Cheetah Conservation Fund

International Classrooms

21Feb

World Traveler. That is what many call me after my return from Namibia, D.C. and Costa Rica. I have been fortunate to take my educational experience overseas and study abroad with Texas A&M’s Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications Department. These experiences have broadened my horizon by exposing me to different cultures. Although many things are different between those I have met on my journeys, it is our similarities that have me wanting more! I definitely have the travel bug. Who knows where life’s experiences will take me next?

Enjoying the beautiful Namib Sand Sea

First stop: Namibia! What most people think of Africa is not a comprehensive view of the continent. Namibia, a country that gained its independence in 1990, is much like me in age and being on the brink of discovering its potential. Being in the country, I learned of all the beauty and uniqueness the country possesses. The problem is getting everyone else, Namibians and outsiders, to see and harness those qualities for the betterment of the country and the world. From visiting places like N/a’an ku se, Cape Cross, Etosha National Park, Heroes’ Acre, The Ministry of Mines and Energy, Gobabeb Research and Training Center and the Cheetah Conservation Fund, you can see Namibia’s passion for conserving energy and wildlife. Lions, cheetahs, ELEPHANTS, kudu, impala, red heart beast, oryx, rhinos, springbok, zebra, leopards… the list goes on.

Words cannot express the surreal feeling of being away from the big buildings and loud noise, and really being able to take in nature in some of its purest elements. This is what Namibia has to offer. This is what makes Namibia great!

Brooke reaction to seeing elephants in the wild for the first time!

Brooke’s reaction to seeing elephants in the wild for the first time!

After an amazing time in Namibia, and after spending five months in D.C., I asked myself, “WHY STOP THERE?” So off to Costa Rica I went! A different climate. A different language. A different experience. Although both Namibia and Costa Rica are considered developing countries, it is evident that Costa Rica is influenced by America and is a more popular tourist attraction; Jurassic Park could be credited for this popularity.

The first thing I noticed about Costa Rica was that it was extremely green! I loved it. And what I loved more was being able to go into the San Isidro de Peñas Blancas community and experience agriculture and conservation practices first hands. We planted beans for a local farmer, trekked up hills, toured a coffee plantation, saw greenhouses and sustainable farming, and saw a variety of plants, fruits and vegetables. Costa Rican farmers’ motto was to farm things that served more than one purpose to get the greatest use of the land. We got to see all the things we take for granted and all the things we waste on a daily bases. Not to mention, zip lining and hiking through the rain forest to and repelling over waterfalls were perks as well.

Ready to rappel in Costa Rica.

To each experience, its own unique experience. They will forever be imbedded in my heart and I will never forget the things that I saw and the people I met along the way.

I’d like to thank the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation for providing me with study abroad scholarships. It is because of those scholarships that I was able to partake in those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I am forever in their debt.

From these experiences, who in the world knows where I will end up? I’m not sure, but I am up for the task to put more places, more cultures, more countries, more animals, and more agriculture, and more experiences under my belt.

Brooke Brock ’13 is a senior agricultural communications and journalism major at Texas A&M University and will graduate in May 2013. Brooke has always had a passion for people and since being admitted into the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, she has find her niche in connecting agriculture and people who, like herself, do not have backgrounds in agriculture. You can find Brooke AGvocating around campus and in the local Bryan/College Station community. Brooke plans to pursue a career in public relations after graduation.

Aggies Under African Skies

30Jul

by Leighton James

A few days ago I realized I have a problem: I have to write the final blog for Namibia Study Abroad 2012. I should probably be happy about it. Everyone always wants the last word.

What I didn’t realize was how difficult it would be to write about this trip. How can I possibly tell you how absolutely amazing this trip was in a blog or at all really?

I could talk about the places we went or the projects we were assigned. Of course, that has already been done.

Along with the places we went, came the amazing people: the Schneider family, Dr. Mary Seely, Eugene Marias, the fabulous Dr. Laurie Marker, the Ogongo students, the staff at the University of Namibia’s Neudamm and Ogongo campuses, Gobabeb Desert Research and Training Centre, and the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), our bus driver, Ephraim, and everyone else along the way.

Perhaps I will talk about the billions of stars in the night sky or the multiple colors of the sunrise. They were both breathtaking. One of my favorite moments was climbing to the top of the dunes (which also took my breath away, literally) at sunrise with Jessica Guerra and Tray Heard. I was so excited and in such awe of the beauty that I almost started squealing and jumping up and down. I could’ve stayed there for hours.

Then, of course, there were the animals – my favorite, by far, being the cheetah (thanks CCF). Their anatomy, precision and beauty is fascinating.

There are so many things we did and experienced, constantly moving and changing. All of these places and people make it difficult to say goodbye. However, there was a constant that I was also fortunate to have – the other 12 Aggies on this trip. Everyone contributed in their own way.

We never had to wonder about what Josh Hardcastle was thinking; he let us know frequently, and we humorously coined the phrase, “It’s just Josh.” I admire his hardworking personality that shined through in all of our groups. (You can thank him for keeping this fantastic blog updated.)

Brooke Brock, whom I gained a respect for early on, not only constantly applied her scientific knowledge but was also almost always the first to talk to the local people. Her willingness and ability to converse came so naturally, and I loved watching her do it. I can’t wait to (hopefully) visit her in Washington, D.C. during the Thanksgiving break!

I have to thank Samantha Alvis for all of the hard work she put into the planning of this trip. We appreciated her input on all that we did as she knew a lot about the places we were going. By the way, I hope Sam’s niece knows how much she loves and adores her. It was adorable seeing her excitement when she got to Skype with her for her birthday.

Brandy Dangelmayr never stopped surprising me. The humor she provided in almost every situation was much appreciated. As Dr. Rutherford said at dinner, it was fun seeing her in her element as she was truly intrigued by the goat operation at the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

Her partners in crime (and in humor) were Holly Van Groll and Jessica Guerra. Jessica brought insight on new ideas and beliefs. She always seemed to perfectly “fit in” with all of the nature aspects of our trip.

Holly is one of the most down-to-earth people I have met, and her laugh is so contagious. I also enjoyed listening to her talk about the Peace Corps, through which she will soon be pursuing her master’s degree.

That brings me to Lauren Cockerell. You can tell she adores her family through the way she talks about them. She is incredibly driven by her work. She and her husband are in the process of joining the Peace Corps, which I find admirable. (Mom and Dad, don’t be surprised if all of this Peace Corps talk inspires me to join, too.)

I don’t think I could describe Beth Alexis any better than Dr. Wingenbach did. Her “wonderment” in everything we did struck us all. I wish I could capture her wide eyes and huge, beautiful smile. It would be nice to look at her face when I lost sight of the value of “wonderment.”

Amy Heartfield’s excitement made me giggle many times. I wish I could include a recording of her enthusiastically saying, “I’m so excited!” Her loving nature makes me doubt that she has a mean bone in her body. I know her words and actions are genuine and kind – something that is truly refreshing.

Then, there is Tray Heard. I had the pleasure of receiving his insight on many things about life. This was in between the times he was enlightening the group with all of his useful (random) information and making us laugh with his witty remarks. His passion for his future goals and powerful voice makes me believe that he will exceed even his own expectations.

Lastly, our trip would not have been possible (literally) without our professors, Dr. Gary Wingenbach and Dr. Tracy Rutherford. Dr. Wingenbach’s stories and insights gave me new perspectives on agriculture and leadership. He also helped me further develop my own ideas. I think I learned something or was challenged to think almost every time he spoke. I appreciated his efforts in trying to push my buttons. He continuously gave me a hard time, which always kept me on my toes.

I give Dr. Rutherford credit for a lot of things, including my decision to officially change my major to agricultural communications and journalism (which I have gradually been doing since I met her). She epitomizes the feeling I have of a family at Texas A&M. I appreciate her ability to silently observe everyone in the group. She was the first to point out the “pure joy” she saw me develop on the trip. I’m not even sure I had identified my own feelings until she pointed them out.

I hope these two individuals know the immense positive impact they have on all of their students.

I will never forget this trip or the people on it. Now, don’t get me wrong, put 13 strangers in confined spaces with limited resources for a month, and you’re bound to come across some conflict. However, the conflict doesn’t come close to outweighing the positives.

I appreciate them for every late night talk, shedding light on ideas and experiences during reflections, the laughs (I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time) and helping me understand myself a little deeper.

I’m fortunate because some of the best parts of my trip get to come home with me. Although I may never cross paths with these individuals in Africa again, I can’t wait to see them back at home, hear about their success and learn even more from them.

This is my Aggie family, and we’ll always have the times we spent under African skies.

Gone in 60 Seconds

30Jul

by Amy Heartfield

Porsche, Ferrari and Cheetah? On Thursday at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), the Texas A&M study abroad group got to see the speed equivalent of a high-end sports car: cheetahs.

The morning started with watching the cheetahs exercise, which means watching large cats run as fast as a NASCAR! The cheetahs chased a small flag attached to a pulley system, or “Namibian Playstation” as the interns fondly call it. This pulley is set up in a square shape in an enclosed field.

After being only feet away from these high-speed animals, it was time to get down to business, and we continued to work on promotional posters and take-home materials for CCF. As the day came to an end, we presented the material to Dr.Marker and received supportive feedback for the projects.

For one of the last sundowners in Namibia, we headed out to a secluded field to watch the cheetahs run one more time. Seeing cheetahs run against the pink sunset is personally one of my favorite experiences of the trip.

Cheetahs and Dogs and Goats … Oh My!

26Jul

by Beth Alexis

Our first day at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) was busy and full of new experiences. When we arrived (after traveling on a very bumpy road, we were greeted by several CCF staff members including Dr. Laurie Marker. Dr. Marker founded CCF, and it has been working to protect the cheetahs of Africa for over 20 years.

The whole group was given a tour of the facilities and had the chance to see the research lab, veterinary clinic, and education center. There was also a demonstration where we watched a dog that was trained to locate cheetah scat for research purposes.

Dr. Marker’s passion for protecting cheetahs is evident and infectious.

One of the reasons that cheetah populations have declined is because they are often been killed by farmers who are trying to protect their livestock. Although cheetahs have been spotted on farmlands seeking food, evidence has shown that cheetahs are often accused for other predators’ kills.

CCF understands that farmers need a form of predator control in order to protect their livelihood. To help promote a human-wildlife resolution, the organization breeds livestock guarding dogs to give to farmers in Namibia. These guard dogs protect livestock from predators and in turn protect the cheetah because the farmers no longer feel the need to kill them to keep their livestock safe.

After our lunch, we got to watch some cheetahs eat their lunch as well. The cheetahs ate meat out of large bowls, and the enthusiasm with which they ran to their food reminded me of my own cats.

We heard a short talk on individual cats during the feeding. My personal favorites were Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

While at CCF, we are making educational materials about goats and guard dogs. We learned a lot about the animals from the staff, especially during our milking experience.

Several of us wanted to milk the goats, so we “helped” with that in the evening. Our time spent learning about goat nutrition and production will be helpful when it comes to creating the educational materials.

It was a pleasure to work with Dr. Marker and the rest of the staff, and I am looking forward to another day at CCF!