| © KYLE DE NOBREGA AND RUTH NUSSBAUM |
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| Welcome to the second quarterly newsletter of 2018. Can you believe we are half way through the year already? The rains finally subsided from a very wet season and the park is probably looking its best. May – June is characterized by lush green vegetation against a backdrop of beautiful clear blue skies and an abundance of birds enjoying the flowering and fruiting trees and plants, but it quickly turns dry after the rains stop. Read on for some of our recent activities.. |
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| 50 students from Ndego Primary and Secondary School, accompanied by 8 teachers, kicked of our annual environmental education programme this week. Over the course of the next couple of months over 1,600 students will be brought to Akagera from neighbouring schools to experience the park, first hand. This year is slightly different; it’s the first year we are using our community centre. Before entering the park the children arrive at the community centre for a briefing and short tour. We’re developing a space into an environmental education centre where students can do some hands-on learning about conservation and the environment before jumping back on the bus and heading to the park. Watch this space for details! |
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| We were excited to announce recently that Wilderness Safaris, one of Africa’s leading eco-tourism operators, will be opening a new tented camp in the north of Akagera National Park. The six-tent camp will be located on Magashi peninsula on the shores of Lake Rwanyakazinga and is due to open before the end of 2018. The development of this camp speaks volumes about the progress made in Akagera over the past few years and we’re excited to see this recognition of Akagera’s tourism potential. “We’re extremely pleased to be partnering with Wilderness Safaris on the opening of Magashi Camp which would not have been possible without the support of The Howard G. Buffett Foundation to African Parks in helping to protect and realise the economic potential of Akagera”, said Jes Gruner, Park Manager for Akagera National Park. “In just eight years, Akagera has become almost 75% self-financing due to tourism, which also supports surrounding communities. More than 36 000 visitors came through the parks’ entrance last year – half of whom were Rwandan nationals. This is an extraordinary recognition of the importance of Akagera and Rwanda’s natural heritage, and the role tourism plays in the long-term sustainability of this extraordinary landscape”. For more information, read the full press release here. |
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| The first quarter of 2018 saw an average 40% increase in visitor numbers on last year! With the increasing tourists comes an increasing demand for guides. With the success of the Community freelance guides programme, started in 2014, we have been working with the cooperative of guides to recruit and train a new group of guides from the local community. 356 people turned up to the open interview in Rwinkwavu sector offices at the end of April, over the course of two days the group was whittled down to just 15 people who then underwent an intensive three week training programme. The training will continue in the coming weeks to get the guides up to speed in time for the high season. We’d love your feedback if you take a guide with your on your adventures into the park! |
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| On a related note the Community Freelance Guides cooperative have opened a campsite just outside the park on the ridge overlooking Lake Ihema. Ihema View Campsite is a great option for those arriving later in the day who want to access the park early the following morning. The views are spectacular and they can also provide tents and camping equipment. Park staff were invited for an opening and tour of the campsite which includes a small bar, a viewing deck and ablution block. Contact the Community Freelance Guides cooperative through their Facebook page for further details. |
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Karenge bush camp has opened it’s zips for a new season. The camp opened on 1st June and will remain open until the end of August. If you haven’t visited, now is your chance! Karenge is located overlooking the spectacular Kilala Plain in the north of the park and has easy access to some of the best wildlife viewing areas. We highly recommend guests get up early and head onto the plain at dawn, before breakfast, hyenas are regularly seen at this time as well as high densities of other plains wildlife. There are just 6 tents and a maximum of 12 guests. Each tent has its own bathroom, with a view, bucket showers and toilets and warm water provided each evening. Solar and kerosene lamps provide light, and there are solar fridges for the bar and kitchen. We have had extremely positive feedback from guests at Karenge, the camp is now also on TripAdvisor so have a look at the reviews of photos and if you’ve already visit, please consider leaving a review of your experience!
Photo by Stanislas Fautre for Figaro Magazine |
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| In other news: We’ve been lucky enough to have botanist, Quentin Luke, in Akagera for two weeks working with some of our staff to begin to develop a database of tree species in the park. Akagera contains such rich diversity in plant life in a range of habitats from the lakes and riverine forests to patches of woodland, expanses of grassland and even areas of rocky cliffs, but there is little on record about the plant species found here so we’re looking forward to learning more! Did you know that Rwanda, when considering species richness per square kilometre, is ranked 7th most bio-diverse country in the world according to Mongabay.com? As well as diverse trees and plants, Akagera has over 480 species of birds, and in a relatively small area, including some Lake Victoria endemics, Akagera is a haven for bird enthusiasts and beginner birders alike – it’s difficult not to get excited about Akagera’s bird life! Based on the book, Birds in Rwanda by Gael R. Vande weghe and J.P Vande weghe, we’ve developed a checklist of Akagera birds, condensed into a folded A3 page indicating the Abundance, Status and Habitat for each species. Pick yourself up a copy when you next visit the park! |
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