Beneath the Baobab – Details, episodes & analysis

In this final episode of the series, presenter Gordon Buchanan heads home to Scotland to see the work that the Beaver Trust is leading to “regenerate the beaver species to regenerate the landscape”.

The Beaver Trust is a charity working to restore animals to habitats where they thrived in the past, building climate resilient landscapes across the UK and we speak to Elliot McCandless from the charity. We also chat to Tom, a fifth-generation farmer on the land but with a very different role to his predecessors.

Our conversations take place, thousands of miles away from the baobab – but with similar ambitions, challenges and conflicts to navigate.

We spoke to both Elliot and Tom alongside the mud banks of a beaver lake, home to the second family of beavers that were brought to Tom’s land in February 2022. Translocation and reintroduction of the species in Scotland brings its own controversies with conservationists, farmers, government and local people holding different perspectives on the beaver population as we’ll explore in this episode.

Whilst this is the last episode of series 2, we will be publishing a special bonus edition of Beneath The Baobab in the coming weeks, bringing together all the key points and fascinating conversations from the last 9 programmes.

So please follow, like or subscribe to make sure you don’t miss it – and leave a written review if you’ve enjoyed the series; it’ll help more people join us in our global conversation, beneath the baobab.

Visit the website https://jammainternational.com to explore more international projects.

The video of this episode can be seen here: https://youtu.be/5FOfzoGgy48

https://beavertrust.org

https://beavertrust.org/nature-boost-in-perthshire-as-second-group-of-beavers-moved-to-argaty/

https://www.nature.scot

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In this episode, we travel to Zambia to investigate a different – and lesser known – wildlife conflict to the ones already explored in the series.

The hippo affects many lives, often tragically, and we meet local people with their own stories to tell; both of hippo attacks and injuries caused by elephants in the country.

The Luangwa Valley sees dramatic seasonal variations and with a dynamic river system, fertile soil and lush vegetation, it’s the perfect home for a wide variety of animals – leading to a co-existence situation that delivers both opportunities and challenges for humans living in the area.

In Lupande Game Management Area (GMA), increased human population has led to the expansion of human settlements into protected areas, constricting many species’ ranges and an increase in wildlife populations has resulted in wildlife straying out of protected areas and into crop and livestock areas.

Rodgers Lubilo is a conservation and rural development expert from Zambia. He has 25 years’ experience in community led conservation in Southern Africa - especially in Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa. He is a champion of community rights to benefit from conservation. He chairs the Zambian CBNRM Forum and the Community Leaders Network of Southern Africa - a leading voice for local communities and indigenous peoples in the region.

We also hear from Goodson, Tinde and Dennis; all of whom have personal, and often tragic, stories of living in conflict with hippos and elephants.

We speak to them all, beneath the baobab.

Visit the website https://jammainternational.com to explore more international projects.

The video of this episode can be seen here: https://youtu.be/DTS1eRjfVi8

https://www.lukusuziriver.com/index.php/zambia-luangwa-en

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Location-of-Lupande-Game-Management-Area-GMA-in-eastern-Zambia-Adapted-from-17_fig1_263088085

https://www.communityleadersnetwork.org/team_member/rodgers-lubilo/

https://www.cajnewsafrica.com/2023/05/09/zambian-woman-survives-hippo-attack/

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"We are all dependent upon the air that we breathe, the water we drink, the soils that we grow our food on. To mismanage them and treat them badly as we have done for centuries: we can't go on that way."

In a special final episode for the series, Gordon meets up with Mike Daniels of the John Muir Trust in Scotland.

They take a walk through the beautiful landscape of East Schiehallion in Perthshire, where the Trust has recently completed a million pound investment into restoring a footpath and visitor amenities on the mountain.

Gordon and Mike discuss the unique nature of land ownership in Scotland and how that might be changing as more communities begin to take on stewardship of the land. Mike also shares schemes that have been put in place to restore a pre-Victorian version of nature and biodiversity to some of the areas they manage.

They discuss the complex issue of deer management and the impact of burgeoning populations on animal health and trees, as well as how rewilding can involve communities and begin to address the imbalances and problems created by past exploitative land practises in Scotland.

The pair finish their walk with a conversation about the proposed Carbon Emissions Land Tax and how this pioneering new legislation might support land use models that allow people and nature to co-exist.  

Visit the website https://jammainternational.com to explore more international projects.

LINKS:

You can watch the video for this filmed podcast episode here

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2v2n4s9wA5_XjhzoxqjWSQ

https://jammainternational.com/podcast-2/

Find out about The John Muir Trust

https://www.johnmuirtrust.org

East Schiehallion

https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/about-us/where-we-work/east-schiehallion

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Dr Rodgers Lubilo grew up in a village next to South Luangwa National Park, Zambia where wildlife, human life and livelihoods have always coexisted.

It was in the mid-90s when Rodgers became interested in local CBNRM initiatives. He then led a movement that convinced his family and village leaders to follow in experimental and innovative sustainable use programmes.

As a pioneer of CBNRM in Zambia, Rodgers has been a driver of innovative change that has swept across conservation projects and fieldwork in Southern Africa. He says the biggest impact has been in seeing governments recognise the knowledge and expertise communities have in managing their local wildlife, and that this has been a driver of democracy and regeneration.

In this episode of Beneath the Baobab, he shares his journey from farmer’s son to Director of CBNRM Programmes at the Frankfurt Zoological Society Zambia and Chair of the Community Leaders’ Network, where he continues to champion new talent, thinkers and practitioners in the conservation space.

He explains the kinds of benefits and services he’s seen come to communities – including his own – since sustainable use models have boomed in the region. We also hear case studies from some of Rodgers' colleagues, recorded at the IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress.

Visit the website https://jammainternational.com to explore more international projects.

https://www.southluangwa.com

https://communityleadersnetwork.org

https://apacongress.africa

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From government office to grass-roots campaigning, Malidadi Langa has long been a leading force in Malawian wildlife policy. 

In this episode he chats with Gordon about how he’s used his experience in economics to become an international voice in rural development and decentralisation.

They discuss the problematic impact of “fortress” conservation policies that historically isolated communities from their traditional resources. And Malidadi explains the journey of the community development association within the Kasungu National Park, known for its elephant population near the Zambian border.

He also discusses the challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic for the park’s once thriving foreign tourist trade and shares actions from this year’s African Protected Areas Congress in Kigali.

Today Malidadi continues to represent Malawi in the Southern Africa Community Leaders Network and advocates for conservation initiatives that prioritise local investment, respect human rights and support sustainable livelihoods.

Visit the website https://jammainternational.com to explore more international projects.

LINKS:

Malidadi on Twitter @MalidadiL

https://www.malawitourism.com/regions/central-malawi/kasungu-national-park/

https://communityleadersnetwork.org

LINKS:

Malidadi on Twitter @MalidadiL

https://www.malawitourism.com/regions/central-malawi/kasungu-national-park/

https://communityleadersnetwork.org

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This time, Gordon chats with scientist, conservationist and broadcaster Professor Adam Hart about how we can move international public understanding of sustainable use forwards.

Adam shares his story, from young entomologist to sustainable use convert and co-director of a successful volunteer programme in South Africa.

He also discusses the wider consideration of habitat when working to conserve wildlife whilst benefitting from its resources.

Adam has developed a rhino-thick skin when taking to social media to challenge misinformation around sustainable use in conservation and says strong reactions and harassment on these forums can be a deterrent to academics advocating for these approaches. He does however share how he’s been watching coverage become more positive as public understanding increases. 

Adam and Gordon also discuss the role of media more widely in representing complex issues such as hunting and natural resource use, causing Gordon to reflect upon his own work as a wildlife filmmaker.

And we hear from Adam’s colleague Lynne Mactavish, who shares her passion for wildlife. She also reveals the tough day-to-day decisions she makes as custodian of the Nkombi volunteer conservation programme founded by her father.

Visit the website https://jammainternational.com to explore more international projects.

https://www.nkombi.com

@AdamHartScience

Adam discusses wildlife during the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020

Listen to ‘Big Game Theory’, Adam’s BBC Radio 4 Documentary about hunting

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In this episode of Beneath the Baobab, Gordon meets pioneering Zimbabwean conservationist Dr Clive Stockil.

Since childhood, Clive has been living with and serving the same community. It’s his life’s work to continue forging and building coexistence benefits through sustainable conservation projects.

The 1990s saw him founding the Savé Valley Conservancy, one of the largest private game reserves in Africa. This comprises 750,000 acres of biodiversity in the Southeastern Iowveld of Zimbabwe. 

Clive talks with Gordon about his work with the Mahenye village community, formed from the community bordering Gonarezhou National Park, whose rights to resources were changed overnight by hunting laws and government conservation decisions. He explains how principles from the CAMPFIRE programme enabled the community to create sustainable tourism, earning an income to build local services and a school. 

Today they run the Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge, which allows tourists to celebrate the beauty of Gonarezhou National Park’s landscape in harmony with Shangaan culture.

Visit the website https://jammainternational.com to explore more international projects.

https://savevalleyconservancy.org

http://chilogorge.com/about/

https://gonarezhou.org

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/chilogorgesafarilodge/

Find out more about CAMPFIRE in Zimbabwe: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42606968

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Gordon Buchanan meets two of the pioneers of CBNRM or Community based Natural Resources Management in this episode of Beneath the Baobab.

Dr Brian Child and Dr Shylock Muyengwa have teamed up from their homes on other sides of the world for years, conducting fieldwork and research with communities to help develop increasingly sophisticated models and practises for wildlife conservation with people at their heart.

Brian’s childhood in Zimbabwe inspired a career defending the rights and wellbeing of rural people and today he is Associate Professor at the University of Florida.

Shylock has an enormous breadth of experience across Zimbabwe’s agriculture, food, security and livelihoods sector. He’s Managing Director at the Center for Impact Evaluation and Research Design as well as CBNRM Manager for Resource Africa Southern Africa.

Their work together on community governance in reinstating rights through participatory democracies continues to provide new insights for the future of conservation in communities living together with wildlife.

They explain how the pioneering CAMPFIRE programme worked to devolve rights for the use, management, disposal of and benefit from wildlife resources and how learnings have been built upon to build modern-day CBNRM. They also discuss the legacy of colonial land practises and laws in contemporary conservation and share ideas for overcoming this.

Brian and Shylock discuss the social and practical aspects of this approach but also share details of the governance dashboard they developed with villagers to help them create participatory democracies for decision-making.

Visit the website https://jammainternational.com to explore more international projects.

https://c4ierd.org

https://resourceafrica.net

https://twitter.com/africa_resource

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For too long a crucial voice has been missing from the international conversation around how to face the biodiversity crisis: the communities and indigenous peoples who live together with wildlife are central to the approaches and success of conservation going forwards.

This time Gordon Buchanan’s talking with Lesle Jansen to discuss how resource rights are also human rights.

Lesle’s background working with prison inmates in South Africa post-apartheid sparked a career in international law and her continued work to defend the rights of indigenous communities to use and exploit their own resources.

She shares her personal story and fascinating insights into why she believes conservation needs to shift from being militaristic in practise to becoming people-centred and rights-based. Today Lesle is CEO at the Southern Africa office of Resource Africa, a structured consortium of leaders that supports rural African communities in securing their rights and being heard in international debates that materially affect their lives. She also serves on the African Commission’s Work Group and has 15 years experience in environmental and social justice, with a special focus on traditional knowledge, local communities and resource rights.

Hunting can be a controversial topic. We also hear testimonials gathered by Safari Club International Foundation on the uses of proceeds from a community-managed scheme in Botswana.

Visit the website https://jammainternational.com to explore more international projects.

https://resourceafrica.net

https://twitter.com/africa_resource

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How can wildlife be safeguarded and valued whilst the dignity and rights of people are respected?

Shane Mahoney @cv_insights is an internationally recognised wildlife expert and conservation advocate – and is the Founder and President of Canadian enterprise Conservation Visions.

Born and raised in Newfoundland, Shane has a unique insight into the inter-relationship of wildlife, individuals, communities and environments. In this episode he shares with Gordon his thoughts on historical narratives around conservation, and what nature can teach us about finding a way forwards. He’s worked extensively to advocate for transformation in governments and institutions to help them to reassess their values and goals around conservation.

Shane has a unique background in science, history and philosophy. He says that the diversity of the natural world and human cultures remind us that multiple visions are necessary to make conservation work. Listen in on this thought-provoking and inspiring conversation with wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan.

Visit the website https://jammainternational.com to explore more amazing international projects.

https://twitter.com/cv_insights

https://www.conservationvisions.com

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