Take a Walk on the Wild Side!

Come for a virtual tour of the Agahozo-Shalom Nature Park- with new interpretive signs!  You can read the interpretive signs here.

From the Village go to the Nature Park

There are signs in the village to direct you to the the Nature Park.  They will direct you to the school and past the greenhouses.  There are two routes to the Nature Park, but if you take the road along the fence-line you will walk up a hill through a eucalyptus woodlot and arrive here.

Welcome to the Park

Trail head of the park complete with birds of ASYV and history/goals of the park

Walk past the trail head towards the big trees

 

Under the shade of this tree entada and the acacia tree you will see an interpretive sign

This spot used to be the site of several benches which were aptly situated in the shade for a nice breather after climbing the hill- however in November 2012, they were stolen.  Maybe the carpentry EP of 2013 can make 3 more benches? hint hint. Also- this is a fabulous place to put a hammock.

Read all about these two trees and mongooses and enjoy the view

After resting in the shade, follow the path past the traditional beehive

You will skirt the eucalyptus trees and go under the mango arch

Turn the corner and go towards the sign along the trail

Read the signs about lantana, african tulip and speckled mousebird

Go towards the mango tree

Turn the corner and take the trail that marks the boundry between agricultural land the park

Sign under the wild fig tree about southern red bishop and wild fig

Continue along the trail

Read about the bitter leaf veronia tree and cinnamon chested bee eater

Continue along the trail to the next sign

Observe the markhamia trees and read about bats

Continue along the trail and turn the corner

Read about toads

Continue towards the big flame tree

Observe the flame tree and read about red-eyed dove and striped skink

 Here you have a few options.  Option 1 is to loop back towards the trail head and continue back the way you came.  Option two is to go towards the nature hut and take and alternative path down to the greenhouses.  They are about equidistant.  Option 3 is to do a combination and choose your own adventure.

Option 1- loop back to the original trailhead

Walk this way

Continue along the trail

You will see the original trail head and can retrace your steps to go back to the village

Option 2: Head towards the Nature Hut

 You will see the nature hut from the flame tree

Take the trail that goes towards the nature hut

Almost there

Enjoy a rest at the nature hut

You can read about how the nature hut was built

You can also read about the history of the Nature Park and ecology

From here take the path that goes down the hill through the agricultural lands.  You will see some small buildings for the bees and soon the school, water tower and greenhouses.

Thanks for coming on the tour.  I hope you enjoyed the adventure!

A Visit to Akagera Park with the Environment Club

Practicing with the binoculars 

Yesterday we had a lovely trip to Akagera Park with the Environment Club.

We woke bright and early, got our picnic lunches from the kitchen and departed in 4 safari vehicles supplied by Intore Expeditions.  The safari vehicles were a surprise for the kids and they were very excited about them.  There were many pictures taken with them beside the safari vehicle, pretending to drive, on the roof of the car.  I can only imagine what their facebook pages are going to look like soon. :)

A guide giving the students an orientation of the park

We arrived at the park and the guides there gave the students a great orientation about Akagera Park, about the other National Parks in Rwanda, how Rwandan Parks compare to other parks in East Africa, and what it is like being a guide.  After that we hopped in the cars and went in search of animals.

On the search for animals

We a saw impala, topi, waterbuck, zebras, buffalo, many different kinds of birds, turtles, hippopotamus, giraffes and elephants!!  I think the elephants were the highlight of the trip because they are difficult to find in Akagera Park and they are so majestic.  That being said, the students were excited about all the animals.  If you have spent anytime in Rwanda, you might of noticed that Rwandans make alot of different sounds to convey emotional states- especially surprise, awe, and happiness.  It was the soundtrack of the day yesterday.

Elephant

Buffalo and turtles in the muddy ponds

Hippos

Impala

Look at that!

Giraffes

Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudata)- I think. Second opionon?

Zebras

Delicious packed lunch from Chez Hilam

Beautiful lunch spot.  We could even see an elephant and some hippos grazing near the lake with the binoculars.

I think the pictures say the most about how fabulous the day was.  Thank you to everyone helped out to raise funds for this trip.  It was truly AMAZING!  Thank you also to Shelley and Paul and everyone at Intore Expeditions for supporting this trip not only financially, but with encouragement and organization.  The drivers were fantastic- teaching the students about the different types of habitats and animals in Akagera.  For example, it is the rainy season right now, and our driver Andrew, explained that the topi and buffalo have their babies at this time of the year when the food is abundant so they have a better chance of survival.

Topi with their babies

Thank you from the Environment Club!

Thanks so much!!!

Send the Environment Club to Akagera!

This year it has been my great privilege to work with the Environment Club.  There are 18 members of the club and they are all wonderful kids!  I want them to have the opportunity to go to Akagera in this last school term- and I want you to help me do it!

Clubs at ASYV
There are many different clubs in the village- technical club, newspaper club, sports club, IT club, language club.... etc.  The clubs are responsible for organizing different events in the village, education and suggesting ways to deal with problems in the village.

Environment Club Missions 2012

The students in the Environment Club decided on the following four main missions for 2012

• Maintain the Environment at ASYV from pollution, bad air quality, erosion and other environmental risks.
• To increase the products of ASYV such as fruit, flowers, medicine and timber.
• Educate about the importance of the environment.
• To protect and steward the Nature Park.

A glimpse into the Nature Park

Rwandan Youth and the Environment

We have had a wonderful year of work.  The Environment Club is made up of the two youngest grades with a couple of the older students to help. In the first term I focused on educating the kids about what the environment is and why it is important.  The older students already had a grasp on some environmental issues because of their exposure at ASYV but the younger students for the most part had never though about it.  The kids at this school are selected because they are vulnerable orphans. For most of their lives they have struggled to go to school, to get enough to eat, to have a safe place to stay.  So it is understandable that they have never thought about ecology, about climate change, about garbage, about clean water, clean air, about the role of living systems in their lives.  That being said- I am sure that environmental issues have touched their lives in: access to clean water, erosion causing crop loss and thus a lack of food, to having to walk a long way to collect firewood because of deforestation.

Maintaining the walking trail around the Nature Park

Education about Environmental Stewardship in the Village
In second term the environment club started to educate the other students about the environment. Specifically they were teaching their brothers and sisters how to take care of their gardens and to avoid throwing garbage everywhere.  Garbage is an issue everywhere in the world.  What to do with it? Where does it go?  This is the same in Rwanda- with one twist. In Canada we have anti-littering laws and education about littering. In Rwanda there is no such thing. When somebody opens a packaged item- gum, cookies, juice- they immediately just let the wrapper drop to the ground.  The number of times I have seen garbage thrown out a car or bus window is appalling. Most people do it, not  just the kids.  The only saving grace for Rwanda is that they have banned plastic bags (so one less thing to litter), and they clean all the time.  In other countries in East Africa the roads are lined with garbage.  At ASYV, the Environment Club is making a concious effort to education their peers and staff members about littering and trying to keep the village clean.

Sitting area under the shade of an acacia tree and an Entada abyssinica tree

Walking the Talk with the Environment Club
In the third term we are going to plant mango trees at all the family and staff houses.  This initiative is to increase the products of ASYV, educate students and staff about planting trees as well as improving the environment of the village.

The Environment Club as Stewards of the Nature Park

The Nature Park in the Village has been a big part of the work of the Environment Club in 2012.   (Please see this post for the history, mission, and goals of the Nature Park.)  In brief, the Nature Park is a lovely sanctuary for plants, trees, birds, insects and other critters on the hill above the school.  It is a place of learning, a place of relaxation, a place to connect with nature. 

The Environment Club creating a new walking trail inside the park

2012 Vision
This year in the Nature Park the goal was to add, improve and maintain last year's achievements.  So far this year, the Environment Club  has:

•  made new signs to direct visitors and ASYV staff/students to the Nature Park
• made a new walking trail, and start tree seeds to plant in the Nature Park
• cleared lantana (invasive species)
• planted a living fence around the Nature Park
• guided visitors on nature tours of the park
• researched trees and animals of the park to make interpretive signs

Currently there are two projects that are being completed in the Nature Park.  One is to finish the interpretive signs for the park.  The other is to make a meeting space using natural materials just outside the park.  This meeting area is to encourage more students, staff and visitors to come to the Nature Park and teach a core team of students natural building skills along side with leadership, teamwork, and responsibility.

Natural Building in progress during Saturday Service

A Field trip to Akagera

At the beginning of the year the Environment Club suggested to do a trip to Akagera Park.  Akagera Park is a 1200 km2 park that protects lakes, wetlands woodlands and savannah and many animals in eastern Rwanda.  Due to budget constraints, the trip was cancelled.  The Village has given me permission to fundraise for this trip directly to make it happen.

Planting trees for a living fence around the Nature Park

Why?

The environment club is one of the hardest working clubs at ASYV.  Most of these kids have never seen a hippo, a zebra, a monkey, a giraffe or even antelope before.  These students have the potential to become guides, rangers, biologist and advocates of the environment in the future. 

  

Planting trees for a living fence around the Nature Park

" You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own.  That they must protect them." Wangari Maathai

Give these students the opportunity to see what a rich diversity of flora and fauna Rwanda has.  Give them the opportunity to understand that the parks , the air, the water, the forests of Rwanda are their own to protect.

The students can go to Akagera Park if I can raise $500 by October 8, 2012.  This will allow 18 students to go to the park in two mini buses.

If I can raise $800 by October 8, 2012, then this will allow us to go in 4 safari vehicles provided by Intore Expeditions.

A special Thanks to Intore Expeditions who has graciously agreed to donate half the transport costs!

Tree planting in the Nature Park