Speaker

Laly Lichtenfeld

African People and Wildlife Director and NWNL Advisor

Excerpt from an Explorers Club Lecture Santa Barbara CA, on October 16, 2017

Introductory Note

In 2004, before the launch of NWNL and Laly’s African People and Wildlife [hereafter, APW], Laly, her husband Buddy and I met in Tanzania’s Mahale Mountains National Park. On Lake Tanganyika’s western shore, we enjoyed watching the local chimpanzees; discussed conservation values; and, given common ties in New Jersey, we looked forward to reconnecting in the US someday.

We met again 2 years later, as they were forming APW and we were forming NWNL. We again sat together again by a warm fire, but in a rural NJ cottage. We discussed and debated titles, missions and scopes for our projects. Those exciting days were followed by years of exploration and documentation. Both projects grew beyond what we sketched out in those fireside chats! 

APW is protecting Tanzanian parks and open lands south of the Serengeti (part of the Mara River Basin, a NWNL case-study watershed). We greatly respect APW; appreciate having Laly as a NWNL Advisor; and welcome any chance to reconnect – as we did for this California lecture. 

Alison Jones & Laly Lichtenfeld at APW event, with NWNL photo of lion in Lake Manyara TZ

Outline

The INCREASE of ENDANGERED SPECIES
PUTTING the WORLD BACK in BALANCE

All images © Alison M. Jones, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

The INCREASE of ENDANGERED SPECIES

This year the African lion was uplisted to the U.S. Endangered Species List and folks are taking note. We’ve also lost a huge proportion of Africa’s elephants. About 20 years ago, there used to be 1.2 million elephants across the continent.  Today we have only 350,000 remaining – again, a species in peril. 

Fortunately, President Obama signed the End Wildlife Trafficking Act into law a week ago. We’d like to see even stronger support of some of Africa’s animals. There are animals that aren’t getting onto the radar screen of the international community now.

Male lion in Mara River Basin

PUTTING the WORLD BACK in BALANCE

But at African People and Wildlife, as our name suggests, we are working for local communities and local wildlife. In our daily lives in Tanzania and globally, the idea that a world out of balance is an extremely scary place to be is resonating more personally with people today. I think we need to think seriously about what this means in our daily lives.

Research is now showing that if you just take a walk in the woods, you can improve your mental health. Research coming out of the National Academy of Sciences shows being in nature improves vital areas of your brain and helps you find your daily balance in your lives. This is something that’s resonating with us personally. 

Solomon, a Maasai on the Kenya-Tanzania border with his cattle

We are taking this idea of “finding the balance” forward. We are moving ahead beyond the 650 “living walls” we’ve already built [to minimize lion attacks on Maasai villages and cattle]. We are adding to the 150,000 trees that we’ve planted. We are training more Tanzanians, beyond the 1,000 local women that we’ve brought into our beekeeping initiative.

Maasai women walking to welcome a new bride to their manyatta

Our African People and Wildlife project is protecting land, livestock, and tens of thousands of wildlife across millions of acres that are shared with indigenous and rural people.  We are edging closer to a world in balance.  Thank you.

Young Maasai herding a donkey

Posted by NWNL on June 29, 2024.
Transcription edited and condensed for clarity by Alison M. Jones.

All images © Alison M. Jones, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.