Join Wildlife ACTive, Prevent Animal Poaching

Dear Friends,

As we reach the midpoint of the year, we want to take a moment to pause, reflect, and share with you — our incredible global support network — what you’ve helped to make possible, whether financially or emotionally.  

Earlier this month, our team came together for an important event in our calendar: our annual mid-year Staff Workshop. For a few intense, inspiring days, staff from across our projects gathered in the bush to connect in person, share knowledge, and renew our collective strength.

These workshops are so much more than meetings. They are our opportunity to meet new team members face-to-face — often for the first time — and to reconnect with colleagues we haven’t seen in months. Each project presents its highlights and challenges, opening the door for honest discussions, peer learning, and a renewed sense of purpose.

From back to back meetings (07h00 - 19h00), telemetry challenges and emergency response training to camera trap workshops and fireside team-building, every session plays a part in strengthening our work on the ground. These moments — surrounded by the sounds of the bush and the laughter of our team — are powerful reminders of why we do what we do. One of my highlights was the Telelmetry Challenge. The team who was watching would go and hide a collar, and when I say hide I mean bury under a layer of ground: it makes it increasingly difficult to find and poachers are known to do this, so a good exercise to hone these skills. The first team to locate the collar wins. 

The first three teams were Manyoni, iMfolozi and Hluhluwe and it was fantastic to watch! Three very skilled teams going up against each other doing their thing in silence, moving quietly through the trees and bush. They all arrived at the right spot at roughly the same time much to the shrieks and cheering from the rest of us. Then followed the Rhino Monitors and more senior staff, and they were eventually even joined by our finance ladies, much to everyone's delight. Chris gave us lessons in walking in on foot and highlighted some triangulation tricks that he used to use successfully. It was a fantastic exercise. 

So most importantly, these gatherings are essential for the transfer of institutional knowledge and staff wellness. We are constantly learning — young from old, and old from young — and that shared learning is what empowers us to monitor, protect, and save the wild spaces and wildlife we all love.

Your support allows us to come together, to grow stronger as a team, and to continue our work where it matters most: on the frontlines of conservation.

From all of us here, thank you for being part of our global family. We’re so grateful to walk this path with you.