|
Mahale
After hours of airplane
travel, arriving in Africa, specifically Tanzania, was
well worth the exhausting travel. Finally, I got on a
boat halfway across the world from home to set out on
the beginning of an adventure of a lifetime. The five
hour boat ride to Mahale, our first destination, was an
inspiring start to the trip, with the sun shining and
glistening on the water. I was able to look out on some
of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. As
we approached our camp, we could see areas where the
lush forest with its many shades of dark green could not
be seen. It was slightly upsetting to see the altered
landscape so beautiful and natural. It made me realize
the importance of conserving our forests that are not
only beautiful but essential to life. With my team by
my side, I know that we will work to help save the
forests and inspire all of you around the world to do
all you can to join us in the effort to save your local
forests.
The focus of our trip to
Mahale was to observe and learn about a group of
chimpanzees. Chimps are amazing social creatures that
happen to be our closest relatives. After three days of
observing them in their natural habitat, I can say that
I learned not only about them but also about myself.
There were times that I could look at them and feel such
a solid connection. I could “feel their emotions” of
anger as well as their love. Seeing them play and
seeing interactions between mother and child had the
greatest impact. It made me appreciate my friends and
family and the good times and compassion we share. It
is so sad to think that these inspirational creatures
from which we evolved are so endangered. I hope that
you will take from this inspiration to learn about
chimps and love them as much as the CAC team does. We
need your help to keep these chimps and their habitat
alive.
Although we come to
Mahale for chimps, we have seen so many amazing life
forms from magnificent mushrooms to incredible insects
to beautiful birds and marvelous monkeys. I laid in bed
at night and listened to the diverse sounds made by all
different animals that I could not see. It is an
exciting mystery as there is so much more for us to
discover. It is so cool that we get to share a planet.
It is our job to conserve important natural places like
Mahale so others can enjoy them for years to come.
I hope that you are
excited as me to get out in the field and learn about
the amazing animals of our world.
Gombe
Approaching Gombe
revealed a magical landscape of rolling mountains
covered with a vast number of different trees. How
could any scene on earth be more spectacular? But the
true magic is inside the park. The red colobus monkeys
move effortlessly through the tree tops, while the
baboons roam the beaches and take a dip in Lake
Tanganyika. The sounds of chimpanzee vocalizations echo
through the forest to reveal their location. Sitting on
the forest floor with no distractions allowed for
viewing the chimps on a whole new level. I was able to
feel the excitement of the juveniles in play and connect
with the loneliness of a nine year old separated from
mom. It was truly an honor to share the same space with
these interesting animals and get a look into their
lives.
Traveling deeper into
the forest brings you to a waterfall that is so
beautiful and spiritual that no photograph will ever do
it justice. This is a place where chimps have been
known to come, sit, and just watch the water fall. I
would love to know what they think about when they come
to that spot.
A trip to Gombe wouldn’t
be complete without a hike to Jane’s Peak, a place where
Jane Goodall came to look and listen for her
chimpanzees. For me, this is a place where dreams are
made. At that very spot, Jane Goodall sat and began a
career that would change the world forever. It was
truly inspiring to sit in the same place and day dream
of the wonderful things that I hope to accomplish in my
life. As the sky and clouds rested at the top of
mountains and the mountains rolled into the lake, it was
clear to see how evidently all parts of our world are
connected and how affecting one, affects everything
else.
Gombe is currently home
to 106 chimps in three different communities. It was
staggering to see how small the national park truly is
and sad to think that these chimps are currently
isolated from any others. There is talk of creating
corridors by planting trees to connect habitats. This
will allow for genetic mixing and expansive ranges.
This is so important, not only here in Gombe, but around
the world where populations are isolated. Planting
trees and supporting these programs are crucial and a
fun way to get involved in helping our environment.
The guides, directors of
research, and a veterinarian taught us so much at Gombe.
Knowledge is such a great gift to give and receive.
Being open to learn all you can and then applying it and
spreading it to others is so rewarding and
inspirational. Now that I have told you of this magical
place, teach your friends, get out and make a
difference. |
