RHINO MAN Private Screening in London
GCC was honored to be hosted on the 13th June in London by United for Wildlife, Prince William’s initiative to fight the illegal wildlife trade. Prince William and The Duchess of Edinburgh were in attendance, as well as more than 150 leading figures in conservation, government, and finance at an exclusive private screening of RHINO MAN at the newly restored Battersea Power Station. As many of our supporters know, RHINO MAN is GCC’s feature-length documentary that tells the story of the courageous field rangers who risk their lives every day to protect South Africa’s rhinos from being poached to extinction. After nearly 8 years of blood, sweat and tears, the film is complete.
John Jurko, Lead Director of RHINO MAN opened up the evening by sharing his vision for the film and why it is so important to everyone on the GCC team for Anton’s legacy and story to be told around the world: “Through their personal stories, their trials and tribulations, their sacrifices for something bigger than themselves, I hope people will be deeply moved. Not only to support the rangers’ important work, but to aid in the greater efforts to bring down crime syndicates and to inspire a generation who seeks to live in harmony with nature. That was Anton’s dream. It is our job to pick up his torch and carry it forward.”
Matt Lindenberg, Michelle Morgridge, Justin Walker, and other GCC team members, friends and supporters were also in attendance. We were honored to be joined by Orlat Ndlovu, Anton’s close friend and Head of Ranger Services at the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, who gave a rousing speech in front of all attendees before the film played. Leitah Mkhabela, Anton’s cousin and ranger with the Black Mambas, was in attendance and shared her stories and memories of Anton with the attendees. Our long-time partners from the Southern African Wildlife College and The Thin Green Line Foundation were also present to share their support for the film’s completion.
The screening was followed by a GCC fundraising and education event on the 14th June at The OWO Residences in London. The event featured two simultaneous panel discussions; one with rangers and trainers talking about the importance of anti-poaching units and the dangerous realities faced each day, and another panel with guest wildlife artists Marcel Van Luit and Will Fortescue who shared their passion for conservation and why they chose to be part of the GCC and RHINO MAN family. Both Marcel and Will donated world-class artwork to the event, which directly supports the work and impact of GCC and RHINO MAN. This event enabled our team to create new relationships with like-minded organizations, while solidifying existing partnerships that helped us get to this monumental point. Read more about the event here!
Thank you to all of our donors, supporters, and volunteers who have worked with us to get this massive project across the finish line. With your help, we’ve completed our mission of documenting the “ranger story”. The final steps now ensue as we enter into the 2023/2024 Film Festival run, and seek distribution on a global scale. More to come!
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Katie Adamson Conservation Fund Takes a Trip to South Africa
The Katie Adamson Conservation Fund (KACF) has been a long term supporter of GCC and, recently, the KACF team took a trip to South Africa where they experienced a number of conservation activities, including a day at our Future Rangers Program. The school visit included a demonstration of the Future Rangers Platform, tree planting, and a friendly, but very competitive soccer match. The local FR team took the win by a very slim 5 – 4 margin! Truly a trip to remember!
For more news about KACF and their impactful work, follow their social channels:
Stay tuned for more exciting news about the GCC and KACF partnership coming soon!
GCC, KACF and WPS joined forces for an incredible Rhino Week 2023!
GCC, in partnership with KACF and Wildlife Protection Solutions (WPS) hosted our annual Rhino Week from 1-5 th June, in the RiNo Art District, Denver, Colorado. This year’s festivities included a kickoff party, conservation education events, and our annual Rhino Stampede pub crawl. GCC Board Advisor Bob Ludke and Development Director Mindy Robinson were on hand to share information about our work and present the GCC’s recently completed Voices of Nature photo book.
We are hugely grateful to our partners who help us make this special event a reality each year! Thank you to our pub crawl sponsors: Stem Ciders, Improper City, Ironton Distilling, Great Divide Barrel Bar, River North Brewing, Shake Shack, Odell, Deep Roots, Block Distilling, Barcelona, and Ratio Beerworks.
Endangered Wildlife Trust Visits Sokisi High
This month, the Future Rangers High School students were visited by a leading conservation professional during their after-school program. Kulani Nyakane, a carnivore researcher from the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) shared his field stories and expertise with our Future Rangers students. Learners got an up-close view of what the life of a carnivore researcher looks like. Kulani took the children through his experiences in the field and explained the path that led him to this specific career. He shared some beautiful videos of cheetah reintroductions and removing snares from wild dogs, explaining how we all have a part to play in keeping large predators thriving, and how their existence links to a healthy ecosystem for us all.
Our Future Rangers were left inspired by Kulani’s closing message to them: “Despite the nature of the career you want to follow, appreciate all nature because it forms a vital part of our well-being.”
Run 4 Wildlife Teacher’s Marathon
On the 24th May, the GCC South Africa team partnered with the Timbavati Foundation and Timbavati Private Nature Reserve to facilitate the Run 4 Wildlife Teacher’s Marathon in Welverdiend Village next to Kruger. There were over 40 teachers from local schools that participated, opting to run a 5, 10 or 21km race in honor of raising awareness, support and solidarity for wildlife areas and conservation. Participating teachers wanted this race to send a clear message to their students; that they are in support of wildlife, tourism and the many benefits conservation areas bring. We believe this awareness will ripple back into their students and communities.
Thanks so much to the organizations that supported the event – Acornhoek Mall Roots Butchery, Acornhoek Spar, BJ’s Supermarket, and Two Mountains Funeral Services – and congratulations to all teachers who participated. We’re excited to reach triple digits in the race next year.
Voices of Nature Podcast Episode 28: James Wareing on Saving Tree Kangaroos
In the most recent episode of Voices of Nature podcast, we speak with James Wareing, the finance manager of Tenkile Conservation Alliance – often referred to as TCA. Tenkile Conservation Alliance operates in the Torricelli mountains in the northwest of Papua New Guinea. TCA was founded to protect several species of critically endangered tree kangaroos: the Tenkile, Weimang, and Grizzled. When TCA started, numbers of both the Tenkile and Weimand species were as low as 100 individuals. Now, thanks to a hunting moratorium, community engagement, and awareness programs, each species has recovered to around 300-400 strong.