Wild at Heart

"Our planet is at a crossroads and we have the opportunity to decide the path ahead." We recently watched an episode called Into the Wilderness from the Planet Earth: The Future series (2006) and our professor asked us to reflect on the series and our current environmental challenges. Well since the doccie was produced in 2006, and already then they were warning us about environmental challenges, which in 2018 we're still not addressing - I of course had a whooooole lotta say! _____________________________________ I do wonder if the majority of society hasn’t reached a “saturation point” of actually caring about the environment, similar to what I’ve noticed about the ongoing rhino poaching in South Africa. When it first started, everybody was on board and eager to make a difference, but as the poaching continued and other crisis’ emerged, most people just moved on or thought of it as somebody else’s problem. With the release of WWF’s Living Planet Report, I j...

Rant #500: Is it socially acceptable to tell the two-finger typer next to me in the library to stop hammering his keyboard like there’s no tomorrow?  I just want to study in peace without the constant keyboard banging. How many damn emails does this dude have?! With so many one would have expected a more efficient way of typing to have developed 😉   Concentrate on the classical music you’re listening to Jess! Urgg distractions are life’s evil, like updating a blog while aimlessly ranting about life.  Okok, back to learning about community structures… (exam on the 25th) ---> On a positive note - I managed to get in contact with animal foster heroes to offer watching or walking their doggos while they're out! Too much excitement! Just hope the dogs like me. Now I just need to find someone who has an adorable cat who needs love, although most don't need babysitting, unless it's a kitten. Ah I miss my cat at home, he's getting older by the day, Ma said she...

12 October 2018 Picture me, running through a busy city because smarty pants over here planned to be an eager beaver and gym between classes (yes I hate gym but I’ve been eating a lot of pastries, damn delicious pastries, and with winter setting in, I need to force myself to exercise).  So because I originally planned to go home to shower after gyming, I left my course reader on my bed. This meant that before the GIS class (that I initially wasn't going to go to) I needed to go fetch it as we had a IPCC committee member speak about the newest report during lunch so I had no other time. But instead, of immediately speed-walking back home, I ended up chatting to class mates  (well ranting about the immigration office AGAIN taking forever with my permanent residence card while they plan a Croatia trip). So at 10:20am I was running back and forth between home and uni to be on time for the GIS class. Huffing and puffing and beautifully red in the face I made it just in time. W...

Tonight I had the most overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and despair for my beloved country and the species that call it home. Having finally convinced myself that it was time to go to bed after reading a few pages from “A Rhino in My Garden” by Conita Walker, a thoughtful gift given to me by my loving sister, I was overcome with a deep sense of loss. I guess it’s the distance from home and feeling utterly useless while I tackle my much-anticipated MSc degree, or maybe it’s just hormones? Who knows what brought it along, perhaps reading of Conita’s immense love for the orphaned rhino and hippo she was raising, or her comparison of the slaughter of Africa’s wildlife to WW2, whatever it was, it just made me question the purpose of all of this. This life we’re all aimlessly living. Why have I been burdened (but mostly gifted) with this intense need to protect Africa’s heritage? Or this feeling of disparity? Why are so few of us so empathetic towards other species? A great read s...

A lot has happened since my last blog! I'm so bad at this. 1. Collared several more elephants - best time of course 2. Chased a few rough boys with a helicopter and paintball gun - what's not to love 3. Used chilli at a few spots again, had major success at the one reserve who's even gotten the private landowners and lodges to use the chilli 4. Applied for masters degree and scholarship 5. Got accepted into the program 6. Let me just repeat that, I got accepted to study in Europe. Me? A bush girl from Africa. Holy crap. 7. Became besties with a colleague, went on several dancing missions with her 8. Organised a fundraiser 9. Left my job at Elephants Alive 9. Waited forever for my visa (I might have applied a liiiittle late) 10. Said farewell to the fam-damily 11. Flew to Budapest 12. Started classes 13. Finally found an apartment after a stressful first week And now you're finally caught up! Exhausted me after a +15 hour flight from Cape Town to Bud...