Tanzania Game Reserve at Risk

by Pam Mandel on

First, a highway through the Serengeti, now, a uranium mine in Selous Game Reserve. Tanzania’s plans are drawing the ire of environmentalists, conservationists, and zebra-and-wildebeest huggers around the world. The government is eying Tanzanian game and park lands for developments that are in direct conflict with migrating wildlife, potentially risking their only sustainable economic sector: tourism. From an eTurbo News article:

Tourism is potentially the most important sustainable economic sector for Tanzania. We can make more money over a longer term, and create more jobs, earn more forex, and introduce more investment than mining Uranium in the Selous. The mine might last maybe 25 or 30 years, and the environmental damage will be huge. Once the resource has been plundered, I have really no other description, it will be the same like with our gold deposits. The ‘investors’ will move on and leave us with giant holes in the ground and massive destruction.

The Selous Game Reserve is home to elephants, black rhinos, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles and hundreds of bird species. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site occupying over 20,000 square miles of Tanzanian savanna. Access to the reserve is supposedly tightly managed — there are no permanent structures human habitation allowed — but poaching is still a problem. And there are those valuable minerals in the ground, tempting short term exploration and exploitation with potentially permanent long term consequences. From the UNESCO listing for the Selous Game Reserve:

The most significant threats are related to exploration and extraction of minerals, oil and gas, and large infrastructure plans; environmental impact assessments need to be conducted for all development activities in the vicinity of the property that are likely to have an impact of the property’s Outstanding Universal Value.

A BBC report says that the government is determined to push the uranium mining project though in spite of objections. From the BBC:

…the uranium mining project was in its infancy, but it would only affect about 0.69% of the current World Heritage site park and would be an important source of income for the country

Firms could expect to earn $200m (£125m) each year from mining uranium from the site, of which $5m would be paid to the government…

It’s unclear if the profit is worth the potential long term damage.

Photo by Bierbauer via Flickr (Creative Commons)

National Park Service to help create standards to protect parks globally

by Kraig Becker on

The U.S. National Park Service has joined forces with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to develop a set of standards for park rangers, managers, and other administrative officials working in national parks around the globe. According to a press release from the NPS, the plan is to create a set of guidelines to aid nations in effectively managing their protected areas, while still recognizing that those efforts often take place under very challenging circumstances.

This new partnership will begin with David Reynolds, a 33-year veteran of the Park Service, creating a set of professional standards for men and women working on conservation projects in a wide variety of environments around the world. The hope is to build a “globally recognized” set of qualifications in the area of environmental management that will help them to be more efficient in their jobs. The project is expected to take approximately 40 months to complete and will require visits to protected parks and training centers around the globe.

Reynolds knows that he has a huge challenge ahead of him. He says that he not only has to create effective tools for measuring results, but must do so within the tight budgetary constraints that most countries face. He also knows that he’ll have to walk a thin line between creating a program that is both effective in the field and flexible in the classroom.

If the project is successful, park rangers and managers around the world may have a well designed set of guidelines that will help them protect their national parks in a more effective and efficient way. Climate change, urban development, deforestation, and other threats continue to be an issue, but perhaps with proper training and planning, some of those threats can be countered in a productive way.

An Island of luxury in a sea of desert: Al Maha Desert Resort in Dubai

by Justin Delaney on

Every city needs a quick getaway spot, even global centers for tourism. Parisians head for the lakes and beaches of southern France, Hong Kongers ferry to Macau for quick gambling fixes, Bostonians head for the cape to be seen and sun, and the people of Dubai escape the city for…the desert? Yes, the desert.

Indeed, the desert seems an unlikely place in which to unwind and be pampered, but a resort just outside of Dubai has perfected the art of luxuriously stranding its guests among the dunes. Al Maha, a desert-resort situated on a conservation reserve, outclasses much of its Dubai counterparts in the hospitality industry, which is no small feat. The property provides exclusively personal villas with private pools overlooking the unique wildlife sanctuary as well as all-inclusive dining and excursions. Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa lends a paradisial quality and adventurous spirit to a land known as the empty quarter.


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Wildlife
The Arabian oryx was the impetus behind the creation of the desert reserve that surrounds Al Maha. After being hunted to extinction in the wild, the oryx was reintroduced to the deserts of Arabia in the late nineties. Al Maha Desert Resort is built around this large oryx refuge, and its name (Al Maha) even means oryx in Arabic. The majestic beast resembles a unicorn in profile, and it is not uncommon to have one creep up to your outdoor breakfast table and stare you and your fruit plate down. Though the Arabian oryx seems ubiquitous on the Al Maha grounds, less than a thousand exist in the wild worldwide.

Interaction with these and other desert wildlife is the hallmark of the Al Maha experience. Oryx, gazelles, foxes, sand cats, and falcons all lurk just beyond each villa’s epic back porch. The oryx and gazelles frequently creep onto the property to take advantage of the shady groves. The creatures behave very comfortably around humans, so close encounters take place constantly. This is the most fascinating facet of the Al Maha experience. Sharing living space with such beautiful and strange desert creatures is memorable.

Location
Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa is located just a short drive (40 miles south-east) from the Burj Khalifa anchored downtown area. After passing through Dubai and the empty desert, the road turns off into the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve which surrounds Al Maha.

The Villas
Each guestroom at Al Maha Desert Resort is a spacious villa with a private pool looking out towards a stunning sea of unbroken sand. Fashioned after Bedouin tents, the villas provide an air of adventure with art easels for drawing and sweet nocs for peeping at creeping desert animals. The villas are extremely private and lounging in the cooled private pool under the hot sun feels absolutely perfect.

The entry level Bedouin suites start at around $800 per day, and that includes all meals and two daily excursions for two individuals. Obviously quite steep, but when you factor in free breakfast, lunch, a five course dinner, and two desert activities, the oppressive looking price looks much more rational.

The most expensive villa is the presidential suite. With 5,700 square feet of living space and private residential quarters for a guests’ private staff, it is a different world entirely. Originally, the presidential suite served as a private residence for the Dubai royal family, but when the property changed hands from Emirates to Starwood, there were some changes. The nightly rate for the presidential suite is over $10,000 per night.


Excursions
Believe it or not, there is quite a bit of cool stuff to do in the desert. Since temperatures skyrocket during the afternoon, all activities take place during the morning and early evening. While it may come with some apprehension to sign up for an extremely early falconry course or dune bashing adventure, rising early is the best way to beat the desert heat. Also, the afternoon provides plenty of down time to nap, swim, and receive spa treatments.

Dune Bashing is perhaps the most exhilarating Al Maha activity. In a Toyota 4×4 SUV, one of the resort’s expert dune bashers (most of which come from South Africa like my awesome guide Warren) will take you out on the dunes. The ride includes stomach to mouth vertical drops and some serious sand drifting around invisible corners. Not for the feint at heart, the experience is adrenaline fueled mayhem on wheels. The Al Maha guides encourage breakfast to be consumed after the morning tear through the dunes, lest your scrambled eggs appear in an unnecessary sequel.

Falconry is bird and man coming together for sport. Once a sport for the nobles, the Bedouin also used domesticated falcons and hawks in the desert to hunt for small animals. Ancient records of falconry stretch back almost three-thousand years, all the way to Babylonian times. At Al Maha, falconry is taught in the early morning by guides. Many of the birds are kept in air conditioned rooms during the hottest hours of the day. Al Maha has all types of birds, including a goofball owl.


(An aside regarding falconry: Supposedly, the Jumeriah group hires falcon masters at its properties, which include Burj al Arab, Madinat Jumeriah, Jumeriah Beach resort, and Zabeel Saray to send out birds of prey in the morning that hunt and scare off all the smaller birds. This, in turn, minimizes bird droppings on these properties. I was unable to substantiate this claim.)

Aside from falconry and dune bashing, hotel guests can also take part in horse riding, nature walks, camel safaris, and wildlife drives. One of the most popular excursions is the evening camel safari. A guide takes a group of guests out into the desert on camel-back to watch the sun slowly set over the dunes. Since Al Maha resort is all about pampering its guests, champagne and snacks are provided. Of course, riding camels is quite different than riding a horse, most notably when getting on and off. Camels are very tall, so climbing onto a camels back is done while they are lying down. Once they stand up though, it can be a little disconcerting. Just keep leaning back. Camels are a huge part of Arab culture, so getting to know the oddball desert beasts is part of the experience. In nearby Abu Dhabi, there are even camel beauty contests.

To ride the horses at Al Maha, guests must be very experienced on horseback. Arab horses are notoriously strong and boast too much power for inexperienced desert riders. Many of the horses are gifts from the Sheikh himself, such as Mogambo (right) – the stud of the stable. Even if you are unqualified to ride the speedy steeds, it is worth stopping by the stables to interact with the gorgeous Arab horses.

There is a very good reason that Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa is ranked second out of over four hundred hotels in Dubai on Tripadvisor. It is simply a breathtaking place to visit. Between the excellent meals, desert wildlife experiences, and undeniably epic pool views from each villa, everything about the property is amazing. It exceeds expectations and provides excitement in the most unlikely of places.

All photography by Justin Delaney

Support for this program was partially provided by DTCM, with no limits on editorial or photographic content.

Confederate submarine set upright for first time since 1864

by Sean McLachlan on

The H.L. Hunley made history back in 1864 when it became the first submarine to successfully attack an enemy ship. Launched by the Confederacy as a way to break the Union blockade of Southern ports during the Civil War, it sank the USS Housatonic on 17 February 1864 and itself mysteriously sank shortly thereafter.

Crew members hand cranked the propeller to make the sub move forward and its one weapon was a bomb set at the end of a long pole. The idea was to ram a ship with the bomb, which would then explode and leave a hole below the waterline. That’s what happened when the H.L. Hunley attacked one of the warships blockading Charleston harbor, but the sub never returned from its mission.

The Hunley was later found and brought to the surface. Now after several years of restoration the Confederate submarine has been placed upright for the first time since its sinking. The sub had been found resting at a 45 degree angle in a layer of silt and was kept in the same position until now. Moving it to the upright position has given researchers a look at a side of the ship unseen since 1864.

The researchers have found some holes on that side but are unsure if they are natural erosion or the cause of the Hunley’s sinking. Analysis of the bones of the eight crew members showed they died of a lack of oxygen. Interestingly, they were all at their posts as if nothing was going wrong.

You can visit the lab where this historic sub is being studied. The Warren Lasch Conservation Center is located in North Charleston, SC. You can also see a different Confederate submarine at the Louisiana State Museum in Baton Rouge.

[Photos courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

Conservation victory: Serengeti highway plans cancelled

by Sean McLachlan on


Plans to build a paved, two-lane highway through the Serengeti National Park have been canceled.

The road, which was supposed to bring better access to Lake Victoria, will possibly be rerouted further south to avoid having an impact on the Serengeti’s rich wildlife.

There’s already a gravel road across the park, but paving it would have attracted much more traffic and probably fencing. The U.S. government expressed concern, as did UNESCO, after a study showed the project would affect the annual migration of millions of animals that’s one of the wonders of the natural world.

This is a rare victory of common sense over unbridled “development.” It’s also an example of how being eco-friendly can be good for the economy. Tourism generates a major part of Tanzania’s income, and there’s no way a road cutting through the nation’s most valuable natural resource wouldn’t have had a negative impact.

[Photo courtesy D. Gordon E. Robertson]