Time in the West)

https://youtu.be/qLmIUjxcMsY

I woke and you were there beside me in the night you touched me and calmed my fear turned darkness into light. I woke and saw you there beside me as before my heart leapt to find you near to feel you close once more to feel your love once more. Your strength has made me strong though life tore us apart and now when the night seems long your love shines in my heart.