Better World

Dr. Andrea Marshall is a co-founder of the Marine Megafauna Foundation and the principal scientist for their Threatened Species Programme, she’s also a National Geographic Explorer, owner and tour leader for Ray of Hope Expeditions, and the Champion of the Inhambane Seascape Hope Spot. This Hope Spot encompasses the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park in Mozambique, as well as much more of the surrounding waters and coastline. We chat to Andrea about a host of interesting subjects including her background and journey in marine science, the importance of marine megafauna and why they need to be conserved, the role of hope spots in protecting our oceans, and why collaboration in marine science is a key to success in conserving our seascapes.

East Africa Regional Manager for Wild Impact (previously known as Africa Foundation) Crispo Ndembeka speaks about his background  as a medical doctor, describing how it motivated him to join the organisation and work towards improving the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of the region’s rural communities. Crispo describes Wild Impact’s work in Kenya and Tanzania, focusing on the provision of healthcare and describing their projects' impact during the Covid-19 pandemic. Listen as he describes the challenges faced by local communities and talks about his hopes and dreams of continuing to help overcome them in the future.

Peter Chadwick is a conservationist with a vast wealth of knowledge in both the marine and terrestrial worlds, ranging from law enforcement and reserve management, to conservation photography, wildlife ranger training and development, and even the intersection of conservation and human rights strategy and training. We chat to Peter about the world of marine rangers, the crucial role they play in protecting ecosystems, the challenges they face on a day-to-day basis, and what is being done to support these courageous men and women on the frontlines of conservation.

Driven and passionate, Nancy Iraba is an eloquent advocate for any number of things – marine conservation, biodiversity preservation, access to the oceans, diving, woman power and so much more. As the Oceans Without Borders Project Manager at Mnemba Island off Zanzibar, she is also responsible for an initiative aimed at restoring the area’s precious coral reefs to their full glory. 

Listen as Nancy talks about her journey in marine conservation, talking about how her passion for the world’s oceans was slow to start and quick to grow. She describes the challenges of learning to dive, and speaks about the Community & Conservation team at Mnemba and describes how and why they chose to tackle a coral reef restoration project.

Find out more about &Beyond Mnemba Island: https://www.andbeyond.com/our-lodges/indian-ocean-islands/zanzibar/andbeyond-mnemba-island/

Read about the relationship between &Beyond and Oceans Without Borders: https://www.andbeyond.com/impact/coalitions/oceans-without-borders/

Discover more about this and other Oceans Without Borders projects: https://www.oceanswb.org/ 

&Beyond Social Media Specialist Josh van der Ploeg looks back at his career as a guide in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, from his initial training course to his years at &Beyond Kirkman’s Kamp and the many research and travel opportunities that came his way. Find out how a childhood spent in Cape Town resulted in a love for the outdoors. Hear about a project to create an ID kit for leopards in the Sabi Sand led to a camera trapping adventure in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. Listen to Josh’s latest travel experiences and discover how years spent as a wildlife guide translate to a career in marketing.

Founded in 1934, Rwanda’s Akagera National Park boasts a history as long and illustrious as some of the continent’s most renowned wildlife areas, yet it remains little known in a country that is much more famous for its gorilla trekking than it is for its only Big Five game reserve.

African Parks Regional Ops Manager for Rwanda Jes Gruner talks about Akagera’s diversity and natural beauty, tracking the park’s history since its establishment and through the ravages of Rwanda’s tumultuous past until it gained a new lease on life through a partnership between the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks. He explains how this relationship works and talks about the operational model that has been used to transform Akagera into one of Africa’s prime conservation success stories over the past 12 years, reminiscing about the wildlife translocations that have brought the Big Five back to Rwanda once again.

Find out more about &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, where the translocated lions and rhino came from.

Read about the Return of the Lion Expedition, which allows travellers to follow in the footsteps of the lions relocated from &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve to Akagera National Park.

What does it take to move 30 rhino across more than half the length of Africa? Simon Naylor, Conservation Manager at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve speaks about translocating a Boeing 747 full of rhinos from South African to Rwanda to create a new breeding stronghold in Akagera National Park. Find out why the largest rhino translocation ever took place and what challenges it entailed, as well as where the rhino came from and what awaits them in their new home.

In this second episode of a two-part series with &Beyond shareholders, Africa Foundation supporter Jessica Getty discusses her love for Africa, from her early days working as a chef at &Beyond Phinda Forest Lodge to deciding to make South Africa her family home. Discover her dedication to growing and developing staff members, and find out how she and her husband have contributed to the educational and healthcare needs of rural communities, even having a local school named after them. Find out about how her passion for conservation extended to the marine environment and what projects she and her family are involved in.

Find out more about &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve.

Tara Getty, &Beyond shareholder and trustee of Wild Impact (previously known as Africa Foundation), speaks about his enduring love affair with Africa. From his early years working at &Beyond (then Conservation Corporation) to the home he has created near &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve. Listen to him reminisce about the early years at &Beyond Phinda, speaking about the development of &Beyond’s unique business model and the growth of Africa Foundation, which has recently been renamed to Wild Impact to highlight its increasingly global role. Find out how the communities surrounding Phinda have changed over 25 years and the role that Tara has played. Find out about his dedication to caring for land and marine environments and his passion for the oceans through Oceans Without Borders, and listen to his views on ecotourism and his plans for the future.

Marine scientist Ryan Daly and fisheries biologist JD Filmalter speak about the marine predator tagging project running in the Bazaruto Archipelago, explaining what species are targeted, how they are tagged and monitored, and what information is gathered. Discover how tracking the movements of the marine world’s top predators can lead to an enhanced understanding of their lifecycle and contribute towards the management of marine reserves along the entire coastline of Africa. Learn how you too can contribute towards the preservation of the world’s oceans by taking part in the Oceans Without Borders Marine Predator Tagging Expedition.