Every field guide remembers the moment when the pages of a learner manual first came to life. The tracks in the textbook become fresh footprints in the sand. Animal behaviour is no longer a paragraph to memorise, but something unfolding just metres away. Questions that once seemed complicated suddenly make sense when you watch them happen in front of you.
Roughly one in ten South Africans are thought to live with diabetes, the second leading cause of death in the country. Due to a lack of information, limited access to basic medical equipment, and gaps in patient care, millions are navigating this life-long condition in isolation and uncertainly. It is a disease that, with the right support, should be manageable. And yet, for many, that support remains out of reach.
The sun had barely risen above the horizon as guide Koki and ten excited primary school learners sat silently on a hill. Listening.
In September, something extraordinary happened. Six young conservationists from our partner organisations – Timbavati Foundation and Global Conservation Corps – were invited by Koru Camp to pack everything they needed onto their backs, tighten their backpack straps, and step into the wilderness for a 4-day primitive trail.
“OWN YOUR POWER!”
The warrior cry of 13 girls echoed through the night, from the top of the viewpoint down to the Olifants River below. The group immediately broke into giggles as they made their way back onto the game viewer, but I still had shivers down my spine from hearing the power in their voices. Koru’s very first girls’ empowerment camp had officially begun.
Walking in single file from camp in the cool early morning, the air carried a quiet sense of expectation. But before we had even left sight of the fence, the group came to a sudden halt. The three figures leading us – the long-awaited San Master Trackers §Oma Daqm, /Uce N§amce and translator Steve Kunta – were already huddled over something in the dust. This was the first in a series of special tracking camps hosted at Koru, and our guests from the Timbavati Foundation – educators, guides, and staff – were about to discover just how much could be hidden in plain sight.
It was mid-afternoon, and the warm winter sun lay gently over the bush as we spotted elephants ahead on the road. Pausing first to judge their temperaments, our Guide Intern, Humphrey, slowly crept forward in the game viewer. Unbothered, the elephants continued feeding greedily on the few leaves still clinging to the branches. Buoyed by this, Humphrey inched forward again, eventually drawing alongside a large bull, his head buried deep in a bush just 15 metres away.
There’s an African proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” When it comes to saving our wildlife from poaching, habitat loss and disconnection, it’s not a sprint—it’s a marathon. And it’s going to take all of us.
“Facts alone can’t save the world. Hearts can.” – Carl Safina
As our wildlife faces the growing threats of poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and habitat loss due to human encroachment and climate change, the need for action has never been more urgent. We know knowledge is powerful, but is it enough? Real, lasting change happens when people truly care—when they feel connected to a cause.
Hand-picked for their love of nature and dreams of a career in conservation, 14 teenage girls arrived at Koru Camp last month as part of the Global Conservation Corps’ Future Rangers Program. Bursting with smiles and excitement for their first adventure in the wild, the girls quickly settled into their tents and eagerly joined our guide and environmental educator, Bongani, for an engaging lesson on ecology.
