Event theme: Business resilience, sustainability and the rapidly changing environment. Tourism, Agriculture and Mining being held at the Mt. Meru Hotel, Arusha, Tanzania, December 15th& 16th 2011.

Africa has an enormous potential of natural resources to provide for the people of Africa.  However to afford this for present and future generations, it will require a . . . → Read More: Sustainable Business Event]]>

Event theme: Business resilience, sustainability and the rapidly changing environment. Tourism, Agriculture and Mining being held at the Mt. Meru Hotel, Arusha, Tanzania, December 15th& 16th 2011.

Africa has an enormous potential of natural resources to provide for the people of Africa.  However to afford this for present and future generations, it will require a culture of sustainability in the business world. The Round Table Africa 2011 Sustainable Business Event will explore current initiatives and opportunities for this to happen.

Renowned captains of industry, leading researchers and reputable institutions will set the scene amongst others: UNESCO, the East African Community, the African Development Bank and many larger and smaller businesses and business associations in the region. Keynote speeches from captains of industry, leading researcher institutes and (inter)governmental institutions. Plus a challenging mix of technical and practical sessions.

Some of the keynote speakers are:  Dr Cyril August Chami- MP and Minister for Industry and Trade,  Dr. Alcorta,-Director UNIDO, Dr. Richard Sezibera- Secretary general East African Community (EAC), Dr. Ad Koekoekk-H.E. Ambassador Netherlands, Mr. Ali Mfuruki Executive Chairman of InfoTech Investment Group Ltd and Lucy Karume-CEO Kenya Tourism Federation.

Register now online: www.roundtableafricaconference.org

The two-day event is held on December 15th& 16th 2011 in brand new Mt Meru hotel in Arusha, Tanzania. Especially business communities, governmental organisations, academia, development organisations, and media are invited to register. The event will provide excellent networking and knowledge sharing opportunities through match making sessions, technical sessions on specific topics, and a sustainable product trade fair.

About the organisers:

This event is organized by Round Table Africa. Round Table Africa is an initiative of Maastricht School of Management (MSM) and (ESAMI) to stimulate expertise development in the area of sustainable business in Southern and Eastern Africa. The program aims to achieve a structural collaboration between international businesses, local companies and policy-makers.

More information:

More information on the program of the conference, subscription, match making, sponsor packages, or participation in the sustainable business trade fair can be obtained on www.roundtableafricaconference.org For further inquiries please contact:

Mr. Benard Tayebwa on benard@roundtableafricaconference.org or +255 (0)27 2508384 or mobile +255 (0)784370087

VGS lined up for the graduation day

The Enduimet Village game scouts graduated after one month of intensive training that included firearms use and safety, first aid, discipline, wildlife law and more. For one month over 60 village game scouts training from 5am until sometimes 10pm in Tingatinga. The training was partly of . . . → Read More: Training for Enduimet Game Scouts]]>

VGS lined up for the graduation day

The Enduimet Village game scouts graduated after one month of intensive training that included firearms use and safety, first aid, discipline, wildlife law and more. For one month over 60 village game scouts training from 5am until sometimes 10pm in Tingatinga. The training was partly of a refresher course for many of the scouts who have had previous training and for about 25 scouts a completely new experience.

The District Commissioner for Longido and Rombo attended a graduation ceremony  that was held on the 6^th July 2011 at Tingatinga. The scouts paraded around in the dust for hours followed by a willing brass band, speeches and prizes were presented to a glowing community anti-poaching team.

Scout collecting an award from DC Longido

The training that was run in partnership with the military, wildlife department and district officials is a nationally approved curriculum, with this training under their belt; the VGS will be certified to carry weapons to assist them in difficult anti-poaching operations.

Taking a vow

We would like to thank BIG LIFE Foundation and AWF for their financial support to enable this training to take place.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism have announced that the proposed tarmac road through the Serengeti National Park will not be developed. A tarmac road will be constructed from Makutano to Mugumu. The stretch from Mugumu to the park boundary and through the park, past Ololosokwan to Loliondo town will remain gravel. From Loliondo town through Natron to . . . → Read More: Serengeti Road Shelved]]>

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism have announced that the proposed tarmac road through the Serengeti National Park will not be developed. A tarmac road will be constructed from Makutano to Mugumu. The stretch from Mugumu to the park boundary and through the park, past Ololosokwan to Loliondo town will remain gravel. From Loliondo town through Natron to Mtu wa Mbu will be tarred. Click here to read the official letter>

Honeyguide present at the 2011 International joint meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation & Africa Section of the Society for Conservation Biology. The Importance of Tourism to Community Conservation was the topic that was presented by Damian Bell in the group that addressed  Community-based conservation and development; What is working and Why. This . . . → Read More: Honeyguide present at conference]]>

Honeyguide present at the 2011 International joint meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation & Africa Section of the Society for Conservation Biology. The Importance of Tourism to Community Conservation was the topic that was presented by Damian Bell in the group that addressed  Community-based conservation and development; What is working and Why. This was organized by Timothy Tear (The Nature Conservancy) and Matthew A Brown (TNC Africa).

There are some successful community-based efforts beginning to emerge in Africa, and it is important to understand what is working and why if we are going to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss. The theme for the symposium was local, community-based conservation efforts, and sharing of experiences. Talks featured practical, on-the-ground conservation projects with the idea to share lesson-learned for solving biodiversity conservation problems. To download copy of the presentation, visit the media and downloads page>

The BBC have reported that the populations of wildlife species in the world-renowned Masai Mara reserve in Kenya have crashed in the past three decades, according to research published in the Journal of Zoology.

Numbers of impala, warthog, giraffe, topi and Coke’s hartebeest have declined by over 70%, say scientists.

Even fewer survive beyond . . . → Read More: Wildlife populations under threat in Masai Mara]]>

The BBC have reported that the populations of wildlife species in the world-renowned Masai Mara reserve in Kenya have crashed in the past three decades, according to research published in the Journal of Zoology.

Numbers of impala, warthog, giraffe, topi and Coke’s hartebeest have declined by over 70%, say scientists.

Even fewer survive beyond the reserve in the wider Mara, where buffalo and wild dogs have all but disappeared, while huge numbers of wildebeest no longer pass through the region on their epic migration.

However, numbers of cattle grazing in the reserve have increased by more than 1100% per cent, although it is illegal for them to so do.

This explosion in the numbers of domestic livestock grazing in the Mara region of south-west Kenya, including within the Masai Mara national reserve, is one of the principal reasons wildlife has disappeared, say the scientists who conducted the research. Read the news article in the BBC>

The seminar will provide presentations and a discussion forum on the development of an organization that will provide guidelines and accreditation for responsible tourism in Tanzania.

The meeting will be opened by Richard Rugimbana of the Tourism Confederation . . . → Read More: Seminar at Karibu Fair 2011]]>

Seminar on the Friday 3^rd June 2011 at the Kimemo Holdings at 3.30 pm to 5pm.

The seminar will provide presentations and a discussion forum on the development of an organization that will provide guidelines and accreditation for responsible tourism in Tanzania.

The meeting will be opened by Richard Rugimbana of the Tourism Confederation of Tanzania (TCT).

Talks will be presented as follows:

1. Responsible Tourism Tanzania- an overview of a new organization that will provide guidelines and certification for responsible tourism in Tanzania
2. Netherlands Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (ANVR) a presentation that will cover the trends and developments from the perspective of the European travel trade and the consumers. What’s is the relevance of becoming more sustainable and what are the benefits from a market perspective. ANVR have  approx 220 member tour operators and 1500 travel agencies in the Netherlands.

Following the presentations will be a general group discussion on the way forwards for the Responsible Tourism Tanzania, an opportunity to gather ideas and concerns form the industry.

RTTZ will also like to receive a statement of intent from tourism companies of an interest in responsible tourism and if you would like to become a member of this organization.

Honeyguide Foundation announced today that they have joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), an international initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism practices around the world. The GSTC was founded in partnership by the World Tourism Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, UN Foundation, Rainforest Alliance, Sabre/Travelocity and others. GSTC membership is open to . . . → Read More: Honeyguide join the Global Sustainable Tourism Council]]>

Honeyguide Foundation announced today that they have joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), an international initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism practices around the world. The GSTC was founded in partnership by the World Tourism Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, UN Foundation, Rainforest Alliance, Sabre/Travelocity and others. GSTC membership is open to all travel and tourism companies, organizations or individuals interested in sustainable travel.

Honeyguide together with their partners are currently developing guidelines for responsible tourism in Tanzania. These guidelines will be the basis for the tourism companies to manage their businesses in an environmentally positive manner.

Joining the GSTC is a very important step for this particular process, the GSTC have already developed a set of guidelines of which will be incorporated in the Tanzanian guidelines. Furthermore, once the Tanzanian Guidelines have been officially recognized by the GSTC, it will mean that any Tanzanian company that complies with the Responsible Tourism Tanzania guidelines will also be in alignment with the international standards of the GSTC.

“We are pleased that Honeyguide Foundation is joining in our efforts. The tourism industry is growing and we have a responsibility to ensure that growth is done in a responsible way,” said Erika Harms, Executive Director of the GSTC. “We look forward to working with The Honeyguide Foundation and the Tanzanian tourism industry to help implement and explain sustainable tourism so that it becomes as ubiquitous as travel itself.”

The GSTC includes partners from around the globe. The organization is currently active in Africa, the Americas, Middle East, and East Asia. More than 170 US cities have already adopted the GSTC Criteria including San Francisco, Miami, Maui, and Los Angeles.

As a new member, Honeyguide Foundation will work with the GSTC in its region to promote sustainable tourism principles as well as encourage the adoption of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria. As part of the initiative, each member commits to promoting the GSTC to its customers, vendors and peers. Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development.  A suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee lasting sustainability.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council is made up of tourism and travel industry professionals, UN agencies, tour operators, travel companies, individual hotels and government tourism councils. Members include: Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA);AGEG Consultants ;American Hotel and Lodging Association  (AH&LA);American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA);asr – alliance of independent travel traders registered federal association,;Audobon International;Belize Tourism Board (BTB);Big Five Tours & Expeditions;Blackstone Valley Tourism Council- Sustainable Tourism Planning and Development Laboratory;Botswana Tourism Organisation;Cathy Parsons; Caesars Entertainment; Center for Responsible Travel  (CREST);Consorcio Cooperativo Red Ecoturística Nacional (COOPRENA R.L.);Department of Tourism-Leisure- Hotel and Sport Management-Griffith University;Destination Ventures;Earth Check (EC3 Global); EcoBrasil; EcoSustainability; Ecotourism Australia;Ecotourism Israel;ECOTRANS; Enclave Rising; European Centre for Ecological  (ECEAT) and Agricultural Tourism; Evolución Empresarial, S.A.; Fabrizio Antognelli; Fairmont Hotels & Resorts; FEDEC- Federación Colombiana de Eco Parques; Ecoturismo y Turismo de Aventura; Fundación Ecoturismo Argentina, Fundación Natura; Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE); Fundación Plan 21; GAP Adventures /Planeterra  Foundation; Geoff Penrose; Global Center of Excellence for Destination; GREAT Green Deal; Green Globe Certification; Green Leaf Foundation; Green Seal; Gretchen Anderson; HM Design; Honey Guide Foundation; Hostelling International (HI); Hotel Association of Canada; Hotel Manatus; Hotel Villa del Arco; Huab Lodge & BushSPA; Instituto de Turismo Responsible (ITR); International Community Foundation (ICF); Janice Lichtenwaldt; Jorge de Vicente; Joseph Rath; Journey Mexico; M/s. Wood Certification Pvt. Ltd.; Mexico Tourism Board; Mt. Huangshan Scenic Area; National Geographic;Nordic World Heritage Foundation; NepCon Denmark; Our Native Village; Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd; Professor Francois J Odendaal; Pronatura Sur; Q Certification H&R; Rara Avis; Rosemary Black; Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL); Sabre Holdings; Salvanatura Fundacion Ecologica de El Salvador; San Francisco Department of the Environment; School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management University of North Texas; Shrinking Foot; Snow Leopard Adventures; Solimar International; Spenceley Tourism and Development; TourCert; Travel Operators for Tigers (TOFT); STA Travel International Limited; Sustainable Travel International  (STI); The Travel Foundation; Tourism Concern; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); United Nations Foundation; World Tourism Organization  (UNWTO); University of Utah; VNT Verband neue Touristik e.V.; Wild Asia, Wild China

Information about membership can be found at www.gstcouncil.org.

Plans to extract soda from Lake Natron are surfacing again. After  TATA chemicals pulled out, conservationists had a win and the future of the Lake Natron was secured. A new approaching is being developed and according to an article from the Daily News from the 27th February,  the soda plant will be good for the flamingos; “The . . . → Read More: Soda Factory at lake Natron Again]]>

Plans to extract soda from Lake Natron are surfacing again. After  TATA chemicals pulled out, conservationists had a win and the future of the Lake Natron was secured. A new approaching is being developed and according to an article from the Daily News from the 27th February,  the soda plant will be good for the flamingos; “The project would have involved pumping 100,000 litres of fresh water into the lake and 550,000 litres of brine (saltwater) from the area every hour, for the production of soda ash. “This will help reducing lake’s salinity levels and increase its water levels. This is good for flamingo breeding and well-being,” Mr Nasari said.” Read the article click here>

For years there has been conflict in Loliondo surrounding land and natural resource uses.  The conflict is complex, with many stakeholders involved, but the root of the problem is clear—land.

The drought of July 2009 brought conflict tensions to a head, resulting in burned homesteads, reported human rights abuses, 50,000 cattle displaced and considerable economic . . . → Read More: Policy Brief: “Resolving the Land Use Conflict in Loliondo”]]>

For years there has been conflict in Loliondo surrounding land and natural resource uses.  The conflict is complex, with many stakeholders involved, but the root of the problem is clear—land.

The drought of July 2009 brought conflict tensions to a head, resulting in burned homesteads, reported human rights abuses, 50,000 cattle displaced and considerable economic loss to local communities.  Since then more than 15 investigative missions have been carried out, yet there remains no change or progress.  What it will take to bring peace to the area is still up for debate.  This brief outlines key findings and policy recommendations that are essential to a fair, just and equitable resolution.  At the core of this, is communities’ interests and rights must be upheld, which in short means communities must maintain control over the land in Loliondo. To download this brief, click here>

It is known that in December a spike in poaching occurs , this  is generally because of the holiday season brings on a demand for bush meat  and ivory poachers hoping to take advantage of the anti-poaching units going on holiday.

With BIG LIFE support, Honeyguide Foundation has just purchased and sent into . . . → Read More: Community Game Scouts strike out]]>

It is known that in December a spike in poaching occurs , this  is generally because of the holiday season brings on a demand for bush meat  and ivory poachers hoping to take advantage of the anti-poaching units going on holiday.

With BIG LIFE support, Honeyguide Foundation has just purchased and sent into the field 2 vehicles to support the 38 Village Game Scouts (VGS) of Enduiment WMA and provided an experienced platoon leader John Magembe to help coordinate all the anti-poaching operations. The team were in position for December.

John Magembe with his team of Village Game Scouts (VGS) collaborated with other organizations in the area, these included Friedkin Conservation Fund, Kilimanjro Anti-poaching Unit, Kilimanjaro National Parks, Ndarakwai Ranch and out partners BIG LIFE in Kenya to boost the anti-poaching presence in the area to deter poachers. All the teams planned their anti-poaching patrols and activities to complement one another and it worked, a significant drop in poaching occurred in December.

The operations were so intense during the day that the poachers mainly relied on the night, on 1^st December in the night the VGS observed 7 torches of the people wandering in the bush around Embolei hill but the VGS could not manage to catch them due to impassability of the bush around there. In the next morning they found the carcasses of 1 Grant and 1 Giraffe killed by the poachers.

The anti-poaching activities increase at night, with small patrols using the light of the moon to be able to move about and on the 27^th December at 2am the VGS based at Sinya ambushed a group of poachers who killed 1Grant and 1 Kudu at Olmolog and managed to catch one poacher (Pascal Michael Macairo armed with Bush Knife, Knife and a torch) who was taken to Arusha for legal actions.

In the daylight the patrols continued to move about and search for any activity, one group of  VGS discovered 10 poachers’ hides, these they destroyed. Two poachers with machetes and torches were arrested in relation to poaching and were taken to the Village office for further actions. On the 30^th December the Kitenden camp found a skull of a killed lion, the Lion seems to have been killed more than a month ago.