Honoring Anton’s Birthday
July 26th, 2022 seems like an entire lifetime ago. This was the day we lost our dear friend Anton. At the time, it seemed impossible that anything good could come from such tragedy, from such loss. How could anything positive emerge? This February marked what should have been Anton’s 43rd birthday. Although it was a sad day for all of us at GCC, it also happened to coincide with some beautiful silver linings and markers of hope.
During the week Anton passed away, I was hosting our friends from the Katie Adamson Conservation Fund (KACF) at our longtime partner, the Southern African Wildlife College. Dave Johnson (KACF Founder) was with me during the shock, and we went through an emotional rollercoaster together, forming a deep bond. At a field ranger passout parade, Dave vowed to make a difference to honor Anton’s legacy. He returned to Denver, and rallied his community, raising $5,000 over the subsequent months, funding 74 pairs of new ranger boots for the Field Ranger Training Base at the Wildlife College. These highly discounted boots were provided by Jim Green, a South African footwear company who have partnered with the Game Rangers Association of Africa to support rangers.
On Friday, February 24th, Dave handed over the pairs of boots to recent ranger graduates, speaking of hope and the value of partnerships. To amplify this beautiful occasion, we were joined by Anton’s oldest son. He stood tall and represented his father with pride, meeting rangers, and celebrating the occasion. He has received a bursary to attend a six-month training program at the Wildlife College next year, more dedicated than ever to follow in his late father’s footsteps.
This story speaks to the impact of collaboration, friendship, and community. From loss comes hope, and wherever Anton’s soul lays resting, I believe he is smiling and resting easy, knowing that his life’s work continues through the many lives he has touched.
Happy Birthday my Brother,
Matt
A Special Valentine’s Day Request
GCC Founder and Executive Director, Matt Lindenberg, as many of you – our followers know, is an inspiring individual. His passion is infectious and his sound business acumen is perfectly balanced with a heart to create change. It is challenging to come out of a conversation with Matt without feeling inspired and empowered. Truly, he is the heart of our organization.
This Love Month (Valentine’s Day) we are writing to you to share the love and to consider making a gift towards GCC. On the 19th August, 2021, Matt and a friend were on route to visit a local partner when a drunk driver T-boned his vehicle. The GCC truck, which was a previous donation from one of our donors, rolled several times at a speed of 120km per hour, flipping 8 times before stopping upside down on the side of the road. All airbags deployed and, thankfully, saved his life.
On Friday, February 24th, Dave handed over the pairs of boots to recent ranger graduates, speaking of hope and the value of partnerships. To amplify this beautiful occasion, we were joined by Anton’s oldest son. He stood tall and represented his father with pride, meeting rangers, and celebrating the occasion. He has received a bursary to attend a six-month training program at the Wildlife College next year, more dedicated than ever to follow in his late father’s footsteps.
For the last 18 months since the accident, Matt has gone without a car in order to focus on others’ needs. He’s been borrowing trucks, renting cars, taking buses and whatever he can find to travel to our schools and local partners – all without complaint. And now we would really love to give something back to him.
Our goal is to raise $35,000 USD in donations to get Matt a safe and reliable vehicle. We know that this is a big ask. And while that is a large amount, any gift, big or small, helps. Thank you for considering this large but humble ask, and thank you for sharing the love with GCC always.
“Voices of Nature” Podcast Episode 25: West Taylor
GCC’s “Voices of Nature” Podcast hosted by Bob Ludke is already 25 episodes deep! This week, we are honored to have West Taylor, a former businessman and IT communications contractor, who is now a horse trainer and one of the best in the field!
During the episode, West takes us through his amazing journey of following his dream and finding his purpose – horses. Some say he is a horse whisperer. West will say he chooses to listen to the horse and allows them to communicate with him.
Listen to the full episode here:
First day of the Future Rangers Program at Sokisi High School
We are so excited to report that the first day of the Future Rangers Program at Sokisi High School was successful!
The Explorers (Grades 8 and 9) had their first class this week, which covered an introduction to climate change, what causes it, how it affects our livelihoods, and some remedies we can practically implement to combat it. Grounded in our African roots, this indigenous knowledge served our ancestors well as they used it to practice sustainable conservation.
For their conservation project, learners will interview elderly people in their communities about how the climate has changed in the past decades, what caused the change, and what methods we can employ to combat this change.
Much to the delight of our team, our Future Rangers students are eager and ready to be part of our program this school year! Their vigor and excitement are our source of inspiration!
Campus Clean-up at Dayimani High School
Mbhoni, Lefa, and Promise recently facilitated a campus clean-up at Dayimani High School. This school, which is run by GCC’s advisor to the board, Ernest Hlati, is amongst the top institutions in the Kruger area, with the highest marks in math and science in the region. Our team was delighted to be part of this very productive start to the new school year!
Social Media Strategies for Nonprofits
This month, GCC Marketing Associate Bea Asuncion shares a few insights on effectively using social media for nonprofit organizations. In social media and digital marketing, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. However, there are best practices nonprofits can implement to better their reach and increase their following. We are eager to take you through what we’ve learned over the years.
The Rhino Man Podcast: Episodes 36-39 Now Available!
Don’t forget to catch up on The Rhino Man Podcast, hosted by Creative Director John Jurko! The focus of this podcast series is to highlight everything about rangers, rhinos, the poaching crisis, and the broader conservation context. Our recent episodes include discussions with Peter Eastwood of Koru Camp, David Fein of United for Wildlife, wildlife artist Sophie Green, and Sharon Haussmann of GKEPF (Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation).
Don’t forget to subscribe so that you can get the latest episode each week. We have a lot of announcements coming this year about the release of RHINO MAN The Movie, additional tributes to Anton’s legacy, and much more!
Subscribe, Rate, and Listen here:
