THE VIEWFINDERNEWSLETTER: ISSUE NO 37, SEPTEMBER 2004 [Festival Time ] [2004 So Far] [Total Eco Challenge] Once again, it's nearly time for Wildscreen. It is gratifying to see that no less than thirteen of the films on the finalist list have been made in Africa, including two on the big screen. We are proud to note that four of the finalists came through Viewfinders, and three of them have been nominated for more than one award. Despite the somewhat alarming trend that seems to be emerging (such as the disappearance of Wildlife on One), it's good to know that some good films continue to be made. The industry continues to change as quickly as technology strides ahead, and one wonders what the future holds. We reported a slow start to the year, with things picking up around the time of the long rains in April/May. Since then the pressure has not lessened, and we have been continuously busy and look like being so right through into the New Year. Wildlife has always been our preference and speciality, but medical, science and social (street children) programmes now feature quite regularly. Ray Mears brought his survival team for a short visit, and one of our local cameramen, Warren Samuels shot some beautiful footage for the Chelsea Flower Show. There has been quite a flurry of films about the plight of Africa's lions and we had a few enjoyable days sourcing exotic swimming pools and vintage American cars for a stills shoot. September has been one of our busiest months in a long time, with the BBC Big Cat team providing us with yet more challenges. In one week a broken collarbone had to be repaired and its owner flown home, and we had to supply some unusually vital supplies including nail varnish remover, yoghurt, and a tennis ball. Damaged cameras, lenses, and vehicle parts crisscross the country on an almost daily basis.
Photos by Sean Hartley Tourists and film makers alike seem to have finally stopped listening to travel warnings, and this year's migration has brought huge numbers of visitors. There are said to be more than two million wildebeest in the Maasai Mara at the moment, with the result that every lodge and camp is full to bursting and every available 4wd vehicle is out working. The tourism authorities boast that Kenya has achieved the dream target of one million tourists this year. The weather has been unusual, to say the least, and though there have been heavy storms in Western Kenya over the last month or so, the Viewfinders base in Nairobi has only received 9.1mm of rain in the last 90 days. Many parts of Kenya, particularly the northern Rift Valley and the north eastern part of the country, have had no rain and are in the grips of a very serious drought. Crops have failed, and prices for everything from fuel to food have soared, and more than a million souls are receiving famine relief. We have followed the progress of hurricanes Charlie, Frances and Ivan and tropical storm Jeanne in the Caribbean and southern USA. The differing levels of disaster in Haiti and the Dominican Republic are surely a lesson in the extremes of environmental management, or mismanagement. Closer to home, similar environmental disasters prevail, but it is the burgeoning bush meat trade that will decimate Africa's wildlife unless answers are found. It will be interesting to see what Jane Goodall, David Attenborough and Drs Leakey and Dawkins have to say on the future of conservation, at the opening session of Wildscreen. It is, however, still possible to find a pinpoint of light at the end of the tunnel, however small it may be. It is now one year since Total Kenya launched their Eco Challenge in a bid to reforest the country. This organisation, with over a hundred petrol stations country wide, has taken the initiative in a bid to make "Kenyans know about trees like Brazilians know about football". Each petrol station is being developed as a 'tree centre', hosting independent and knowledgeable nursery operators who are ready to provide advice, seedling stocks and low-cost polythene bags. Nearly 500 separate projects have registered their activities, and it is estimated that between them they have already planted 10 million trees. Total have set a target of 100 million trees a year, to meet demand for timber and fuel without denuding the landscape or encroaching on indigenous forests. Whole communities, commercial organizations of many kinds, school groups and individuals are now collecting seeds, setting up nurseries and planting trees wherever they can. Emphasis is being placed on indigenous species, such as cedar, olive, podo, croton, acacia and fig, though fast-growing eucalyptus and grevillea (both indigenous to Australia) are still very popular. It seems as if a new tree-growing culture has been born, with huge potential for small businesses from seed to seedling, planting to harvest involving hundreds of thousands of people. Communities are improving their knowledge of storage and germination, planting, mulching, watering and pruning, and with the overall coordination coming from Total's full time forester, the message seems to be spreading like wildfire. There are said to be 7 million seedlings ready for the coming rains, and that figure is only from those who have formally registered their activities with Total. The company have pledged to support the challenge initially for five years, to inspire and enable Kenyans to grow trees, but in no way to interfere with free market forces. Kenya has the soil, the space and the climate for this exercise to snowball and if the people are given leadership, opportunity and information, then the Eco Challenge may just prove to be a Total success. |
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