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I just about fell off my seat when The Classic Safari Company offered to get Animal Works’ a safari to help raise funds for anti-poaching in Zimbabwe as part of the ‘Imagine Africa’ dinner on 22nd February.   Think 2 nights Victoria Falls and 3 nights Hwange, plus a night in Joburg – all to the value of US$4000!  Plus they’re throwing in a set of gorgeous safari luggage just for the hell of it.  I mean, seriously, this is a fantastic prize.  It will be drawn on the night of the ‘Imagine Africa’ dinner at Ripples, Chowder Bay.

The first ‘Imagine Africa’ dinner in February is sold out now, but for those of you who missed out you can still get tickets to enter the draw for the safari competition on line by clicking here for all the details and to pay securely through paypal.  If you’re not comfortable with paypal drop me a line at tammiekmatson@gmail.com as cheque or direct deposit can be arranged.  Only 500 tickets will be sold for this competition.  Tickets are $20 each or 3 for $50.

Your donation goes straight to Animal Works’ fund for Zimbabwean conservation.  No overheads, no bureaucracy – that’s because Animal Works is a small organisation run entirely by volunteers.  By the way, if you missed out on the first ‘Imagine Africa’ dinner, you can book now to come to our next one on Wednesday 18th April.  Join myself, Tony Park, 7-time African novelist Frank Coates and co-author of “A Lion Called Christian”, Ace Bourke, for tales of adventure in the African bush.  There’s guaranteed to be some big prizes on offer exclusively for the second night too, including Nafisa’s African elephant art, so get your tickets before they sell out!

Thanks to everyone who booked to join fellow African authors Tony Park, Peter Allison, Sally Henderson and I at the ‘Imagine Africa’ dinner at Ripples Chowder Bay on 22nd February.  All proceeds from the night go to Animal Works’ Zimbabwean anti-poaching fund.  The good news for us is, we’ve sold out!  The bad news is, if you didn’t get a ticket, we’ve sold out!

But never fear, I hate disappointment, and there already seems to be considerable demand for another dinner, so guess what, we’re doing it again on Wednesday 18th April!  The fabulous Tony Park will be there again, as will I, but this time we’ll have 7 time African novelist, Frank Coates and also Ace Bourke, co-author of “A Lion Called Christian” and star of the famous Christian the lion youtube video.

Book now by phoning Ripples on 02 99603000 to avoid missing out!  For all the details, click here.

Great to have so much interest in Barefoot in Africa and Animal Works’ Zimbabwean safaris planned for June this year.  It’s not too late to get a place, so get in touch with me at tammiekmatson@gmail.com if you’d like an itinerary or a costing.   The feedback we’ve had so far is very positive.  The trips encompass a great swathe of Africa for a very competitive price, not to mention that some of what you pay for your trip goes to the very conservation projects you’ll be visiting while you’re there.

Check out the 3 minute video made by the safari operator and guide, Michael Jeh, from Barefoot in Africa, with footage of the places, wildlife, people and accommodation on our safari by clicking here.  I reckon there’s never been a better time to go to Zimbabwe now when it’s so quiet and you get all the animals to yourself.  Our trips have a maximum of 10 too, which means you’ll get to make friends with like-minds and have some good jaw wags by the campfire under African skies.

Tickets to the Imagine Africa dinner with Australia’s most fabulous African authors at Ripples Chowder Bay, Mosman on Wednesday 22nd February are also selling fast, so phone Ripples on 02 99603000 to book your tickets.   All proceeds from the night, which is $50 of  the $95 you pay for a 3 course dinner and wine, go to Animal Works’ anti-poaching fund for Zimbabwe.  For more info click here.

Imagine this…  Four of your favourite African writers under one roof sharing their most hilarious and mad stories of Africa over dinner and wine….  Well, good news – this is not a dream!  It really IS happening and right here in Sydney at Ripples Chowder Bay on Wednesday 22nd February.  And it’s for an excellent cause – Animal Works’ Zimbabwean conservation fund to help fight poaching.

Our authors on the night include the ever eloquent and rugged Tony Park, who’s on his way back from writing his latest book in South Africa shortly.  Tony’s now published 8 novels on Africa and is well established as Australia’s Wilbur Smith.  Read what he has to say about Animal Works and this cause in his latest blog here. 

Then there’s the hilarious Peter Allison who wrote “Whatever you do, don’t run” amongst his other books about his fascinating adventures as a safari guide.

There’s Sally Henderson who wrote the best selling “Silent Footsteps”, an intimate story about her long held love affair with Africa and elephants.

And finally yours truly will be there to make the most of all those African gurus in the one spot!

Tickets for dinner are $95, including sparkles on arrival, and wine with entree and dinner, of which $50 goes to Animal Works’ Zimbabwean conservation fund.

Book now at Ripples on 02 99603000 or contact Tammie at Animal Works for more information at tammiekmatson@gmail.com .

Drinks from 6.30pm and dinner from 7pm.

Ripples Chowder Bay is at Deck C, Chowder Bay Road, Mosman.

I’m excited.  REALLY excited.  There’s not that much that can get me this excited this early in the new year but this has.  It’s Africa, of course!

Turgwe Camp chalet

In 2012, Animal Works, the charity I run with artist Nafisa Naomi and our fabulous little team of volunteers, is working with Barefoot in Africa Safaris in a unique partnership that is giving you the chance to not only go on an amazing safari to one of my favourite parts of Africa – Zimbabwe – but also to give back a little by contributing to our conservation projects while you’re there.  Barefoot in Africa is donating several thousand dollars per safari to Animal Works’ Zimbabwean fund, so these safaris directly benefit local people and wildlife.

View from Turgwe Camp

Imagine this….  You make your way to Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, and from there you are transported to Humani in the Save Valley Conservancy.  Over the next few days, while based at the superb Turgwe Camp on the river of the same name, you’ll experience “the real deal” Africa – not just the wildlife (this is Big Five country), but you’ll also get to know the locals who call the place home.

This safari is unlike any other in that you have the opportunity to “give back” while you’re there.  You can go on anti-poaching patrols to remove snares from the bush and physically help with building/painting projects at the Humani Primary School.   You’ll also spend some time with Karen Paolillo at Hippo Haven, one of the few places in Africa that you can sit comfortably beside wild hippos and watch their natural behaviour.  Turgwe Camp isn’t the poshest camp you’re ever likely to stay in, but it’s extremely comfortable and the chalets overlook the river, which at sunset often hosts an elephant or two, or some of the local waterbuck and bushbuck.  The night sounds there are incredible – owls, frogs, hyaenas, you name it.

Zebra at Hwange

From there, you fly to Hwange National Park, which in my view has some of the best game viewing you’re ever likely to see.  It’s renowned for it’s large herds of elephants.  In the words of Peter Allison recently (of “Whatever You Do, Don’t Run” fame), “I stopped counting at a thousand”.  You’ll be looked after in Hwange at Davisons Camp, a classic tented safari camp in one of the best game viewing areas in the park.  Bear in mind that when I say tent I mean something the size of a two bedroom flat in Sydney….  This aint camping.  You’ll go on daily game drives or walks and just absorb being in nature at its finest.

Victoria Falls

And to top off this safari, you’ll drive up through the park to the incredible Victoria Falls, which, if you haven’t seen it, really is a once in a lifetime, not to be missed opportunity.  Here sunset boat rides with a nice vino while watching the hippos and the crocs are the order of the day.

Your guide on this safari is Michael Jeh of Barefoot in Africa Safaris.  He’s a Brisbanite with a serious passion for Africa who has been leading safaris in Africa for several years.  He’s also a certified game ranger, which helps if you’re in the bush and a rhino’s charging at you!  Barefoot in Africa Safaris, in partnership with Animal Works, will be running  a few safaris this year, including one starting 1st June and the other on 27th June, both for 10 days.  I’ll be joining the Humani leg of the first one on 1st June.  Places are limited to just 10 people per trip.  So get your place while you can by dropping me a line at tammiekmatson@gmail.com or through my website.

Tam photographing Indian rhino

There was a fleeting moment of awareness, when our jeep first entered the jungle in Manas National Park in the north-east state of Assam, India, that made me gasp with pure contentment.  It had been a while since I’d felt it, that fine-tuning of the senses that happens when you’re in the bush.  I felt goosebumps prickle my arms as I looked up at the canopy of dense, old trees, their thick foliage hugging both sides of the dirt track.  It hit me – not for the first time in my life – that truly wild parts of nature can make your eyes sparkle and your heart soar in a way that few other things can.  There’s something about being in the presence of trees that have been around for hundreds of years and feeling a part of something bigger than yourself that I’ve realised is essential to my existence.  I didn’t need to see a tiger – although I wouldn’t have complained if we did – to appreciate the majesty of this place, a world heritage site at the foothills of the Himalayas.  But we did see enough wildlife to really get the blood pumping, including a rather close encounter with a young Indian rhino, one of just 10 left in the park (see above).

Nafisa with bathing elephant

Later in the trip, Nafisa and I met up with Assam’s famously first and only female mahout, and a true lover of elephants, Parbati Barua.  She said to us, “Don’t interview me in the city.  Next time we meet in the jungle.  That is where I am alive.”  And I thought to myself, how fortunate folks like us are to be able to work in the wild, when so little of it is left in places like this, to know what is out there, and to appreciate it when we’re back in the big smoke.  I’m going to try and hold onto that feeling as we all plunge into the commercial madness and road rage of Christmas…  I’m really glad that places like Manas National Park still exist.

Assamese girl

My co-founder of Animal Works, artist Nafisa Naomi and I were in Assam to track down some of the orphaned elephants that Animal Works‘ supporters have helped rehabilitate at the CWRC and return to the wild in Manas National Park in February this year.  Animal Works is a small organisation, and we’re staying small – one of the advantages of this is that we stay connected to what’s going on in the field, which was the point of this trip, to confirm that your donations were resulting in real conservation outcomes (and of course, a thinly veiled opportunity to get back to the wild, where both Nafisa and I draw the inspiration for our creative work).

Just for a change, I’m not going to TELL you what happened when we got there.  I’m going to show you.  Because for the first time I’ve managed to teach myself how to film and edit video content, and the result of this is a 6 minute youtube video of our adventure in Assam.

Check out the video here .

Thanks for all your support in 2011, and stay tuned in the new year for some new projects from Animal Works, including the opportunity to join us on safari in Zimbabwe.  As always, we really appreciate all your donations, elephant sponsorships (click here to give one for Christmas!) and kind words – because we’re small and don’t pay salaries, you know that almost everything goes straight to the wildlife.   Happy festive season everyone!

Coming soon – Nafisa’s blog from her visit to the CWRC!

Just a quick update before I shoot off to India next week to let any aspiring conservation communicators know that we delayed the Taronga Conservation Communication course to mid December so that it’s to be held in university holidays.  The dates of the next course are now Thurs/Fri 15th and 16th December.  For more details on what it’s all about check out my recent blog here or see Taronga’s web page.

It’s easy to forget that there are wild places out there sometimes.  I mean, when you live in a concrete jungle like Sydney, wild is what you see at King’s Cross on a Friday night in the wee hours, not the kind of wild you get when you’re out in the middle of the bush surrounded by impalas and the odd honey badger.  My wee boy Solo turns two in a month’s time, and that’s significant, because for the first time since he was born I think he’s old enough (and I’m confident enough to leave him) to venture out on a Solo-free, solo adventure in the jungle… Does that make sense?  (Trust us to give our son a potentially confusing name…!)  What I’m trying to say is that India is calling.  And – it’s time to dip my feet back in the wild. (more…)

The title “Conservation Communication” doesn’t really do justice to the workshop that I’m lucky enough to convene at Taronga Zoo a couple of times a year.  I mean, yeah yeah, it’s about learning how to communicate better, and ideally how to apply that understanding to wildlife conservation.  So if you’re a budding conservationist or just passionate about changing the world around you, then no questions asked, this course will build your confidence to do just that. (more…)

Aussies have big hearts.  Since putting out a request for your old laptops to be recycled for use by Zimbabwean primary school children in the Save Valley Conservancy, the response has been awesome.  At least 8 have been donated (thanks Greg, Bob, Trish, Kylie and Maxine!) and I’m hopeful there are a few more to come.  It’s a small thing, but it will make a big difference in the lives of kids in rural Africa. (more…)